Calgary

This page is designed to compile all known ways to attend a free advanced movie screening, both online and offline. If you live in Calgary and know of other providers or offers in your area, please leave a comment and help us out.

General Providers

When you attend enough advanced screenings, you start to notice that the same providers keep sponsoring them. So it's in your interest to find out more about these providers.

1. Local Radio

Generally, local radio stations can give out screening passes six ways:

• Listen to win: "Our 29th caller gets tickets for two to see.."
  
• Pass pick-up: "Drop by our station office and pick up passes..."
• Expo or festival: "Stop by our booth and be sure to grab tix..."
• Follow the van: "Our wacky afternoon DJ has driven the prize van over to some local business and is giving away free hot dogs and movie passes!"
• Point system: "Join our listeners club, and when you earn enough points..."
  
• Online contests: "Enter by Monday. We'll select five winners then to attend..."

The Fan 960 has an online entry form that it probably uses in conjunction with contests conducted on the air. Online contests appear at AM 1060, Shine 88.9, CJAY 92, The Eagle 100.9, and the curiously named California 103, but we haven't noticed any screenings yet. A few stations operate on a point system: AM 770, Jack FM, Lite 96, Country 105, and Q107.

Vibe 98.5 has a movie club, where you can win tickets by listening in or by cashing VIP points.

Feel free to find other local stations by using Radio Locator or your favorite Internet search engine.

2. Local Print

Stare into the Calgary Sun for a movie offer once or twice a month. But check often because the contest window is usually only a few days. There's also the Calgary Herald of the Canada.com network, which usually just compiles contests at the national level.

You should also look for any weekly or community papers that you might find in libraries or in colorful boxes along city sidewalks. The Fast Forward Weekly has an online contest page; The Anchor does not. The Calgary Weekly no longer appears to have a website.

Don't forget to check the print editions of the above papers to see if any movie screenings are offered there.

3. Local TV

CityTV has a contest page with a Movie Ticket Giveaway section. CTV has an affiliate in Calgary.

Global TV and the CBC seem to operate nationally, with nothing specific to Alberta.

4. Local Internet

There is the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, which does a free classic film series, but we're not aware of any local website that offers advanced screenings. Please inform us if there are any.

5. Regional and National Internet

Dose.ca has a multi-city offer for a movie about once a month. Tribute.ca is a bit more frequent, with 2-3 movies a month. Showbiz Monkeys operates weekly or better.

Teen Hollywood (and affiliated sites Teen Music and Teen Television) might include a theatrical screening among its many DVD and soundtrack giveaways. Same with Movies Online.

Be sure to check the forums at Fat Wallet and Slick Deals as well. THE MOVIE OUTSIDER has a representative that posts offers on each of those forums, and compiles a list of screenings by city that links back to here. More importantly, other members in the forums will relay info about multi-city screenings sponsored by the movie studios and PR firms. Use these sites in tandem, and you'll get about as much publicly available information as possible.

Specific Offers

CLOVERFIELD (otherwise opens January 18)

Showbiz Monkeys screening
Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7pm, location unknown

Teen Hollywood screening
Wednesday, Jan. 16, time and location unknown

UNTRACEABLE (otherwise opens January 25)

Tribute.ca screening
Date, time, and location unknown