Create your own theatrical run.

Gathr At Home™ is a one-stop-shop for your film's virtual premiere.
Screen it. Share it. Sell it.

Questions? Talk with our team

Frequently Asked Questions

Describe Gathr’s communication with attendees/viewers once my virtual cinema event is live. +

At the time of purchase/reservation, Gathr emails attendees a transaction receipt and a separate purchase confirmation with instructions on how to join the event. The purchase confirmation email contains an Add to Calendar option. Gathr also emails attendees a reminder on the day of the event with instructions about how to join the event.

In all of our communications with attendees there is an option to contact customer support. We also have a Live Chat button on our web site that appears on the event details page, the Access Event page, and the Event Page, itself.

How customized can the event be? +

You can provide the film’s description, poster art, banner imagery and production stills, which will inform the Event Details and Event Watch pages’ design. You can add a charity(s) and products as well. You can add a pre-roll to your film as an advertisement, bumper, or a filmmaker introduction.

How does the payment program work? +

You can see all our payment plans here: Virtual pricing – Gathr At Home™

What devices is Gathr At Home™ supported on? +

Virtual event cinema is supported on all computers and smartphones. iOS (e.g. iPhone, iPad and Safari web browsers do not allow for autoplay functionality; therefore users must press play once their page reloads at showtime).

How does the Q&A work and what are the logistics? +

We have an off screen producer who runs the Q&A’s. We do a tech check with all participants before the event and send guidelines for optimal lighting, sound quality, computer settings, etc. Before the Q&A begins, we send all participants a link to join. The moderator can speak to the participants while our producer cuts back and forth between the moderator and the participants.

How does the 501(c)(3) work with donations? +

All events can be fundraisers, leveraging The Gathr Foundation as the collections and remittance pass through. In a single transaction, an attendee can purchase a ticket and make a donation to any registered non-profit organization.

How does the payback to filmmakers/event organizers work? What is the payment cycle? +

We will pay out within 30 days or we will charge ourselves 1% interest. We will email you requesting a W-9, name and contact email, then we will invite you to be paid via ePayment.

Is it affordable to have filmmakers do their own virtual event cinema release or does this have to be through a festival or distribution company? +

Direct release is super affordable because there's no upfront cost.

Would this qualify as a digital release for Academy Awards® given new regulations? +

Gathr has always lobbied for the Academy to set a box office minimum for qualification so that event cinema and regional film releases can qualify. However, this issue is unresolved at the moment.

How would you set up a sponsored event, i.e. the event is paid for up front and audiences can sign up and watch for for free? +

Please see our payment plan for free screenings: Virtual pricing – Gathr At Home™

What can I pitch a sponsor(s) as reciprocal activations for supporting my film’s virtual cinema event? +

Gathr can build the sponsor’s bumper/advert into the film presentation’s pre-roll. The sponsor(s) branding/description can be added to the event details page as well as to the event watch page. If Gathr is marketing to its community (see Virtual pricing – Gathr At Home™) the sponsor(s) branding/language can be added to emails/social postings.

Do you have plans for not for profits who do not charge the audience for their screenings? +

Verifiable 501(c)(3) organizations will receive a discount to use Gathr At Home™. See the “email us” option at Virtual pricing – Gathr At Home™.

Can anyone get their film on your platform or is there a vetting system in place where you need to get approved? +

As we are an agnostic platform utility, we do not curate our collection. Any film can use Gathr At Home™ as long as it does not contain illegal or obscene material.

What is a realistic timeline from sign up to event date? +

Once you deliver all required assets/materials/information, we can enable your virtual cinema event within a day or two.

I have a short film(s) . Can I partner with a full length feature and share a showing? Or pair with other shorts? +

We pair shorts with full features in order to draw in more promotional partners and to provide more of the event cinema experience. However, we generally do not remunerate short film Licensors. Instead, we provide the value of having your short(s) shown on the Big Screen (and now on the virtual screen).

Exceptions are collections of shorts that join our platform as a curated series.

How do you fulfill merchandise sales for films and how does the filmmaker get paid? +

Gathr acts as a storefront. If you have an MSRP for your product(s) Gathr lists them for sale and then orders your product(s) at wholesale within 72 hours of the event’s end. Gathr pays you 40% of MSRP. Gathr also does the fulfillment unless you prefer to do it, yourself, or your products are manufacture-on-demand.

Would it be possible to use this platform for a virtual impact screening and restrict the audience to a specific group only? +

Yes. One way is for us to make a promo code for your group. There are more technical solutions that we can discuss based on your specific needs.

What mechanisms are you using to make a screening more secure? How does your platform deal with piracy or VPNs when content is geo-blocked etc? +

Our film exhibition has no player controls and may not be downloaded, fast-forwarded, etc.

We are currently tracking IP addresses for 1 ) the location where a ticket is purchased as well as 2) the location where the event is watched. We use IP address-based regional restrictions.

If the user is in an allowed country, the purchase or playback is allowed. If the user is not in an allowed country, a message is displayed informing the user of the geo-restrictions. As with streaming companies such as Netflix, preventing access via VPNs is a cat-and-mouse game that we will pursue to the best of our ability and resources.

Is Gathr At Home™ restricted to just the USA? +

No. You can reach attendees in any country where the film is not restricted by law or limited by your rights.

Is the platform interested in foreign language films with subtitles? +

Certainly! We can take films in any language. They do not need subtitles (although it’s recommended). Unless you choose a plan with Gathr’s marketing support, this is your audience. We are merely the platform.

How would you approach a combination of an online and live event, held simultaneously? +

With great alacrity! We can broadcast the post screening content from the stage...or alternatively, people who see the film live can then access the post event content on their way home via your Facebook Live event to which we can broadcast/crosspost.

Does the Gathr platform have a way to include an option for audio description, captions, and subtitles in multiple languages? +

Please inquire with [email protected] for your specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate.