According to the copyright laws set forth in Title 17 of the U.S. Code:
“Publication” is the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display, constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.
To perform or display a work “publicly” means—
(1) to perform or display it at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered; or
(2) to transmit or otherwise communicate a performance or display of the work to a place specified by clause (1) or to the public, by means of any device or process, whether the members of the public capable of receiving the performance or display receive it in the same place or in separate places and at the same time or at different times.
Showing a film to your friends or family in your home legal and showing a film in a face-to-face class is covered under Fair Use. However, showing a film to a group or organization outside the structure of a class may require public performance rights.
Public Performance Rights (PPR) ultimately rest with the copyright holder - often the film's production company. Many Hollywood production companies use Swank Motion Pictures, Inc or other distribution companies to manage PPR. Additionally, PPR is included in many, but not all, of the subscriptions the University of Iowa Libraries buys through streaming video vendors.
Situations that require Public Performance Rights include:
Note that showings cannot charge admission for attendance.
The UIowa Libraries licenses streaming video on a variety of platforms.
The following include Public Performance Rights to varying degrees; click the "more" link for relevant PPR information.