Movie screenings
There are many fantastic films about plastic waste and the solutions being adopted by communities. Help engage people in Plastic Free July by organising a screening in your community.
What you can do
Organise the screening of a plastic-related film for your community.
How you can do it
Start by choosing a film that would appeal to your community. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite plastic-related films. Just be sure to watch it first or read reviews to make sure that it’s suitable for your audience.
Once you have chosen the film, it’s time to organise the event. You’ll need to find a suitable venue, thinking about accessibility so that no one is left out. You’ll need to work out a budget for the costs involved, including venue hire.
Cinemas usually charge a percentage of the booking fee, whereas libraries, community halls and schools will often allow you to host for a fraction of the cost. There may be a cost for the film too. Some are available for free, but for some you’ll need to purchase a screening license.
These costs will help you figure out how much you want to charge for tickets. If you want to keep the tickets free, or provide tickets at low/no charge for those who can’t afford full price, that’s something to consider as well. Many community groups ask a local business to sponsor the event as a way of being associated with the positive values and popularity of Plastic Free July.
Promoting your event is key. Allow at least 6-8 weeks for tickets to sell, and encourage attendees (plus your friends, family members, and colleagues) to share the event on social media. There are event booking sites in many countries that allow community groups to set up online ticketing at little or no cost.
You can ask local schools, your council and businesses to help promote the event, by providing information to include in their newsletters and shop windows. Your local newspaper, community leaders and politicians might be able to help promote your community event, too.
Add your screening to our event’s map, so that like-minded members in our community know about it.
As a takeaway from your event, you might want to encourage attendees to take action by signing up for the Plastic Free July challenge. It’s a great way of stirring action and focussing on positive solutions, rather than overwhelming people with the scale of the plastic waste issue.
Taking the next steps
If food and drinks are sold at the event, try and minimise any single-use plastic. Our events cards have some ideas on how to do this. Many groups make popcorn using bulk food store ingredients and serve in reusable bowls and cups or use paper bags.
If people bring their own snacks or drink encourage them to avoid single-use plastic and promote this in the lead-up to the event. Encourage people to bring reusable water bottles and make sure refills are available or simply share ideas such as reusable containers or wax wraps as the best solutions for bringing food.
Making an impact:
- By helping build awareness of the problems of plastic and the solutions, you’ll no doubt see people stirred to take action.
- People are likely to encourage their friends, colleagues, and family members to get on board too. That means impacts will reach beyond the attendees of the event.
