Host A Screening

Thank you for your interest in hosting a screening of The Invisible Mammal.   

Your screening can help save North American bats from extinction, by raising awareness and helping audiences fall in love with bats.  North American bats are under threat.  White-nose Syndrome has been wiping them out. 

Below is our simple guide for hosting memorable, community building events.

If you haven’t already, fill out this form to let us know about your interest in hosting a screening.

Use our Screening Guide, Educational Guide, Screening Promotion Guide and Impact Guide to host a great event.

Your screening can be as simple as a potluck with friends inspired by the Bat Week Recipe Book which features recipes using bat-friendly foods.  Or you can work with a school or theater to host a bigger event for your community.

Thank you for joining us to spread the bat signal!

Screening Guide

We highly encourage individual hosts to consider small potluck dinners with friends using bat-friendly recipes to build community and make the impact of bats personal for your audience.  

If you want to do a bigger, public facing event, we encourage you to reach out to your local theaters, colleges, libraries or non-profits to partner and host the event - as they often have the space and technology for events.  

The film is about 90 minutes so you can plan for a two hour event with 30 minutes for conversation afterwards.  If you are doing a potluck or food beforehand, allow an extra 30 minutes.

PLAN

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR EVENT

Goals: Deciding what you’re trying to get out of screening THE INVISIBLE MAMMAL will help you plan an impactful event. Write down specific, tangible outcomes and tailor your event accordingly.  

Example: raise awareness about bats in your community; support a bat organization; inspire young scientists

Audience: Who do you want to see this film? Are you doing a small potluck with friends, an educational event at the local library or university, or a community event?  Who will benefit from seeing and discussing the film?

Date and time: When is your audience available? Do you want to plan around a particular national date. Allow yourself plenty of time to plan and promote your event.   

• Bat Week 2025 (October 24-31)

• International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Feb 11) 

• World Wildlife Day (Mar 3)

• International Bat Appreciation Day (April 17)

• Earth Day (April 22)

• International Day of Biological Diversity (May 22)

• National Pollinator Week (June 16-22)

• International Bat Night (August 30th)

• Bat Week 2026 (October 24-31)

Format: Will your screening be in-person or virtual? In-person builds community and intimate conversation, while virtual screenings can reach a broader audience and allow for prominent speakers without extra costs.  

Venue or platform: Confirm where the screening will take place (school, church, theater, Kinema online screening) and that they can accommodate the size and accessibility needs of your audience. 

Event details: If you are just doing a potluck with friends it can be quick and easy. But if you are doing a larger event, we suggest allowing 6-8 weeks to allow time to book the location, keynote speaker or panelists and invite local organizations to your event. We recommend allowing 2-3 hours for the event, with the film taking 90 minutes to screen.

Note: If you are looking for panelists, ask us. We are connected with Bat Working Groups in almost every state.

PROMOTE

Identify who you want to come. 

If it is a potluck - divide up your menu and get them already thinking about how bats influence our food supply.

Create a simple invitation list and work your way down either emailing or calling them to invite them to your event. 

If you are doing a bigger event, make an official invitation and invite people via EMAIL, SOCIAL MEDIA and inviting PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS and SPEAKERS to spread the word.

Use hashtags to reach a larger audience such as: #TheInvisibleMammal #BatWeek

Use our promotional materials from our press page: TRAILER • PRESS KIT • SYNOPSIS and this Screening Promotion Guide

The Invisible Mammal is a feature-length documentary film about bats, infectious disease, and women in science.  The Invisible Mammal tells the captivating story of a dedicated team as they strive to protect North America's bats against a deadly disease rapidly spreading across the continent. In this intensely cinematic film, bats are rendered poetically visible: spectacularly streaming out of caves or bridges, or cradled in a gloved hand, wings extended. This film follows Project Fat Bat, a potential solution to help rebuild healthy bat populations across North America.  Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, attributed to a bat species in China, their work gets interrupted, but their commitment never waivers. The race to save bats is on.

At once a nature film, a science film, and a character-driven adventure film, The Invisible Mammal will immerse you in the world of bats and forever change the way you feel about these amazing little creatures.

Share your event details:  WHO • WHAT • WHEN • WHERE • WHY

List your event Bat Conservation International’s event page and if you are doing one close to BatWeek - list your event on their event page

Plan your run-of-show in advance – will it include a keynote speaker, panelists and/or featuring local organizations?  Or are you just holding a friendly conversation - follow our guide below.

