A UK cinema chain has teamed up with a specialist provider of support for those with autism to create Autism Friendly Films, a project which aims to raise awareness of the sensory differences experienced by people with autism and promote the cinema-going experience for those on the autistic spectrum.
The project’s pilot will take place on 11 August 2011 with a special screening at over 30 Odeon cinemas across the UK of Mr Popper’s Penguins, starring Hollywood funny man Jim Carrey.
Organisers hope that the project will enable people who can sometimes be excluded from the traditional cinema experience, because they may find the lights and volume difficult to manage, to watch the film in an environment conducive to their needs. If this first event is successful, there are plans to expand the project to include autism friendly screenings of different films.
“The cinema experience can be a particularly challenging environment but it is one that can be made accessible by good partnership working”, says Lisa Hopkins of Dimensions, co-organisers of the project. “The launch of Autism Friendly Films is all about inclusion.”
