About Public Video Screening Licence (PVSL) for Schools

PVSL – designed to improve the way movies are licensed for use in your school.

Filmbank Distributors Limited have engaged the Centre for Education & Finance Management Limited to act as a collection agency for the UK schools sector for their Public Video Screening Licence (PVSL).

If you want to show a film outside the home or cinema, you need the permission of the copyright owner. Filmbankmedia has been supplying copyright licences to schools for group screenings for over 17 years.

For non-curricular use, a copyright licence is required to screen films in schools under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Non-curricular use can include end of term treats, after-school activities, wet breaks, film clubs, and so on.

The Public Video Screening Licence will ensure schools, for an annual fee, are properly licensed to use videos or DVDs purchased or rented from legitimate UK outlets for screenings to pupils and teachers (in a supervisory capacity). Anyone wishing to apply for the PVSL should read the full terms and conditions (available here). Essentially though, the licence requires that the audience is not charged to see the film and any advertising is only done within the licensed premises (i.e. the school). Note that advertising is only permitted if no commercial activity takes place during, before and after the screening.

If there will be commercial activity around the screening or you want to charge for entry (e.g. for a fundraising event), a different licence is required. Contact Filmbankmedia directly for more information about their ‘Single Title Licence‘.

The Public Video Screening Licence covers the use of movies from major film distributors, a list of which can be found on the Distributors page. Filmbankmedia’s PVSL also covers Into Film account holders and the viewing of titles from the PVSL participating distributors with Into Film+.

Please see the Filmbankmedia website for a current list of titles and distributors the licence will cover.

To obtain your licence, please print off and complete an application form and return with your licence fee (please make cheques payable to “PVSL”) to:

PVSL Department
CEFM Ltd
M1A Mosquito Studios
De Havilland Court
Penn Street
Amersham
HP7 0PX

Please read the licence’s Terms and Conditions on the second page before signing and returning your application.

CEFM aim to issue a certificate within 14 days of receipt of payment for a successful application.