The Californer - PLUTO TV'S FREE MOVIE WEEKEND SUPPORTS INDEPENDENT THEATERS

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LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2025 ~ Pluto TV, the popular free streaming television service, has announced the return of its highly acclaimed 'Free Movie Weekend' program for this summer. The initiative, which aims to support family-run and independent theaters across the country, offers complimentary movie tickets on select weekends to encourage local attendance. This year, Pluto TV has joined forces with Oscar-winning director Sean Baker, a staunch advocate for independent film and movie theaters, to amplify the program's core mission of making beloved movies easily accessible while celebrating the importance of the theater-going experience.

The 'Free Movie Weekend' program was first launched in 2021 with a simple yet powerful idea - to give back to communities by boosting local cinemas and encouraging patrons to return to the movies after a challenging year of closures and stay-at-home orders. Now in its fifth season, the program has grown into a nationwide celebration, hosting 50 free weekends at theaters across 30 different states.

This summer marks a new chapter for 'Free Movie Weekend' as it teams up with filmmaker Sean Baker. Fresh off his historic wins at the 2025 Academy Awards, Baker used his moment on stage to remind audiences of where the magic begins - the theater. Now he is bringing that same passion and visibility to 'Free Movie Weekend', partnering with Pluto TV to nominate a local theater to be sponsored. As the first filmmaker to formally partner with the program, Baker's involvement marks a significant evolution for 'Free Movie Weekends' and reinforces Pluto TV's commitment to accessibility, community, and the power of the big screen.

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"Free Movie Weekend is an initiative that is close to my heart," said filmmaker Sean Baker. "Local cinemas are cultural touchstones; they are gathering places where communities come together to experience stories as they were meant to be seen - on the big screen. I am honored to partner with Pluto TV in shining a spotlight on independent theaters that play such a vital role in sustaining the art of cinema."

For this year's 'Free Movie Weekend', Sean Baker has nominated the Gardena Cinema in Los Angeles. The theater, which was built in 1946, is the last family-run independent single-screen indoor walk-in movie theater in South Los Angeles. It has been operated by the Kim family since 1976, with daughter Judy Kim now managing the 800-seat cinema after the passing of her mother, Nancy Soo Myoung Kim, on Mother's Day in 2022 from complications of uterine cancer.

The list of participating theaters and dates for this year's 'Free Movie Weekend' are as follows:

- Gardena Cinema - Los Angeles, CA: June 7-8

- Tara Theater - Atlanta, GA: June 14-15

- The Music Box Theatre - Chicago, IL: June 21-22

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- The Redford Theater - Detroit, MI: June 28-29

- The Colonial Theatre - Phoenixville, PA: July 5-6

'Free Movie Weekend' has become a highly anticipated event for theaters, local patrons, and Pluto TV alike. As independent theaters continue to face challenges in staying afloat, this program serves as a way to support them while also celebrating the power of shared cinematic experiences. In addition to 'Free Movie Weekend' in theaters, Pluto TV is also hosting a "Summer of Cinema" programming initiative throughout the summer months of June, July, and August. This will feature hundreds of fan-favorite films and franchises such as Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones, Terminator, Star Trek, Interstellar and Wolf of Wall Street across the service. With this lineup of free movies available on Pluto TV this summer, it truly is the ultimate destination for movie lovers.

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