Lecture: “Who Owns Your Film? Contracts, Copyright, and Legal Traps in Filmmaking”

You have finalized your film and found the festival of your dreams; however, right before the screening you realize that you don’t have the necessary permission or right to use a certain material. Sounds familiar? Luckily, you can avoid many of these situations by taking care of legal aspects prior to the filming process.

This lecture will discuss who actually owns the rights to a film; how to negotiate with the filming crew; is consent always required from someone who appears in a documentary; and what type of contract to choose to save yourself and your project from future problems.

We will also explore typical legal pitfalls in film production and figure out how to protect your work so that nothing prevents it from reaching the audience.