Set all your basic Film details
- Film title
- Film Content Rating
- Genre
- Year of Release
- Country of Origin
- Languages
Add a trailer URL - You can use any public URL for the trailer, and it will be viewable through a "Watch Trailer" button on your Film Page. Your trailer will also play in a loop in the upper section of your Film page(s), by default.
If you prefer, in the Add photos section you can add a photo and set this still image as the background hero image for your Film page, instead of a looping trailer.
Add a poster image - Use the highest resolution image possible in a 2:3 aspect ratio - it's recommended to use an image no smaller than 600 x 800 pixels.
Add photos - Add stills from your Film and toggle on a still background hero image for your Film page. Simply toggle on the selector under your photo of choice to set it as your background image, instead of the looping trailer.
Synopsis - Provide a description of your Film that will motivate Event organizers to book a screening.
Running Time (minutes) - Include the length of your Film in minutes.

3. Film Fees

Customize screening earnings and availability for theatrical, non-theatrical, and virtual screenings of your Film.

Theatrical screenings operate with a single set of controls for enabling bookings and setting fees, while non-theatrical and virtual screenings offer greater customizability beyond setting general screening fees, allowing you to set different fees based on the type of host booking your Film.

This section explains how to enable, customize, and manage screening requests while setting appropriate fees and availability.

Theatrical Screenings

Enable theatrical screenings to allow your community to book movie theaters for your Film. These can be risk-free through Theatrical on Demand® or direct reservations with custom ticket distribution.

Disabling this feature removes the option for theatrical screenings altogether.

Auto-Accept (Instant Confirmation)

Automatically activated whenever you enable Theatrical screening requests, this setting enables instant confirmation of incoming requests by applying your set fee and booking the Event immediately.

You must add screening fees for incoming requests to be instantly confirmed.

Screening Fees

Set fees for paid and free screenings, or use a standard fee for both. Adding fees ensures that inquiries are automatically accepted and charged accordingly.

Fee Options:
- Fixed Fee: Set a flat rate that must be covered before publishing the Event.
- % Share of Ticket Sales (for paid Events): Earn a set percentage of net profits after Event expenses and service fees.
- Per-Person Fee: Charge based on the number of attendees to a screening Event.
- Minimum Guarantee: Ensure a baseline payment before confirmation, covering costs via ticket sales or direct payment. Available for both % Share of Ticket Sales and Per-Person Fee.

Availability Window

Set date ranges for when your Film is available for theatrical screenings, or select "always available" to accept ongoing inquiries.

Non-Theatrical Screenings

Enable non-theatrical screenings to broaden your audience through community events, schools, libraries, and hybrid experiences.

Disabling this setting prevents all non-theatrical requests.

Auto-Accept & Screening Fees

Auto-Accept can be used with screening fees to confirm bookings instantly. You can also manually approve inquiries if fees are not assigned.

You must add screening fees for incoming requests to be instantly confirmed.

Screening Fees

Set fees for paid and free screenings, or use a standard fee for both. Fees ensure that inquiries are automatically accepted and charged accordingly. Non-theatrical screening fees can be configured just like theatrical screening fees:

Fee Options
- Fixed Fee: Set a flat rate that must be covered before publishing the Event.
- % Share of Ticket Sales (for paid Events): Earn a set percentage of net profits after Event expenses and service fees.
- Per-Person Fee: Charge based on the number of attendees rather than total Event capacity.
- Minimum Guarantee: Ensure a baseline payment before confirmation, covering costs via ticket sales or direct payment. Available for both % Share of Ticket Sales and Per-Person Fee.

Host Type Fees

Different fees can be assigned based on the booking host type, ensuring equitable pricing:

Educational (requires .edu email)
Business/For-Profit
Non-Profit (requires verified EIN and a .org email)
Individual
Faith
Custom (e.g., veterans, seniors, students, donors, etc.)

If a host identifies as either Educational or Non-Profit, but they do not have a qualifying email (and EIN number for Non-Profit), their requests will not be instantly confirmed. Instead, requests will arrive to your Inbox as an Inquiry, which you can then approve manually.

Virtual Screenings

Offer virtual screenings with interactive Q&A sessions via Zoom or other platforms. Disabling this feature removes the option for virtual events.

Auto-Accept & Screening Fees

Auto-Accept enables instant confirmations with pre-set fees. Without this setting, manual approval is required.

You must add screening fees for incoming requests to be instantly confirmed.

