Unlicensed film exhibition forced free shows funded by voluntary contributions

Evidence

Because the films exhibited were not submitted to the New York State Board of Regents for licensing, it was deemed illegal to charge admission for their exhibition. Mekas’s counter-strategy was to present the films for free and solicit contributions for the Love and Kisses to Censors Film Society. — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 1905

Categorization

• QUESTION: How exactly did the Board of Regents licensing regime work, and was this contribution model common across underground cinema?