As lockdown restrictions ease across the country, the UK Cinema Association has released a new video explaining some of the changes that have been made to make it safe for viewers to return. These include social distancing measures and enhanced hygiene precautions.
Readers should note that this video was designed for cinemas in England. Although most of the guidelines set down for customers are the same, in Scotland it is mandatory to wear a mask if you're going to the cinema. You will only be able to take it off when sitting in your seat and will have to replace it before you get up to leave. This means that you'll still be able to enjoy your popcorn.
Cinemas in Northern Ireland are due to re-open on 29 July and Welsh cinemas will remain closed for the meantime.
Some individual cinemas have taken additional safety precautions of their own. You'll be able to find out about these when you phone to book your tickets. It is still permissible to turn up and buy a ticket on the sour of the moment but you will risk being turned away as audience sizes will be much smaller in order to keep everyone safe.
The plus side of all this is that if you like to sit back and enjoy films in peace, you won't have to put up with noisy crowds.
For the meantime, most cinema releases are coming out online as well so that they can reach larger audiences, with people in Covid-19 shielding groups still advised to stay at home and many others reluctant to return at this stage. Here at Eye For Film we'll continue to let you know about online releases to make it easy for you to find films you'll like.