Screening Fees

Set fees for paid and free screenings, or use a standard fee for both. Fees ensure that inquiries are automatically accepted and charged accordingly. Virtual screening fees can be configured just like theatrical or non-theatrical screening fees,

Fee Options
- Fixed Fee: Set a flat rate that must be covered before publishing the Event.
- % Share of Ticket Sales (for paid events): Earn a set percentage of net profits after Event expenses and service fees.
- Per-Person Fee: Charge based on the number of attendees rather than total Event capacity.
- Minimum Guarantee: Ensure a baseline payment before confirmation, covering costs via ticket sales or direct payment. Available for both % Share of Ticket Sales and Per-Person Fee.

Host Type Fees

Different fees can be assigned based on the booking host type, ensuring equitable pricing:

Educational (requires .edu email)
Business/For-Profit
Non-Profit (requires verified EIN and a .org email)
Individual
Faith
Custom (e.g., veterans, seniors, students, donors, etc.)

By configuring the right settings for your screenings, you can maximize exposure, manage bookings efficiently, and ensure fair compensation.

4. Non-Theatrical Settings

Securely upload your Film for non-theatrical screenings to unlock safe and efficient global distribution for non-theatrical screenings.

Until your uploaded Film is approved, your Film won't be available for non-theatrical screenings.

Prepare Your File: Ensure your Film meets the required format (details below).
Navigate to Film Dashboard: First, access your Films tab on the left-side vertical nav menu, and find your desired Film. Select your chosen Film. Once you arrive to your Film Management dashboard, then navigate to the Non-Theatrical section.
Upload the Film: Complete the steps on the Film Upload window, adding your Film file, additional audio, subtitle tracks.
1. Step 1 - Choose Your Film - You can search our database for your Film and select from the search results.
  
  If your Film exists in our database, we’ll pull relevant metadata (Film title, release year, and running time) directly from our database, which you can then review on Step 2.
  
  To add a new Film or a Film otherwise not listed in our database, simply enter your Film title manually in the lower field on Step 1.
2. Step 2 - Review Your Film Details - Your Film metadata will appear on this step for your review.
  
  For Films you selected from our database search results, the metadata has been taken directly from our database and cannot be edited.
  
  To edit this data, return to Step 1 and enter your Film title manually. By doing so, Gathr will use your Film data from your Film Management dashboard in the Film Page tab.
  
  For Films you added manually, Gathr uses the data you entered when onboarding your Film. To edit this data, close the Film Upload window, and navigate to the Film Page tab in your Film Management dashboard.
3. Step 3 - Upload Film File - It’s time to upload your Film file.
  Drag and drop your Film file into the indicated area of the Film Upload window. See detailed file requirements below.
  
  Note: Closing the upload window or browser window will interrupt your Film upload, and you’ll have to start over.
4. Step 4 - Upload additional audio tracks and subtitle files - Add other audio tracks and subtitle files beyond what is contained in your main Film file.
5. Step 5 - Confirmation - Your Film file(s) upload is complete.
Automatic Transfer: Once the upload is complete, the Film is automatically moved to secure private storage, where it becomes inaccessible except for approved screenings via Gathr.

Learn more about non-theatrical screenings for your Film.

5. Film Playback Settings

Choose a streaming format. Whether you prefer simple playback or interactive features and TV app exposure, Gathr supports multiple streaming options to fit your needs.

Choose between these two streaming formats:

Vimeo Video Link - Basic Playback

- Simple playback experience
- Supports Video on Demand (VOD)

HLS Link - Q&A Enabled + TV Apps (Recommended)

- Integrated Film playback + live introduction or Q&A
- Supports Video on Demand (VOD)
- Enhanced audience interaction through Zoom
- Gathr TV app playback enabled

You must input either a Vimeo Video link or an HLS link for your Film to add your Film to Gathr.

Vimeo Video Link

For Vimeo, input your Vimeo link by copying it from your Vimeo dashboard, after configuring the video to "Hide from Vimeo" and adding "Gathr.com" as an approved embeddable domain.

There are two crucial Vimeo settings you must set manually in Vimeo in Privacy Settings.

Set to "Hide from Vimeo"
Add Gathr.com as an approved domain where your video can be embedded.

If you don't update these two, your embedded video will not display correctly.

Learn more about setting up your Film on Vimeo

HLS Link (HTTP Live Streaming) - required for virtual screenings with Zoom

Utilize this feature to integrate any HLS URL from your preferred streaming video platform. With this setting, your HLS URL will be used for all virtual viewings of your Film on Gathr.

You can provide a Vimeo "HLS Link," a Bunny.net "HLS Playlist URL," or any compatible HLS URL.

If enabled, the specified URL will always be used for virtual screenings, Video on Demand playback, and GATHR TV app playback.

