Overview
Film festivals and community screenings have different compliance requirements than commercial distributors.
- Film festivals are a program of films curated by a non-profit organization or community group that occurs once per year.
- Community screenings refer to any film screened by a non-profit organization or community group that is not part of a film festival.
Requirements for film festivals
Films screened as part of a festival are exempt from film classification. However, your festival must be registered with Alberta Film Classification prior to the event.
Even though films screened at festivals are exempt from classification, organizers must submit a complete list of film titles, trailers, advertisements or public service announcements (PSAs) that will be screened. Organizers may submit this list to Alberta Film Classification when they register.
Film festival organizers are encouraged to inform patrons about film content and are welcome to discuss information-sharing methods with our staff. However, organizers may not use the Alberta age-based categories and symbols (G, PG, 14A, 18A, R) for unrated films.
Alberta Film Classification reserves the right to request a copy of any film to be shown in the province.
Requirements for community screenings
Non-profit organizations or community groups must get feature films and trailers rated prior to screening. All community screenings are exempt from ratings fees.
Please contact Alberta Film Classification 3 to 5 weeks before your screening to ensure staff can schedule your film or trailer for classification.
How to register for a community screening
Film festivals, non-profit organizations and community groups may fill out the form below to register with Alberta Film Classification.