Article

How to Run an Outdoor Movie Night

2 April 2025

🎬 How to Organise a Movie Night Fundraiser

Tips, Templates & Real Ideas from Aussie Fundraisers

A movie night is one of the most low-fuss, high-impact fundraising events you can run—and it’s not just for the kids! From school ovals under the stars to grown-up cinema screenings with bubbles on arrival, this kind of event brings your community together while raising real money (and smiles).

We’ve pulled together expert advice from the Fundraising Directory, plus real-world examples from our Facebook community, to help you plan your own unforgettable movie night.

🎥 Choosing Your Movie Night Format

Movie nights are flexible—here are a few popular approaches:

🌌 Outdoor Movie Night

Perfect for families and great in Terms 1 or 4 when it’s warm and daylight savings works in your favour.

“We held ours on the school oval with a screen hire company who also provided a popcorn machine—just like the cinema!”
– School fundraiser

🍿 Cinema Event

Ideal for adults or themed events. Some cinemas offer unreleased screenings or group rates with add-ons.

“We booked a private screening of a pre-release film, sold food deals, and made over $3000 with half the work!”
– Club organiser

🎃 Themed Events

Halloween, Summer Kick-off, Welcome BBQ—tying the event to a theme adds engagement and makes promo easier.

“We did a Halloween Movie Night with trick-or-treat bags and a themed supper. Kids dressed up and loved it.”
– Regional P&C

📍 Venue Tips & What to Watch For

Whether indoors or outdoors, your venue needs to be:

Accessible
Safe
Equipped with power/toilets/lighting
Approved (check council regulations if in a public space)

Venue Ideas:

School oval or hall
Local park
Cinema hire
Community centre

“Make sure you coordinate with the school grounds team… we nearly had the sprinklers go off mid-movie!”
– Facebook comment

“Our local council offers small grants annually—we used one to cover screen hire costs.”
– Community volunteer

🪪 Licensing & Legal Must-Knows

Even if it’s on school grounds, movie nights require a public performance licence unless the screening is purely educational.

Important: School licences (e.g. via Roadshow PPL) do not cover fundraising or entertainment events.

Options:

Hire companies often include licensing
Or purchase directly from a licensed distributor like Roadshow Public Performance Licensing

🎟️ Tickets, Pricing & Profit Boosters

You’ve got flexibility here. Think about your audience, purpose (community vs. fundraiser), and event size.

🎫 Common Pricing Options:

$20 per family / $5 per person
Gold coin donation for casual community events
$35+ for adults-only cinema screenings (incl. drink/snacks)

“We charged $20 per family or $5 per person. Our principal picked 3 movies and the students voted—winner was revealed on the night!”
– P&C organiser

💡 Easy Upsell Ideas:

VIP seating area (beanbags + snacks)
Raffle tickets at the gate
Glow sticks, lolly bags, pre-sold combo packs
Business sponsorships: $100–200 to have logos on-screen pre-show

🌭 Food, Drinks & Vendor Ideas

Keep it simple and profitable. You can sell your own snacks, partner with food trucks, or do a mix.

“Our canteen sold hot dogs, hot chips, and drinks (hot and cold) along with a candy bar. We also allowed BYO.”
– Event organiser

“We had food trucks give back 10% of their sales. Zero prep for us, and the families loved the variety.”
– School event leader

📣 Promotion & Community Engagement

You’ll want at least 3–4 weeks to build buzz.

Promotion Tips:

Use Canva to make free posters and social graphics
Post in Facebook groups, class chats, school apps
Get the students involved (costume parades, design the posters, help decorate)
Offer a “Can’t come? Donate instead” option

“We had a Minion mascot costume in the lead-up to Despicable Me 3—it created so much excitement and made our night extra memorable.”
– Fundraising volunteer

🧺 On-the-Day Setup & Safety Tips

Prep makes perfect! Here’s what to check off:

Mow and clean the venue (allergy alert!)
Safety signage (first aid, toilets, exits)
Test tech before sunset
Emergency plan in place
Remind guests to bring blankets or low chairs
Volunteers briefed and roles assigned

“Our volunteers just had to man the gate and stay 10 minutes after to tidy up—it was the lowest-effort event we’ve ever run.”
– Facebook community member

💬 Real Ideas from Aussie Schools & Clubs

These tips came straight from our Facebook group:

💡 “Two movies back-to-back worked well. We screened Incredibles and Jurassic World since both had sequels coming up. Families stayed the whole night!”
💡 “We ran a girls’ night out with canapés and wine—hosted Fifty Shades at the cinema and raised $1700+.”
💡 “Instead of a fundraiser, we made it a welcome event and used it to build community. We’ll do it again next year for sure.”