A sensory-friendly film will be shown for the first time in Poplar Bluff on Saturday at the AMC Showplace.
Sensory-friendly films means the lights will not be turned all the way off, the movie may not be as loud, and it is OK if those attending want to get up and pace, circle walk, need a break or talk during the movie, said Kelly Fields, president of Autism Accepted.
Fields said she has been trying for more than a year to get a sensory-friendly film at the local movie theater.
Every time she has gone to the theater, Fields said, she has spoken to the manger.
“I’ve called the corporate offices for the last year, emailed, did lots of stuff and never got a reply,” Fields said.
The local theater, Fields said, now has a new manager, “someone different than I had been speaking to.”
When Fields
“took the kiddos” to the movies recently, she said, she spoke to the manager about offering a sensory-friendly film.
The manager, Fields said, indicated Cape Girardeau’s theater offers such movies.
“We have a lot of autism people and sensory processing” in the Poplar Bluff area, Fields said.
After learning about the Poplar Bluff autism group, “he said, ‘If you really have a group, if you can get the word out,’” then he would call the “higher ups,” Fields said. “He did call a few days later and said we got it.”
The animated film, “Onward,” will be shown at 10 a.m.
“A lot of these kids, an hour is a long time to sit down,” Fields said.
With a sensory-friendly film, “they can stand up, move around, scream out (and) not get told to be quiet or they need to leave,” Fields said.
For Saturday’s movie, “I just hope we fill the theater,” Fields said.
Autism Accepted members, she said, will be on hand, and a goodie box by the organization will be given away to the 30th person buying a ticket on site Saturday.