Guidelines for hosting a film screening or house party for the
Corporate Action Network

Film screenings or house parties are great ways to promote Amnesty campaigns focused on corporate accountability for human rights. The Corporate Action Network (CAN) has a number of films available right now including:
The Curse of Oil (BBC)
One Night in Bhopal (BBC)
Twenty Years Without Justice (Lewis)
The Corporation (Zeitgeist)
Film screenings or house parties can work at any time of year, and can facilitate many different kinds of actions. We encourage you to get creative as you plan your event!

How to get started
  1. Choose a location and set an agenda for your event –perhaps it is obvious to point out that you will need a DVD/VHS player and a television! Be sure to view the film yourself first, so that you can prepare yourself for questions that may come up, and so that you know how much time to devote to the screening. If the film is long (such as The Corporation), you may choose to show only sections rather than the whole thing.

  2. Begin promoting your event. Invite your friends and colleagues and post it to any local listservs you belong to. If you would like to open your houseparty to a larger audience, you can publicize it through the Amnesty events page (for Amnesty Members only), in a community newspaper or online board, such as Craigs List.

  3. Get ready for the event. As mentioned above, screen the film yourself before the actual event, so that you are familiar with it. Prepare some brief remarks to introduce Amnesty International and the work of the Corporate Action Network. The CAN website and brochure should help with this! We can provide you with additional copies of the brochure as needed, simply contact us at corpaction@aiusa.org.

    Choose a specific case to use as a focus action for your event. We suggest using the case of Dow Chemical in Bhopal or Chevron Corporation in the Amazon. These cases are currently part of our new SHARE POWER Campaign. You can learn more by visiting our webpage:
    • More info on Dow Chemical in Bhopal
    • More info on Chevron in the Amazon
    After showing the film, faciliate a discussion or debate, and be sure to end with a call to action.

  4. Hold your event – be sure to take pictures and then report back to us afterward about how it went!

  5. Depending on interest at the party, plan a follow up event or action. For instance, if you live in an area close to a Dow Chemical or Chevron facility, you may want to plan a future demonstration. If not, you could plan another screening on a different film, a candlelight vigil, or teach-in.

  6. After your party, please return your copy of the film to us so that we can make it available to other groups! Our address is AIUSA Corporate Action Network, 5 Penn Plaza, 16th floor, New York, NY 10001.
    We hope this gives you the information you need to get started planning your house party or screening – please contact us at corpaction@aiusa.org or 212-633-4288 if you have questions!