Different video hosting platforms have different names for this URL. Some different naming conventions include:

"HLS playlist URL"
"HLS link"
"Live stream link"

Note: All correctly configured HLS links will end in ".m3u8" so be sure yours also ends with this combination of characters.

Learn more about HLS URLs on these video-hosting platforms:

Note: Theatrical film assets will always be delivered in DCP format.

6. Film Settings

Customize how, when, and where your Film can get booked, enable screening requests, and share your Film's promotional assets with Hosts who screen your Film.

Instant Book

Next, toggle the "Instant Book" setting. This convenient feature allows your Film to be booked instantly since you've already set your pre-approved fee. This speeds up the screening booking process and encourages more frequent bookings.

With Instant Book turned on, you'll receive a notification that your Film has been booked for a screening, whereas if you leave Instant Book turned off, you will receive a screening inquiry to your Gathr Inbox, which you can approve manually or message the event organizer to clarify screening details before moving forward.

Shareable Marketing Assets

Empower Hosts who have booked your Film for their Screening Events with your Film's trailer, poster image, and any other downloadable assets to help jumpstart their marketing efforts.

To do so, add any useful files into a shareable URL, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, and paste that URL here.

Only Screening Hosts who have a confirmed booking of your Film can see this URL.

Geographical Restrictions

If you would like to limit your screening availability geographically, you can do so with the geographical restrictions setting. Toggle to allow only certain countries you choose or all countries except the ones you choose.

Availability Window

Another customization is your Film's availability window to specific dates and times by entering the exact start and end dates and times. Alternatively, you can remove all date restrictions, as well.

Screening Requests

What kind of screenings can your Film get booked into? Choose to allow Theatrical Screening Requests, Non-Theatrical Screening Requests, or allow both.

Enabling both options opens you up for not only theatrical screenings in traditional cinemas, but also to community screening gatherings in diverse event spaces.

Film Format

The last step is to select Digital as your Film format.

7. Film Privacy Settings

Set your Film to public or private.

Public - Visible on Gathr, discoverable via search engine.
Private - Not visible on Gathr or discoverable.

8. Invite Cast & Crew

Invite cast & crew to join Gathr, so they appear as featured Talent on your Film page.

If your Film's contributors have been auto-filled, you can select the Invite button to send them an invitation to Gathr directly by providing their email address.

You can also enter contributors manually, selecting the relevant role and entering a name for each one.

While you are not required to invite contributors to join Gathr, it is recommended so that your Film page will showcase their profile photo and a link to their profile, facilitating more frequent bookings for them.

You must enter at least three contributors to continue.

9. Pay It Forward

Activate a community of giving around your Film to help support greater viewership among those who may not have the means to pay to watch.

Pay It Forward Ticketing enables you to set up a fund for your Film into which your community can make contributions, helping others in the community around your Film.

You can customize how your community can then claim a Pay It Forward ticket - select any or all of the following options:

Theatrical Screenings
Non-Theatrical Screenings
Video on Demand

For example, if you are doing a limited theatrical run, and you want to maximize attendance, you could enable only Theatrical Screenings. Conversely, if you're shooting for maximizing viewership, then selecting all of the options would be best - that way your community can claim a Pay It Forward ticket for all the possible ways to view your Film.

After you've personalized how your audience can claim your Pay It Forward tickets, it's time to input the following details about your Pay It Forward fund:

Title
Description
Public Goal
Activity Notifications

The Title, Description, and Public Goal for your Pay It Forward fund will appear on your Film page, VOD page, and any Screening Event pages featuring your Film.

Learn more about Pay It Forward Ticketing

10. Configure your Video on Demand settings

Easily enable Video on Demand (VOD) so your audience can rent your Film and set up Partner VOD so your Partners can share your Film with their communities, boosting viewership and revenue.

Video on Demand

Starting with Video on Demand, you can leverage your Film as a rental directly to your audience from your Talent profile, as a product for sale in event checkout, and inside your virtual event watch page shop.

To do so, it's as easy as toggling on Video on Demand and completing these settings:

Price - How much will it cost to rent your VOD?
Start date - When can your audience start renting your VOD?
End date - When is the last date your audience can rent your VOD?

Utilize start/end dates to complement your Film's marketing efforts, theatrical screening schedule, and more.

After you save your settings, your VOD will be published.

To further customize your VOD, access the link to VOD Advanced Settings in your Film Management dashboard in the Video on Demand tab.

Alternatively, you can access your Video on Demand tab on the left sidebar menu at any time to view your Video on Demand.

Learn how to manage your Video on Demand.

Partner Video on Demand

Take full advantage of your Video on Demand by enabling others to book it and share it across their communities and boost both viewership and revenue for your Film.

