How to start a film club in the UK

Starting a film club, or a small community cinema, is one of the best ways to bring people together around films that commercial multiplexes skip. Across the UK, more than a thousand volunteer-led groups already screen in village halls, museums, pubs, and arts centres.

You do not need a purpose-built cinema. You do need a small team, a legal way to show the film, a venue, and a simple way for guests to buy tickets.

This guide covers the practical steps. For deeper start-up packs and the national network, use Cinema For All; they exist specifically to support community exhibitors. Ticketlab’s role is the ticketing piece: taking payments, issuing tickets, and keeping guest lists tidy on the night.

Decide what kind of club you are

Most UK community exhibitors fall into one of these shapes:

Be clear early: are you open to the public with paid tickets, or members-only? That choice affects licensing and how you promote.

Form a small working group

Do not run this alone. A committee of three to five people can split:

• Programming (what to show)
• Venue and equipment
• Licences and money
• Publicity and tickets

Write down who owns what before the first screening. Cinema For All’s start-up materials include useful templates for constitutions and roles.

Find a venue and kit

Common venues: village halls, libraries, museums, pubs with a back room, community centres, outdoor spaces in summer.

Checklist:

• Dark enough (or blackout possible)
• Seating and capacity for fire regs
• Power for projector and sound
• Insurance (building + public liability; ask the venue and Cinema For All about member benefits)
• Accessible entrance and toilets where possible

Start with borrowed or hired projection kit if you are testing demand. Upgrade once the programme is stable.

Get the right film screening licence

This is the step people skip, and should not.

Showing a film outside a private home is usually a public performance under UK copyright law. If you charge for tickets or advertise publicly, you almost always need a proper licence from the rights holder or their agent.

For many mainstream and catalogue titles screened by film clubs, that means a Single Title Screening Licence (STSL) via Filmbankmedia (or another authorised licensor for the title). Expect a per-screening fee (often a minimum or a share of box office; check current Filmbankmedia pricing).

Useful references:

• Filmbankmedia: STSL
• Independent Cinema Office: what licences do I need?
• GOV.UK: showing films in public
• Cinema For All advice

Ticketlab does not sell film licences. We only handle event tickets and payments. Budget for the licence and the venue before you announce the date.

Set ticket prices and sell tickets online

Community cinema tickets in the UK often sit around £5 to £12. Price for your audience and your costs (licence + venue + kit).

Avoid cash-only door sales if you can:

• Guests expect to book ahead
• You need a headcount for the licence and seating
• Rain or transport issues are easier when people are already on a list

How Ticketlab fits in

1. Create a free organiser account on Ticketlab
2. Add your screening (or a series of dates)
3. Share your Ticketlab link on email, posters, and social
4. Guests pay online and bring a QR ticket

No monthly platform fee to list. Booking fees are transparent; use the pricing calculator so you know what a £8 ticket costs your guests (or you, if you absorb fees).

Create your event on Ticketlab · Film club & community cinema ticketing

Promote your first screening

• Email list and a simple landing page (your Ticketlab event URL is enough to start)
• Posters in libraries, cafés, and the venue
• Local Facebook groups and Instagram
• Partnership with the venue’s own channels
• Press: local papers still cover community film nights

Say what is on, when, where, price, and the booking link. Do not advertise a title publicly until your licence allows it.

On the night

• Print or phone-ready guest list from Ticketlab
• QR check-in if you use it
• One person on door, one on tech
• Note what sold / what did not for the next programme

Aftercare: thank guests, ask them to join a mailing list, and date the next screening while energy is high.

Grow into a season

Once one night works, plan a short season (monthly is enough). High-frequency programmes (museum slots, weekly clubs) are where organised ticketing saves the most time. That pattern also shows up among Ticketlab’s strongest film and cinema organisers: regular dates, loyal audiences, repeatable setup.

Sell tickets for your screenings

Useful links

List your next screening on Ticketlab

Free to create, low fees, built for community programmes and series. Real humans if you need help before doors open.