Beloved French film Amélie to be screened in Lincolnshire for free to mark 25th anniversary

The award-winning romantic comedy will be returning to the big screen at The Loewen Cinema, in Mablethorpe, The Kinema in the Woods, Woodhall Spa, and the Savoy Cinemas in Boston and Gainsborough, sans frais (‘free of charge’) as part of a national event.

In total, 100 free screenings are held at independent cinemas across the UK from March 9-10.

It is being organised by Escapes, a nationwide initiative supported by National Lottery funding through the British Film Institute. Escapes aims to make the silver screen more accessible, celebrate independent cinemas and drive new audiences to local venues.

The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain – to give the film its full French title – tells the story of a shy and quirky Parisian waitress (played by Audrey Tautou), 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?’

The film received five Oscar nominations, and two BAFTA wins.

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

The event is taking place as part of National Lottery Open Week, which 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.

Ben Luxford, Director of UK-wide audiences at the 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 tickets are available now from Escapes at escapes.cinematik.app/events/amelie-2026-03-09-2026-03-10, with a limit of two per customer.