Well as it turns out maybe there is...! Here's how it works:
* At FMUK (here) you get a code
* You use that code to get a print out - it will act as ticket(s) for a special preview screening
* On the day, just take that printout to the cinema - an usher will direct you to your screen
* Enjoy the film!
Hang on a minute - there's gotta be a catch! Where's the catch?! Is this legal?!
No catch. Perfectly legal. Endorsed by the film distributors, in fact. It boosts their ticket sales through word-of-mouth advertising, you see...
* If you liked the film, you'll probably recommend it to friends, right?
* A good proportion of them will end up p*ying to see the film once it is released
* The distributors make money, you get to see a film before it's released for free. Win win.
Here's a gif to sum up the whole process:
Okay, well what about this site right here? "FMUK"...do the distributors p*y you?
Nope, we're non-profit - run by volunteers. What we want is a nice place to chillax, talking about films or anything really! All we ask is that you join in! It's great fun!
Where do I start?
These are the main agencies which offer the free tickets. Your first step is to sign up to them (free) at their websites.
* SeeFilmFirst, ShowFilmFirst and Tell Ten offer the most tickets. You might have seen their codes in magazines, and newspapers, etc. But the tickets go quick - you really need to try a code as soon as you hear it. On the other hand, a code may become active again at a later date, so it might be worth trying a code daily if you're particularly interested in a particular screening. They also produce different codes for the same screenings usually.
* Times+, provides tickets for a new film every month (approx). You will need a passcode to claim tickets. Try 'timesplus' first - if there are no tickets left for this code, there should be another one made available to Times+ subscribers and therefore us.
* Sky bookings and The Telegraph increasingly offer tickets too but you need to be a subscriber.
* First4movies and Momentum do not offer many tickets, but worth checking once in a while...
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How do I then get to see a film?
When preview screenings become available, you might receive a code in your email which you can use to redeem tickets on the relevant website. Just type it in and follow the on-screen instructions to claim tickets. You'll usually get two tickets for each screening. If you want to swap them you'll need to change the booked name by email.
They're usually print-outs. Be sure to read all the text on the print-out. Take it to your cinema (advice: turn up 30 mins early) and skip the box-office, going to where tickets are usually checked. You'll be guided to your screen as you usually would for a pa*d cinema trip.
And that's it. There's rarely any adverts, you get the film usually on the dot of the specified time, and you might even receive goodies upon leaving! Like I said, win-win!
Showfilmfirst rarely send me codes, and when they do the tickets have all been taken! How do I make sure I get tickets?
That's where we come in. Showfilmfirst provide a wonderful service but not a completely satisfactory or efficient one. You may have noticed that there are lots of empty seats at screenings despite the fact that your tickets were very hard to come by. That's because many if not most first-timers (having discovered the service through a code in a magazine, for example) do not realise that by failing to attend they are wasting seats that many others would very much want. FMUK strives to make sure that tickets are allocated to those who will actually attend screenings. We share codes so that people familiar with the system can get tickets for and attend as many screenings as they like. We also have a Swap system (really lacking from seefilmfirst and tellten) whereby if you missed out on tickets you can request some from kind fellow members. For more information on how to use FMUK, read this article.
We hope you enjoy many great films for free for many years to come!
AYBG, admin of FMUK.