Legal requirements - 20 years later

[viz]

I need a kick start on some legal ideas.
About 20 years ago I shot a project which included a couple of kids aged about 7, 11 years old, plus a couple of adults. The parents and the kids were friends, same with the adults, there were no written agreements. The project got shelved, but now I would like to finish it.

If I want to offer it to festivals, what commonly do festivals require on the legal side? Do you offer copies of all the release documents or do they just assume that you have these?

Is there somewhere I can get a kind of template for what common legal requirements are?
I'm going to have some difficulty finding one or two of my actors.

Cheers
Gregg

 

[sonnyboo]

Most festivals are lenient on releases, as in they don't require them. Any form of distribution on the other hand will not touch it with a 10 foot pole without signed agreements.

 

[Blade_Jones]

Any form of distribution on the other hand will not touch it with a 10 foot pole without signed agreements.

I know of pure distributors (you provide them with the finished DVD's) who don't require release forms. In their contract you just have to represent that you own the rights.

 

[Dreadylocks]

I know of pure distributors (you provide them with the finished DVD's) who don't require release forms. In their contract you just have to represent that you own the rights.

But if you are printing the DVDs yourself (by that I mean financing + marketing), doesn't that fall more into the realm of self distribution? And then wouldn't you be liable if anyone sues?

 

[directorik]

Yes. What Mr. Jones calls pure distributors are technically
printers. Most also offer a website where you can offer your movie
for sale and they will handle the fulfillment.

But they are not actually distributors in the usual sense of the
word. Although I will admit that the pure definition of
“distributor” is changing.

A distributor who pays the filmmaker an upfront fee for the
distribution rights, handles the printing, advertising and
marketing and then splits the earnings will require all the
paperwork to be in order. They will not assume any legal liability
(risk getting sued) without doing their due diligence.

A “pure distributor” who prints DVD and then takes a cut off the
top of each DVD sold but doesn’t get or maintain any of the rights
or legal obligations of the product doesn’t really care about
paperwork.

 

[viz]

Thanks for the ideas folks.
Cheers
Gregg.