Free movie weekends? These independent theaters are opening their doors at no cost this summer

Film fans in five cities across the U.S. will be able to enjoy a free trip to the cinema this summer, as part of a campaign aimed at promoting local movie theaters.

For the fifth year in a row, the streaming service Pluto TV is running its ‘Free Movie Weekend’ initiative, which will offer complimentary tickets for participating theaters on certain weekends in June and July.

Pluto TV first held the ‘Free Movie Weekend’ program in 2021, in a bid to encourage people to return to cinemas after the movie-theater industry was heavily impacted by covid-enforced closures and stay-at-home orders.

The initiative focuses on “family-run and independent theaters”, Pluto TV said in a press release late last month.

When and where will ‘Free Movie Weekend’ take place in 2025?

• Gardena Cinema - Los Angeles, CA: June 7-8
• Tara Theater - Atlanta, GA: June 14-15
• The Music Box Theatre - Chicago, IL: June 21-22
• The Redford Theater - Detroit, MI: June 28-29
• The Colonial Theatre - Phoenixville, PA: July 5-6

Oscar winner joins free movie initiative

For ‘Free Movie Weekend’ 2025, Pluto TV says it has teamed up with the Oscar-winning Anora director Sean Baker, who nominated Los Angeles’ Gardena Cinema as this year’s opening venue.

An eight-decade-old theater, the 800-seat, single-screen venue has been run by the same family since 1976.

“Local cinemas are cultural touchstones, they are gathering places where communities come together to experience stories as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen,” Baker said.

At March’s Academy Awards, the 54-year-old used his Best Director acceptance speech to urge viewers to keep visiting cinemas, declaring: “The theater-going experience is under threat.”

What films can you watch for free on the opening weekend in L.A.?

According to online listings, the Gardena Cinema is to open up ‘Free Movie Weekend’ with the 1978 musical Grease and the 1977 dance drama Saturday Night Fever.

Both scheduled for Saturday, June 7, the films will each be played in two showings.

On Sunday, June 8, the Gardena is then due to play the 1984 supernatural comedy Ghostbusters across three showings. You can book seats on this ticketing website.

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