Is my Film Covered by the CVL?
The Church Video Licence (CVL) from CCLI covers many major film studios and distributors including Universal Pictures, Dreamworks, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Paramount, and Twentieth Century Fox.
However, CCLI appreciates that determining whether a particular film is covered isn’t always easy. This article will look at the best way to confirm that the film you wish to show is covered by the CVL.
Although there are a number of websites containing film information that you can reference, CCLI recommends that you look first on IMDb.com (The Internet Movie Database).
- From the IMDb homepage, enter the film’s title in the search bar. As you begin typing, a drop-down list of potential matches should appear. The more exact you are, the more likely your film will be at or near the top of the list. When you see the film you’re looking for, click on the title to open that film’s page on the IMDb site
- Next you need to scroll down the page past the Cast list and Storyline until you come to Company Credits. Underneath this heading is a line of text that begins Production Co:. At the end of this line click the text See more »
- You should now be looking at the Company Credits page, and a long list of film companies. Scan the list of Distributors to find the company which holds the ‘(Australia) (Theatrical)’ right. (See below if the Australia Theatrical right isn’t listed here).
- Having made a note of the distributor with the Ireland Theatrical right, now open the Australia CVL Producers List on the CVLI website. This list shows all the studios/producers covered by the CVL in Australia displayed in alphabetical order. If the distributor with the Australia Theatrical right appears in this list, the film is covered by the CVL for Australia. If the distributor isn’t listed here, the film is not covered.
The Australia Theatrical right isn’t shown on IMDb. What do I do?
If the Australia Theatrical right isn’t listed on IMDb but a single company appears to hold the Theatrical rights to most territories, as a general rule you can assume that that company will also hold this right for Australia. If there is no general consensus in the list on IMDb, we recommend you contact us.
The film isn’t covered by the CVL but we still want to show it. What should we do?
If the film isn’t covered by the CVL, contact the film’s producer directly to establish whether they can issue a licence or can point you to the licensing body which can.
Thanks for taking the time to make sure your film is covered. Enjoy showing it in your church.