Film fans across the UK offered 200,000 free cinema tickets in June

The National Lottery Cinema Weekend will offer film fans 200,000 free tickets across 500 different sites in the UK.

Venues including BFI Southbank and members of the National Lottery-funded BFI Film Audience Network will be taking part in the initiative on June 19-20. You can find a list of participating cinemas here.

• READ MORE: Unscripted telly and sci-fi escapism: how COVID-19 will change the future of film and TV

To claim a pair of free tickets, film fans need to present a National Lottery ticket, scratchcard or Instant Win game to be eligible.

“National Lottery Cinema Weekend is a big ‘thank you’ to our players and a celebration of what they have made possible via BFI who invest over £50 million of National Lottery funding a year to develop and support original U.K. filmmakers and films,” Adam Chataway, Camelot’s head of brand partnerships for the National Lottery said in a statement obtained by Variety.

Tim Platt, head of marketing at the BFI, added: “We are thrilled that so many cinemas across the U.K. are taking part in Cinema Weekend, welcoming back audiences after such a challenging year.

“There’s nothing quite like the shared experience of watching film on the big screen, which is an experience we’ve all missed so much. The generous support of National Lottery players has been so important for our industry, so what better way to say ‘thank you’ than a free trip to the cinema.”

Cinemas across England and Wales are due to be reopen from May 17, while Wales and Northern Ireland are yet to confirm a date.

Here’s a full list of when every major cinema chain in the UK is expected to reopen.

The post Film fans across the UK offered 200,000 free cinema tickets in June appeared first on NME.