HOSTING GUIDE

HOW TO HOST YOUR SCREENING

Be clear on your goals for the event:

What do you hope to achieve as a result of your event? Are you hoping to utilise the film to further engage an already existing community? Are you hoping to increase awareness? Are you hoping to raise funds, or to celebrate great work that is already being done? Is a large audience more important to you, or rather having a targeted audience that is more relevant to what you are hoping to acheive. Being clear about your goals will make it easier to decide how to structure the event, target publicity and evaluate results.

Consider event partners:

UNDER COVER shines a light on the devastating reality of women oer 50 being the fastest-growing cohort experiencing homelessness in Australia. Consider inviting partner organisations to co-host your screening in order to reach a bigger, or more diverse audience. These organisations may include not for profits, women’s organisations, council and/or government groups, experts and corporate partners with values aligned to your goals above.

Finalise a timeline:

Choose a screening date at least several weeks out to secure the best location, find partner organisations, and publicise the event widely. A window of around 3-4 weeks works well to publicise your event or send details to your invitation list, with final reminders between 1-2 weeks out from your event date.

Consider the finer details of your event:

Are you intending to show the film alone, or host a Q&A / panel discussion following the screening? Who are the local experts on the topic who should be present? Try to gather a group of people who have different opinions on the subject. If all sides are fairly represented, the discussion will be much stronger and have more impact.

Do you require any access support such as an Auslan interpreter?

Will the event be ticketed? Will there be a donation supporting an organisation doing work in this space?

Select a venue:

Is your screening location comfortable enough for viewers to sit through a feature-length film? Does it allow for an inclusive discussion? Is the building wheelchair accessible and easily reachable by public transportation? Does it have the appropriate screening equipment for the size of your audience? What format does your venue require to show the film? This can be checked by speaking to our impact producer upon booking the film. Be sure to test equipment before the day of your event.

Choose a moderator:

If you are opting for a screening only, you may choose to select a facilitator only, who welcomes those in attendance, makes an Acknowledgement of Country, and introduces the film.

For a panel discussion / Q&A event you may wish to extend this to a moderator who will be responsible for creating an environment in which people feel respected, safe, and encouraged to share their opinions about sensitive topics. Suitable moderators may be journalists, academicsc, professionals related to the issue of homelessness - those who are able to provide background knowledge about the subject matter, maintain a neutral position, and move discussion forward.

Publicity:

Our hosting assets have materials to help you publicise your event, including key art, one-page synopsis, and photos. They can be found linked here.

Included are the below tools and assets that will be helpful for your publicity:

Press Kit - including synopsis information, bios of key creative team, additional information about the film and technical information.

Poster - for use in both digital and physical promotion of your event.

Images - additional images to be used for marketing materials.

Templates - for press releases and event running sheets.

Q&A / Panel discussion considerations:

Before planning a long post-screening program, consider the length of the film, especially for evening events. Since audiences passively absorbed a lot of information during the film, you may want to open the floor right away to questions, discussion and next steps.

You may also wish to consider sponsorship of your event to be able to provide catering for an event longer in duration.

A safe space:

No audience is the same and members may have a different view about the film they have just seen, and each may be accurate. Geography, age, race, religion and socioeconomic class can all have an impact on comfort levels, speaking styles, and prior knowledge. Brief your facilitator or moderator in creating a safe space for all involved.

Consider action steps:

After an engaging film and a thought-provoking discussion, your viewers will hopefully leave the event wanting to take action. Provide a wide range of next steps that audiences can take in their communities, whether they are new to the subject, have limited time or resources, or are seasoned activists.

Collect feedback:

Feedback forms enable you to stay in touch with your audience, and find out more about the engagement of the film/event, and provide powerful evaluation for you to consider for future events and any goals you would like to report.

GOOD LUCK FOR A POWERFUL AND ENGAGING EVENT, AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING SPREADING THE WORD OF UNDER COVER