ANDERSON, Ind. —
If Heidi Martin went to the movie on a Thursday morning, it would cost her $42.75 for her and her six children.
But instead the Anderson mom is taking advantage of Mounds Mall 10 theater’s Free Family Film Festival at 10 a.m. every Wednesday.
“We usually don’t go to the theater,” Joel Martin, 10, said. “It is fun because it is a treat for all of us.”
Heidi Martin said it is the highlight of the kids’ summer as they’ve been coming for the past several years.
Leah Martin, 14, said most of the movies being shown — which included “Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and Wednesday’s film was “Astro Boy” — were ones she hadn’t seen before.
Theater General Manager Gene Foster said they’ve had more than 800 attend the weekly movie requiring them to open up five screens for the show.
“It is a real popular program,” he said. “This is the fifth summer we’ve done it and we plan to continue it. It is nice to have something people can go to that doesn’t cost anything.”
Foster said they enjoy the program even though it isn’t something they bring in profits from. It provides a nice community service and generates traffic into the mall.
Cousins Makayla Smothers, 6, of Anderson, and Reece Van Blain, 6, of Frankton, enjoyed the film and best of all movie snacks with their friend Casey Davis, 6, also of Frankton.
“It’s cool because we get to watch movies with friends,” Reece said. “It’s really fun!”
Makayla said the red slushy and popcorn make the movie even better.
“You can’t watch without it,” she said.
Penny Fisher has brought her grandchildren to the film every week. Typically she and Maddie McClain, 14, and Logan McClain, 10, meet up with other family members with as many as 10 people watching the movie together.
“My favorite part of it is getting to spend time with the grandchildren,” Fisher said. “You don’t have to put out a lot of money to spend time together and have a good time.”
Maddie said she enjoys spending time with her cousins and friends at the movie and looks forward to it each week. Without the film festival, she said, many families might not be able to get out to the theaters.
“This is definitely something you don’t get to do every day,” Maddie said.
Fisher expressed appreciation to the mall for offering the program.
This week’s film is “Tooth Fairy” and the Aug. 4 movie is “How to Train Your Dragon.”
“We are happy to provide the program,” Foster said. “This is something else for people to do when it is so nasty hot out there like it is right now. It is a good time.”
Contact Abbey Doyle, 640-4805, abbey.doyle@heraldbulletin.com.
Entertainment
Related Photos
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Mounds Mall 10 Cinema offers a free family film festival every Wednesday morning. Here, young and old alike enjoy the cinema.
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Makayla Smethers, 6, of Frankton, starts eating her popcorn before she goes into the movie theater during Mounds Mall 10 Cinema free family film festival Wednesday morning.
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Children from the Daleville Day Care wait to get their tickets to go see the movie at the Mounds Mall theater.
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Maddi Dilts, 6, gets her snacks ready, along with her Daleville Day Care friends, as they prepare to go into the theater to see the week's free movie during Mounds Mall 10 Cinema free family film festival.
Discussion
Mall theater offers free family movies Wednesday
Two more weeks left in film festival
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