Press screening
A press screening (PV) is the screening of a cinema or television film or other film documentary for press purposes. The screening is only accessible to invited visitors, usually journalists or film critics from the fields of print, radio and TV as well as online media.
practice
The screenings in Germany mainly take place in cinemas in major German cities, although the locations are not identical to the distribution districts that are common in the cinema industry . Press screenings usually take place in the morning or at noon, as the cinemas need their halls for regular screenings in the afternoon or evening.
Following the press screening, there is sometimes the opportunity to conduct interviews with those present ( producer , director , actor ).
There is a blocking period (embargo) for some press screenings. Reviews of the film can only be published after a certain date.
A high security standard has been established for the prevention of black copies at press screenings . Access to the hall is only permitted without jackets, bags and cell phones. Checking trade visitors with metal detectors is also sometimes used. During press screenings of mainstream films, employees of security companies have also been posted in the cinema to monitor the journalists (sometimes with night vision devices).
criticism
Press screenings were usually scheduled a few weeks or months before the national release of a movie. The partially cultivated practice of later press screenings was criticized that negative reviews would only be possible after the film had started.
Some distributors also show the original language version at press screenings scheduled shortly before the film's national release. A review of the film as the viewer will see it shortly afterwards in the cinema is therefore only possible to a limited extent.