Can I organize public viewings of movies available on the VODBLISK platform?
We get this question all the time, and now we will answer how to ethically organize such viewings and why.
The deal with the VODBLISK platform is the same as, for example, with Netflix, Apple TV+, Mubi, or Hulu: you can watch movies from these streaming services in the comfort of your own home with headphones on or accompanied by your family, but doing the same for an audience anywhere else is considered copyright infringement.
The VODBLISK team promotes licensed content and does not support the activities of any pirate resources, even those that upload Belarusian content or content in Belarusian. We believe that all things Belarusian should be promoted with respect for copyright.
VODBLISK pays, albeit small, fees to copyright holders for placing films on our service. And in the case of independent Belarusian cinema, the holders are usually the movie directors themselves.
If you show a movie from our service to 20 people, then the rights of Belarusian authors are first of all violated, because at VODBLISK we only have permission for individual online screenings (i.e., we do not possess the right to approve additional offline screenings of films).
The deal with the VODBLISK platform is the same as, for example, with Netflix, Apple TV+, Mubi, or Hulu: you can watch movies from these streaming services in the comfort of your own home with headphones on or accompanied by your family, but doing the same for an audience anywhere else is considered copyright infringement.
The VODBLISK team promotes licensed content and does not support the activities of any pirate resources, even those that upload Belarusian content or content in Belarusian. We believe that all things Belarusian should be promoted with respect for copyright.
VODBLISK pays, albeit small, fees to copyright holders for placing films on our service. And in the case of independent Belarusian cinema, the holders are usually the movie directors themselves.
If you show a movie from our service to 20 people, then the rights of Belarusian authors are first of all violated, because at VODBLISK we only have permission for individual online screenings (i.e., we do not possess the right to approve additional offline screenings of films).
What to do?
We understand and certainly approve of the desire to watch and screen Belarusian cinema. The best solution would be to directly contact the rights holder of the film you want to show and ask under what conditions they will allow you to sсreen it. We advise you to immediately indicate the place of the screening, the number of people, the number of screenings themselves, as well as information about paid or free admission. If you get permission, a copy of the film for screening will be given to you by the rights holder.
As an option, we advise you to ask the rights holders whether they allow the screening of the film from the VODBLISK platform so that authors do not have to worry about transferring files. And if you agree to show the film on our platform, you can buy the viewing rights for $5 and also donate a minimum of $20. At the screening, you can tell a little about our project itself so that people join the platform and watch Belarusian movies on VODBLISK. By doing so, you will support independent Belarusian filmmakers and our independent Belarusian cinema theater, and you will not violate any copyright.
Watch and show Belarusian cinema ethically. This can be done on VODBLISK.
As an option, we advise you to ask the rights holders whether they allow the screening of the film from the VODBLISK platform so that authors do not have to worry about transferring files. And if you agree to show the film on our platform, you can buy the viewing rights for $5 and also donate a minimum of $20. At the screening, you can tell a little about our project itself so that people join the platform and watch Belarusian movies on VODBLISK. By doing so, you will support independent Belarusian filmmakers and our independent Belarusian cinema theater, and you will not violate any copyright.
Watch and show Belarusian cinema ethically. This can be done on VODBLISK.