Oh, let's back up a minute.
Here's what Angel originally wrote: I was wondering if any of you could give me a bit of direction. Our Media Center recently received the 2007-2011 submissions from the Rhode Island International Film Festival. We have a Film Program here and we're the state college, so it makes sense. We'd like to catalog these items and add them to the circulating collection (there are over 500 from all over the world, most are not in WorldCat). Do we need the permission of the film creator to do this? It did not say anything on the submission paperwork about works being given to us after the festival as it was just decided, (we're going to fix that for next year). The submission contract is the usual boilerplate, allowing the festival rights to screen and no obligation to return. We're not going to copy these items, or have screenings, the films will only be for educational and entertainment use. There is the possibility we could contact *most* of the submitters, however, if it's not necessary we would prefer to make the changes to the future submission process and go from there. I'd appreciate any pointers you could share. It appears that RIIFF gave the submitted films to URI to keep - perhaps as a kind of archive? Perhaps this donation was unsolicited? Angel's right, it does make sense to keep the submissions at the state university, if the festival folks are thinking of preserving/archiving the films. Angel states that the contract allows for the festival to screen the films and there's no obligation to return the films. The university clearly doesn't have the right to screen the films and I think adding them to the circulating collection sounds problematic. However, the university does have a film program, and perhaps - after getting permission from the film-makers - the library could catalog the films and make them available on a room-use-only basis. Obviously the film-makers enter and show their work at festivals in the hopes of attracting distributors. They also want their work seen by the general public, that's why tickets are sold to the general public. The films are not for distributors' eyes only. If they were, why have public film festivals? Having the films seen by students at a university with a film program, on a restricted basis in the library, might be a very beneficial thing, for both the students and the film-makers. As a librarian, I understand the desire to archive and preserve the submissions for research, study and historical record. What better place than at a state university library's AV department? What do other film festivals do with submissions? Dusty Haller Dorcas Haller Librarian/Professor/Department Chair Community College of Rhode Island Library One Hilton Street, Providence, RI 02905 [email protected] Phone: 401-455-6085 Fax: 401-455-6087 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of nahum laufer Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 2:52 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Videolib] previews Two weeks ago Angel asked for advice if she can use 500 Preview DVDs that Rhode Island IFF passed on to her library, I wrote my advice privately by e-mail I did not get a response neither did I notice a response from her to all the advice that appeared on this blog. So I wrote a second e-mail asking Angel to send $ 500 to Erez Laufer films as 2 of the DVDS were Preview DVDS I sent to RIIFF "The Darien Dilemma" & "Rafting to Bombay", ($250 is the catalogue price for Library use with Public Performance Rights) of course she can tell me that she destroyed those DVDs, my advice was destroy all. I must remark, that these days the business of distributing films is done by e-mails, it is a business of trust, I trust my clients and I'm sure they trust me, I use short, mostly impersonal mails without too many explanations, who wants to get a preview with a 22 page contract? So all I "say" in the e-mail is I'm sending you a Preview DVD. With an understanding what a preview is, that it is a preview. Only a preview, just so the Festival will know if they want the film or not. It is not a present, a free copy, or a legal "first sale" any use other than as a preview is a break of trust, and what RIIFF has done is unforgivable . Maybe it is legal (I don't think so) but it stinks I believe if this news goes around nobody will ever send a preview to RIIFF, I will not they have shot their own leg. I'm sending Previews not only to Film Festivals, also film Series, TV Stations, Cinemas. Community Centers, newspapers (for reviews) and occasionally a professor will ask for a preview so to see if s/he wants it for the library to buy. I will continue to send Previews for I trust People specially librarians, Angel & RIIFF you don't have to worry that I will go to court, I want to distribute films and don't have the time or energy for legal fights. Listen to my advice destroy the DVDs. Cheers everybody Nahum Laufer http://onedayafterpeace.com/index.php http://docsforeducation.com/ Sales Docs for Education Erez Laufer Films Holland st 10 Afulla 18371 Israel [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
