Amélie 25th anniversary celebrated with free cinema tickets across Wales

Escapes, a nationwide initiative supported by the BFI (British Film Institute), will mark the 25th anniversary of Amélie with more than 100 free screenings at independent cinemas across the UK from 9 – 10 March 2026 as part of National Lottery Open Week.

Welsh cinemas giving out free tickets include Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Reel Cinema (Port Talbot), The Strand (Rhyl), Palace Cinema (Haverfordwest), Theatr Gwaun (Fishguard), Brynamman Cinema (Ammanford), Theatr Clwyd (Mold), and the Commodore Cinema (Aberystwyth).

Amélie tells the story of Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou), a shy and quirky waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better while dealing with her own isolation.

First released in 2001 and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeneut, the film became a break-out global phenomenon, defying all expectations for a French-language romantic comedy to become an international box office hit, grossing $174.4 million.

Its reputation since has only grown. In recent years, The New York Times hailed Amélie as one of the best movies of the 21st century American Cinematographer named it the best shot film of the decade. BBC Culture asked ‘is Amélie the most stylish film ever made?’

Audrey Tautou’s performance as Amélie brought her international recognition overnight. The film received 5 Oscar nominations, and 2 BAFTA wins.

Irresistibly iconic and beautifully crafted, the romantic comedy’s surreal Parisian world still inspires today.

These free screenings come ahead of Curzon re-releasing Amélie in cinemas nationwide on 3 April.

National Lottery Open Week (7 – 15 March), sees hundreds of National Lottery-funded venues offer free or discounted entry and special offers as a thank you to players for raising over £32 million a week for good causes.

Escapes is designed to make the big screen more accessible, celebrate independent cinemas and drive new audiences to local venues. From Hackney to Haverfordwest, this National Lottery Open Week, Escapes will bring free cinema to communities across the UK.

Ben Luxford, Director of UK-wide audiences at the British Film Institute (BFI) said: “25 years on, audiences continue to fall in love with Amélie. It is bold, joyful, and as wonderful to watch as ever. Thanks to National Lottery funding, Escapes is giving audiences the chance to see Amélie on the big screen – completely free – while celebrating the independent cinemas that keep film culture alive. We are excited for a new generation to see Amélie in cinemas for the first time and for film fans to revisit this classic on the big screen.”

Free screenings of AMÉLIE come to over 100 UK cinemas on 9-10 March 2026. Free tickets are available now in over 100 locations from Escapes at escapetothecinema.co.uk/tickets