A partnership between the American Library Association

and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

Money Movie Madness

Estes Valley Library (CO) started a film series of 3-5 movies around a financial theme which increased public awareness and regular attendance.Movies are a fun way to expand how we think about money, its relationship to our lives, and our personal values surrounding it.Movies were selected for financial themes and were introduced by the library’s financial educator. The movies were tied to other financial literacy discussions and services offered by the library.

Moviegoers were invited to stay for a discussion afterwards.When the library screened "Ripped Off", the History Channel's documentary program about Bernard Madoff, people wanted to stay and talk about it afterward. Discussions somewhat depend on the length of the movie. For instance "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" is over 2 hours, so people were less inclined to stay after a long film (although they did talk about it at the following week's matinee).

Libraries do have to purchase a licensing agreement to show movies legally.The annual cost seems like a bargain if a library shows movies throughout the year. A capacity crowd of 150 enjoyed “Inside Job”which was shown at the local movie theater through cost sharing in partnership with the library.

Considerations

There are two major licensing companies that work with libraries and the Estes Valley library has worked with both of them over the years. The list indicates which films have been under which licensing agreement. Of course, a library is limited to what's available in the licensing package they purchase with either Movie Licensing USA or MPLC (or trying to track down permission from a specific independent producer).

And that may be an important reminder for any libraries not currently showing movies -- they do have to purchase a licensing agreement to show movies legally. The two companies listed here will quote a price for any library, usually based on their size and service population.

Movie Titles

2010 (umbrella license withMovie Licensing USA):

* Confessions of a Shopaholic

* It Could Happen to You (theme: Does winning the lottery really make someone happy?)

* Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (theme: pitfalls of home ownership/improvement without planning a budget --The Money Pitis another film on this theme)

* The Pursuit of Happyness

2011 (umbrella license withMovie Licensing USA)

* The Wheeler Dealers (1963 comedy w. James Garner)

* Up in the Air (w. George Clooney theme: How does work define us, financially and otherwise?)

* Wall-E (family offering -- pitfalls of overconsumption -- Earth Day tie-in)

* Inside Job (shown at our local movie theater in partnership with the library -- we had a capacity crowd -- can be licensed throughMotion Picture Licensing Corporation)

2013 (umbrella license withMotion Picture Licensing Corporation)

* Wall Street (original with Michael Douglas)

* Slumdog Millionaire

* Millions (directed by Danny Boyle, about a boy who finds a bag of money and the life lessons he learns)

* Who Killed the Electric Car? (an Earth Day / Financial Literacy Month tie-in)

2014 (umbrella license withMotion Picture Licensing Corporation)

* Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

* Working Girl (theme: the role of women in the financial sector, in the 1980s compared with today)

* Ripped Off: Bernard Madoff and the Scamming of America (a History Channel program - good tie-in with investor fraud discussion)

* A Good Year (based on the novel by Peter Mayle -- themes of wealth and consumption vs. life's non-monetary rewards)

*Money for Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve(we're screening thisApril 29at our local movie theater -- followed the next evening by a balanced library discussion about the Federal Reserve and its impact on our lives. This movie can be licensed directly from its producers.)