"REEL Action" Film Screenings

“Reel Action” Free Film Fundraisers: A 7 STEP “How To” Guide (PDF version)












Goals:
• To educate your community about media-related political, public health, and educational issues.
• To support fundraising for local/grassroots indie media initiatives.
• To raise money for and awareness about ACME chapters at the local level.

1. ORGANIZE an ACME chapter in your city, state, or region. (See “How To Create an ACME chapter” document). This gives you a committed group with whom to share the work, local leadership, and legitimacy.

2. PARTNER with a local public venue – a theater, a nonprofit space, a school/university – that offers free or affordable public space for film screenings.

3. RESEARCH and establish local media contacts – newspapers, magazines, radio/TV, public bulletin boards.

4. SELECT your first film – be sure it is provocative, timely, and related to ACME’s three part mission.

5. COORDINATE film logistics – securing theater space, local P.R., working the “door”, etc. and begin publicizing the film at least one week in advance. (FREE film! Donations to benefit X...)

6. THE NIGHT OF – Be sure your door people understand ACME’s mission, and are well supplied with ACME e-mail sign up lists, ACME buttons, and bumper stickers, as well as any information about the local indie media initative for which you are raising money. (We suggest a $3 donation buys a button/bumper sticker, while a $5 donation buys two. You may also wish to give away door prizes.)

7. FOLLOW-UP – After you reimburse everyone for event-related expenses (theater rental, P.R. costs, etc.), donate 50% of your donations to your chosen local indie media organization and 50% to your local ACME chapter. Be sure to follow up with letters to local newspaper thanking everyone for coming, and add your new e-mails to your local ACME e-mail list for future events.