Learning Disability Today
Supporting professionals working in learning disability and autism services

ODEON trials autism friendly film screenings for older audiences

Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesCinema chain ODEON is trialling screening a film for an older audience as part of its on-going participation in the autism friendly films initiative.

In addition to its usual monthly screening of a family movie, 10 ODEON cinemas will have an autism friendly film screening of the 12A-rated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The 10 cinemas – Birmingham Broadway Plaza, Blanchardstown, Cardiff, Glasgow Quay, Greenwich, Kensington, Sheffield, Southampton, Trafford Centre and Wimbledon – will show the film on Monday, October 20 at 6pm.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the latest reboot of the cartoon series and sees the turtles – Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo – take on the might of Shredder and the Foot Clan, who have taken a grip on New York City. Working with reporter April O’Neil (played by Megan Fox) they must unravel Shredder’s evil plan.

This is in addition to the usual autism friendly film screenings, which will be: The Boxtrolls, Dolphin Tale 2 and The House of Magic.

Cineworld cinemas will show Dolphin Tale 2 on Sunday, October 5 at 11am. ODEON cinemas will also show this film on Sunday, October 19, starting at 11.30am.

Meanwhile Showcase cinemas will screen The Boxtrolls on Sunday, October 12 at 10am.

Finally, Vue cinemas will show The House of Magic on Sunday, October 26 at 10am for just £1.75.

In animated adventure The Boxtrolls, based on the children’s novel Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow, a young orphan boy called Eggs, who is raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors – the Boxtrolls – tries to save his friends, who are seen as a scourge, from an evil exterminator.

Meanwhile, Dolphin Tale 2 picks up the story some years after the first film ended. Now, Winter, the dolphin rescued in the first film, is alone at Clearwater Marine Hospital following the death of her elderly surrogate mother. However, Winter cannot be housed alone as dolphins’ social behaviour requires them to be paired with other dolphins, according to USDA regulations. So the team at Clearwater face a race against time to find another dolphin before they lose Winter to another aquarium.

Finally, in animated adventure The House of Magic, an abandoned kitten called Thunder stumbles upon a strange house, owned by an old magician and inhabited by automatons and gizmos. Thunder is not welcomed by everybody in the house, but things get worse when the magician is taken to hospital and his nephew tries to sell the mansion. So Thunder, determined to prove himself, gets help from some of the magician’s assistants to protect his new home.

Sensory friendly environment

Autism Friendly Screenings are mainstream films shown in a sensory friendly environment. Lights are on low, sound is turned down, trailers are omitted and people can bring their own food, make noise and move around the cinema as they feel comfortable.

To view a full list of participating cinemas visit www.dimensions-uk.org/autismfriendly.

ODEON tickets can be booked on the Wednesday before the screening through the ODEON accessibility helpline number 0800 138 3315. Or book online.

Vue tickets can be booked online or for information call 08712 240 240.

Cineworld tickets can be booked online or for information call 0871 200 2000.

Showcase tickets can be booked online or by calling 0871 220 1000.

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LDT Editor

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