Reach People Where They’re At:

Emails • Phone Calls • Texts • LinkedIn • Instagram • TikTok • BlueSky • Threads • Facebook • Twitter • Reddit • Substack • WhatsApp • Slack Channels • Signal • Local Papers • Local Radio • Local TV • Local Events Listings • Podcasts  - engage the groups you are already a part of to reach a wider audience.

Sample copy for newsletters and social posts:  

#TheInvisibleMammal is a beautiful and inspiring documentary about scientists saving bats from #WhiteNoseSyndrome. 

RSVP to join a free screening of the film on [DATE] at [TIME] at [VENUE] here [LINK]! 

Learn more: http://www.theinvisiblemammal.com 

————————————————————-———

Did you know that white-nose syndrome is a threat to North American Bats? #TheInvisibleMammal is a documentary about scientists saving bats from #WhiteNoseSyndrome.  

Join our screening of the film on [DATE] at [TIME] at [VENUE]! RSVP here: [LINK] 

Learn more: http://www.theinvisiblemammal.com

Cover Your Costs:

PURCHASE FILM AT KINEMA

With Kinema, you can choose to either pay the screening fee upfront yourself or sell tickets to your event (splitting the proceeds).  Kinema also allows you to pay an upfront fee and then sell tickets to cover your costs.  Once we are live on their site, it will be easy for you to navigate and choose what is right for you!

We find that charging even a small price often creates value around the event for participants. 

Prices vary depending on size of audience (estimated price starting at $25 for 1-5 people

LOCAL THEATERS ARE INVITED TO DO A SMALL THEATRICAL RUN AND SPLIT THE DOOR

SCREEN

How to Access and Show the Film

Sign up to screen the film on Kinema

They have great guides to help you with both online or in person screenings.

Once you purchase the film you will be able to download the film for your event. 

FOR ONLINE EVENTS VIA KINEMA

Test it! We recommend opening up the video you’d like to share and doing a practice “run through” of screen sharing on your chosen video conferencing platform so you feel comfortable with that process.

Remember to turn off all notifications on your computer, close other visible content or apps on your computer screen.

Check your internet speed. To host an interruption and lag free event, we recommend doing an internet speed test an hour or two before the event, pull up the film and load it until the gray status bar is complete to avoid buffering.  

Keep a side chat going with panelists/hosts/participants to maintain engagement and cultivate community. Have people introduce themselves in the chat by providing their location, affiliations, and an answer to a prompt such as, “What is currently giving you hope?” You should also encourage people to use reaction buttons built into your platform, Have any information, links and suggested calls-to-action ready written out and ready to share in the chat.

Consider accessibility virtually, too. To ensure those unable to read or access your chat don’t feel left out of the conversation, be sure to say people’s questions aloud before answering.

FOR IN PERSON SCREENINGS (also Via Kinema):

HOST A GREAT EVENT

SAMPLE Program:

• Host introduce themselves and thank the audience for attending 

• Introduce the film, giving a brief description. 

• Inform the audience that the film will be followed by a brief Q&A and call to action

• Use the Discussion Guide or have a panel share

• Organize next steps you can take together - Collect emails so you can stay in touch.

HAVE A GREAT Q&A USING THIS EDUCATIONAL GUIDE  

Sample questions as a starting point for your community discussion.  

1. How does the film challenge viewers to rethink human responsibility toward wildlife and the environment?

2. Why should we care about bats, and what might happen to ecosystems and human life if their populations continue to decline? Should we actively protect bats, or let nature take its course?

3. What is the significance of the film’s title? How does The Invisible Mammal refer to both bats and, metaphorically, to women in the field of science and conservation? How does the film explore the invisibility of both?

DO MORE WITH OUR IMPACT CAMPAIGN…

As you wrap up your screening, we encourage you to organize your next micro-bat community-building get together to do any of the following:

• Organize a sunset bat viewing

• Plant a bat-friendly garden (either private residence or in a community garden 

• Build bat houses

• Organize a fun educational event with kids to raise awareness with the next generation 

• Create a plan to support local, state or federal bat research

Thank you!

Hosting a screening can help the save North American bats from extinction.