Inspire · Teach · Motivate · Engage…through movies.

Yes. US copyright law includes a Classroom Use Exemption (17 U.S.C. §110(1)) that gives teachers broad rights to show movies to students during in-person teaching at a nonprofit educational institution. No permission needed, no payment required. The law already allows it. The main conditions are that it has to be in a classroom setting, in person, as part of teaching. If those boxes are ticked, you're covered.

Teachers outside the US are similarly protected in most countries. The UK's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (Section 34) covers classroom movie use under the same principle. Most developed countries have equivalent educational exemptions built into their copyright law, though the specifics vary. If you are outside the US, it is worth a quick check of your local rules.

For a clear, plain-English breakdown of the US law, the University of Minnesota Library has a reliable guide: read it here.

Every movie on this blog has been chosen with the classroom in mind. Each post includes an age suitability guide and a full content warning section so you can make an informed decision before you commit. I also provide a link to my free PG permission slip form should one be required.

Yes. Each guide is licensed for use across all of your own classes. If colleagues in your school want to use it too, TPT makes it easy to purchase additional licences at a reduced rate directly from the product listing.

Each guide is a printable PDF you download from TPT. All include clear teacher directions so you know exactly how to run the session, comprehension questions for students to complete while watching, and additional activities to work through once the movie is finished. Some guides also include a pre-viewing activity to set the scene before the movie starts. A full preview is included with every guide so you can see exactly what you get before buying.

Yes, and there's solid research behind why movies work particularly well for language learners. Stephen Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis suggests that when students are engaged and relaxed, language acquisition improves significantly. Movies lower that filter in a way most classroom materials can't. The guides are designed to work alongside that, building comprehension and vocabulary in context. Read more on The Science page.

Yes. If there's a movie you'd like a guide for, send me the title through the Contact page. I take requests seriously and a number of guides in the shop started exactly that way.