A dipole-exchange theory is presented for Brillouin light scattering from the surface and bulk spin-wave modes propagating in perpendicularly magnetized films with general asymmetric pinning at the surfaces. The approach is based on a spin-wave theory with mixed exchange boundary conditions and a Green’s-function (linear-response) formalism for light scattering from magnetic films. The influence of dipole-dipole hybridization of the spin-wave dispersion branches on the calculated light-scattering intensities is taken into account, and the dependence of the Brillouin spectra on the pinning conditions investigated. Applications of the theory to Fe thin films are discussed.