"Everyone knows us as the couple who win stuff," said Debra Sutherland and Adam Sisneros of Maple Grove. They were in a long line at Southdale AMC Theaters on April 1 for a free advanced screening of "Fast & Furious." Part of a devoted group of hundreds of Twin Citians who try to score free movie tickets, the couple happily tell friends about movies they've seen, but they seldom mention that they attended a free preview. "It lowers our chances of winning if we tell everyone," Sutherland said. Reluctantly, Sutherland admitted that she regularly checks City Pages, KDWB.com and TwinCities.com to sign up to win free screenings. She and Sisneros have been on the freebie trail for about eight years now and attend free movies about twice a month, saving nearly $500 a year in their entertainment budget.

Free screenings are held for several reasons, said Chad Olson, vice president of entertainment marketing at Nemer Fieger marketing communications agency. Besides showing films to the press for review, screenings are a cheap way to generate buzz for a movie. Before the movie starts, attendees are reminded to talk it up to anyone who will listen. It's especially important for a small movie with little or no advertising budget, said Hugh Wronski, senior regional publicist for Landmark Theatres in Uptown Minneapolis and Edina.

They're a promotional tie-in for print, online, radio and TV partners. While there aren't as many screenings as there were a few years ago, Olson said, they remain very popular. Many people aren't even aware of the advanced screenings, but interest in them is up, he said.

People who want to attend a free screening can get passes via radio or TV contests or online sign-ups at newspapers, TV and radio media sites. Sometimes studios might offer advance screening tickets to retailers or restaurants with a theme connection. Studios with movies about feasts or food might offer free screenings to customers at supermarkets, restaurants, kitchen accessory stores or chocolate shops, for example.

Sutherland checks her favorite online sites most weekday mornings. Then she gets the ticket at the theater, in the mail, a printout off the Internet, or at locations in Minneapolis, Golden Valley or St. Paul. After the movie, she does her part by chatting it up with friends at work and on Facebook. If she sees a movie she really hates she's honest about that, too -- a drawback that every studio and promoter loses sleep over.

But free screenings aren't for everyone. First, it's a time commitment. Most avid screeners spend about 30 minutes a week signing up for the freebies, which carries no guarantee that they will get free tickets. For every movie that she registers for, Sutherland probably wins 75 percent of the time. Others said their success rate is only about 25 percent.

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Adam Sisneros and Debra Sutherland of Maple Grove attend free movies about twice a month, which saves them nearly $500 a year on entertainment.

Then there's the extra hour or so spent in line to guarantee a seat. Most sneaks start at 7:30 p.m., but regulars get there about an hour in advance to get in line. Pass holders are let in 15 to 30 minutes before the movie starts. Prior to the opening credits, the sponsor might warm up the crowd for a few minutes by throwing caps, T-shirts or other freebies with movie or sponsor tie-ins into the crowd.

About twice as many free passes are given out than there are seats available. Once the theater is full, anyone not yet seated is usually turned away, a limitation noted on the pass. Occasionally, patrons might be able to see another selected movie at the theater, but that is rarely offered.

Some, such as Vicki Wilson of Newport, pass the time by bringing a book while they wait. She and her husband have told their friends about it, but most of them don't join the Wilsons.

"They don't want to wait an extra hour or 90 minutes," Wilson said. For about four years she has checked five sites regularly and usually attends one screening a month.

Some screeners get selective over time, avoiding certain theaters or movie genres or locations too far away.

Several theater managers said there is a subculture of moviegoers who attend screenings regularly. Some look askance at screeners who regularly show up at previews but never to pay for a movie. But a visit to the concession stand always helps.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com. If you spot a deal, share it at www.startribune.com/blogs/dealspotter.