Posted by Audra Baumgartner on October 9, 2015 · 2 Comments
AMC Entertainment (AMC) is expanding their Sensory Friendly Films program, in partnership with the Autism Society! Now families affected by autism or other special needs can have TWO opportunities each month to enjoy a family-friendly movie in a safe and accepting environment – and sensory friendly screenings of movies for older audiences are also being added to meet the needs of others on the autism spectrum. The traditional family-oriented movies will still be screened on Saturday mornings, while films for older viewers will be shown two Tuesdays each month at 7pm.
As always, the movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.
Does it make a difference? Absolutely! Imagine …no need to shhhhh your child. No angry stares from other movie goers. Many parents think twice before bringing a child to a movie theater. Add to that your child’s special needs and it can easily become cause for parental panic. But on this one day a month, for this one screening, everyone is there to relax and have a good time, everyone expects to be surrounded by kids – with and without special needs – and the movie theater policy becomes “Tolerance is Golden“.
AMC and the Autism Society will be showing Pan this Saturday, October 10th at 10am – and on Tuesday, October 13th, at 7pm (all local times). Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program (note: to access full list, please scroll to the bottom of the page).
Coming later in October: Goosebumps (Sat, 10/24) and Jem and the Holograms (Tues, 10/27)
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Editor’s note: Although Pan has been chosen by the Autism Society as this month’s Sensory Friendly screening, we do want parents to know that it is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for fantasy action violence, language and some thematic material. As always, please check the IMDB Parents Guide for a more detailed description of this film to determine if it is right for you and your child.
Hi Audra,
Thank you for your posting about the upcoming AMC sensory-friendly films. I have actually checked out the AMC website as well as the Autism Society’s website about the AMC theaters that are participating in showing selected films in a sensory-friendly atmosphere. My experience has been one of frustration; for instance, I would like to take my son to the upcoming “Goosebumps” movie on 10/24/2015; however, none of the supposed participating AMC theaters in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas actually seem to offer the film on that day. How are we supposed to watch this movie on the 24th if none of the participating theaters are actually showing it? I can’t seem to get anywhere with this, and I’m reaching out to you in hopes that maybe you can shed some light on how to go about in tracking down a local theater that is actually going to be showing the movie on that date and time. Thank you so much!
Hi Hannah,
I’m so sorry to hear about your issues with the AMC theatres in the Los Angeles area not actually showing the Sensory Friendly Films. I have done some investigating and there are a lot of theatres in California the AMC list that do not seem to have the Sensory Friendly films – while ones near me in the MidWest are doing the showings. I have written to AMC to try to get an answer to this question and will keep you posted.
Thanks,
Audra