Author: Molly Wraight

National Popcorn Day Celebrates the Joy of the Favorite Movie Snack with Discounted Pricing at Participating Theatres

LOS ANGELES – January 12, 2024 – The Cinema Foundation, in partnership with Fandango, announced the arrival of National Popcorn Day, coming to a theatre near you on Friday,  January 19th. This beloved date celebrates the joy of snacking America’s favorite concession at theatres with discounted concession prices, unlimited popcorn refills, free popcorn with the purchase of a drink and other special promotions at participating U.S. theatres. To find participating theatres and their individual offers, visit your local movie theatre’s website or app or visit Fandango.  

More than 30,000 screens across the country will participate in the one-day event featuring discounts on popcorn, and other concessions only in theatres. New movies playing in theatres include Mean Girls (Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp), The Beekeeper (Jason Statham), Ava  DuVernay’s Origin (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Blumhouse’s Night Swim (Wyatt Russell, Kerry  Condon), The Book of Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), I.S.S. (Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina), the theatrical re-releases of Christopher Nolan’s Golden Globe Award-Winning Oppenheimer,  Pixar’s Soul, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, plus recent holiday releases like  Wonka, The Color Purple, Migration, Hollywood’s top awards season contenders, and so much more.  

“Popcorn at the movies was first introduced 95 years ago, and it’s been an inseparable part of the moviegoing experience ever since,” says Bryan Braunlich, Executive Director of The  Cinema Foundation. “National Popcorn Day will bring together millions of film fans of all ages to  watch new movies on the big screen while enjoying their favorite theatre snacks at discounted  prices.”  

“We are excited to continue to partner with The Cinema Foundation to celebrate National  Popcorn Day in theatres nationwide,” said Jerramy Hainline, EVP of Fandango. “The  moviegoing experience is where people connect, emotions flow freely, and on January 19^th fans  can experience the magic of the big screen with their favorite movie snacks in hand at a  discounted price.”  

According to the National Association of Concessionaires: 

• Popcorn is American moviegoers’ favorite snack food. 

• Popcorn represents more than 60% of snack food sales at the nation’s theatres. • 4.5 billion quarts of popcorn are consumed at U.S. movie theatres and other live venues every year. 

According to a Fandango survey of more than 6,000 moviegoers: 

• 94% purchased concessions during their trips to theatres. 

• 88% said they order popcorn regularly.

Popcorn historian Andrew F. Smith, author of “Popped Culture,” estimates that popcorn was introduced at movie theatres in 1929 around the advent of talking pictures.  

For more details, visit your local theatre site or app or Fandango.  

ABOUT THE CINEMA FOUNDATION 

The Cinema Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit dedicated to promoting and enhancing the cinema exhibition industry through activities such as training and education,  career development, diversity, and inclusion, moviegoing promotion, and data and research efforts. 

Since March 2022, the Cinema Foundation’s mission has been dedicated to shaping the future of the great collective experience of moviegoing and the cinema industry. It works to support and impact the health of the cinema sector both in the short term and for years to come, while continuously expanding its contributions to the magic of moviegoing. The Cinema Foundation builds on the National Association of Theatre Owners’ mission and relationships and expands  NATO’s impact in ways that help individual employees, companies and the industry as a whole.  For more info, visit www.thecinemafoundation.org.  

ABOUT FANDANGO 

Fandango digital network provides unrivaled, instant access to all things movies and TV,  enhancing fan enjoyment across the entire entertainment journey. The portfolio serves more than  50 million unique visitors per month and includes leading online movie ticketer, Fandango, which  tickets for 31,000 U.S. movie screens; world-renowned entertainment review site, Rotten  Tomatoes; and Vudu, the on-demand streaming service offering the industry’s best selection of  4K UHD titles and more than 250,000 new release and catalogue movies and next day TV shows. 

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CONTACT 

Phil Contrino 
Director of Media & Research, NATO 
610-844-2459 
prc@natodc.com 

Harry Medved 
Media Relations, NATO/The Cinema Foundation 
310-200-1201 
harry@thecinemafoundation.org

25 Films Chosen for Recognition and Preservation by the Library of Congress 

WASHINGTON, DC – December 13, 2023 – The National Association of Theatre Owners  (NATO) today applauded the induction of 25 films into the National Film Registry, overseen by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. Created by Congress, the National Film Registry highlights America’s movie heritage, and the need to preserve film for future generations.  

Each year, films are selected based on their cultural, historic and/or aesthetic and artistic importance, and must be at least ten years old. This year’s selection of 25 films brings the number of titles in the registry to 875 and are among the 2 million moving images in the  Library’s collections. NATO is represented on the Library’s National Film Preservation Board by  Joseph Masher, NATO Board Member and CEO of New York’s BTM Cinemas, and Michael  O’Leary, NATO President & CEO. 

“Preserving films is like safeguarding the memories of our cultural evolution,” said  Masher. “This registry ensures that the art of storytelling through cinema endures for  generations to come.” 

“For more than a century, movies have shaped the American experience, with cinemas playing a vital role in our communities and cultural landscape,” said O’Leary. “On behalf of theatre  owners the world over, we applaud the Library’s important work in recognizing and preserving  these special works so that moviegoers can continue to discover classic films on the big  screen.” 

This year’s newly announced National Film Registry list showcases a diverse collection of films dating back more than 100 years ago. 

Films Selected for the 2023 National Film Registry 

(chronological order) 

• A Movie Trip Through Filmland (1921) 

• Dinner at Eight (1933) 

• Bohulano Family Film Collection (1950s-1970s) 

• Helen Keller: In Her Story (1954) 

• Lady and the Tramp (1955)

• Edge of the City (1957) 

• We’re Alive (1974) 

• Cruisin’ J-Town (1975) 

• ¡Alambrista! (1977) 

• Passing Through (1977) 

• Fame (1980) 

• Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) 

• The Lighted Field (1987) 

• Matewan (1987) 

• Home Alone (1990) 

• Queen of Diamonds (1991) 

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 

• The Wedding Banquet (1993) 

• Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994) 

• Apollo 13 (1995) 

• Bamboozled (2000) 

• Love & Basketball (2000) 

• 12 Years a Slave (2013) 

• 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) 

Public Nominations for the National Film Registry 

In addition to recommendations made by the Library’s National Film Preservation Board, the public submitted 6,875 titles for consideration this year. Several titles selected this year drew  significant support, including “Home Alone” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” The public can submit nominations throughout the year on the Library of Congress’ website. Nominations for next year’s list will be accepted until Aug. 15, 2024. To nominate for the 2024 Registry,  visit www.loc.gov/film.

You can read more about the films selected in the official announcement and the Library of  Congress on social media platforms at @librarycongress. 

ABOUT NATO 

The National Association of Theatre Owners is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 34,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 28,000  additional screens in 88 countries worldwide. For more info, visit www.natoonline.org.  

CONTACT 

Phil Contrino 
Director of Media & Research, NATO 
610-844-2459 

Harry Medved 
Media Relations Advisor, NATO 
310-200-1201