VOD Distribution Fees

To start with, customize how much and in what way you want to earn money for your VOD distribution. Choose from the following possibilities:

Fixed fee & Maximum VOD Sales Limit - Set the dollar amount partners will pay to offer your Film as a VOD. Likewise, set a maximum sales limit for your fixed fee - this is required for fixed fees.
- For example, set your Fixed fee to $250 and set your Maximum VOD sales limit to 100 sales.
- Your partner pays $250 upfront to offer your Film as a VOD, and after they sell 100 rentals, they must rebook your Film to continue offering it as a VOD.
% Share of VOD Sales & Minimum Payout per Transaction - Earn a percentage of each rental sale of your VOD. If you'd like to earn a minimum dollar amount per transaction, you can elect to also set your minimum payout per transaction.
- For example, you set a 25% share of VOD sales fee.
- Your affiliate pays nothing upfront to offer your Film as a VOD, and with every sale they make, you will earn a 25% share of each sale.
- In another example, you could set a 50% share of VOD sales fee with a $5 minimum payout per transaction.
- Your affiliate pays nothing upfront to offer your Film as a VOD, and with every sale they make, you will earn a 50% share of each sale, and a minimum of $5.
Per Sale - Set how much you want to earn per transaction.
- For example, you can set $10 per transaction fee.
- Your partner pays nothing upfront to offer your Film as a VOD, and with every sale they make, you will earn $10.

Availability Window

You can elect to limit your VOD viewing window by setting a start date and end date, or you can remove date restrictions.

For example, if you'd like to maximize theatrical screening attendance, it might be a good idea to set your start date for after your theatrical screenings end.

Likewise, you can set the timing to coincide with marketing efforts for your Film.

Video on Demand Booking Options

Streamline your bookings by enabling Instant Booking for your Film so all inquiries will be automatically confirmed according to your pre-set parameters.

Video on Demand Pricing & Access

Set specific pricing controls for your FIlm as a VOD.

Minimum Price - Set a floor price below which your partners cannot price your VOD.
Maximum Price - Set a maximum price that limits how high partners can price your VOD.
Allow VOD to be offered for free - Toggle this setting on to allow your partners to offer your VOD for free.

You can set minimum price, maximum price, and allow VOD to be offered for free simultaneously.

By doing so, you allow an partner to do all of the following:

Set a price no lower than your minimum price.
Set a price no higher than your maximum price.
Set the VOD price at $0.

In other words, if an partner sets a price, it cannot be lower than your minimum price, nor can it be higher than your maximum price, and it can be $0.

Allow pre-orders - Allow your partners to activate pre-orders so they can capture sales even before the sales start date. Gathr automatically notifies pre-order purchasers when the VOD is available for viewing.
Rental Period - How long do viewers have to watch your Film when they purchase it as a VOD? Your partners won't be able to exceed your rental period after they've booked your Film as a VOD.
Rental Duration - Once viewers start watching, how many hours do they have to finish your Film? Your partners won't be able to exceed your rental duration after they've booked your Film as a VOD.
Allow Indefinite Access - Remove any limits for renters to view your Film.

Geographical Restrictions

Choose from allowing all regions to rent your Film, only allowing certain countries, and blocking certain countries.

No geographic restrictions - Renters from all countries in the world can rent and view your Filim.
Only allow certain geographic regions - Choose the countries from which renters can view your Film.
Allow all except certain geographic regions - Block certain countries' viewers from viewing your Film.

11. Add Awards, Laurels, & Reviews

Laurels

Showcase the awards your Film has received by adding laurels for each one. You can add your placement, such as "Winner," festival name, like "Toronto Film Festival," and the year of the festival.

Add up to 15 awards your Film has received, and they'll display on your Film and Video on Demand pages (including Partner Videos on Demand).

Laurels-GIF1

12. Products

Add physical and digital products to your Film, so viewers of your Film will have the chance to purchase your products during Event checkout and while watching your Film on the virtual watch page.

When you add products to your Film, your products will automatically display in ticket checkout for any Partner VOD bookings and Film Screenings for which your Film has been booked.

Learn more about how to add a digital product.

Screening Hosts and VOD Partners can choose to disable your product sales for their VODs/Screening Events.

13. Widgets

Embed widgets onto external websites.

Choose from these two widgets:

Book Screening Widget - Embed a widget onto your personal or business website, and make it even easier for visitors to your site to watch the trailer, check your prices, and book screenings.
Screening Map Widget - Embed a map widget onto your personal or business website, so visitors can see if there are live screenings near their location or anywhere in the world.