Texas is home to three of the top screening markets in the southern United States: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. The state's massive and diverse population makes it a priority for studios testing wide-release films, family movies, and faith-based releases. Each Texas city brings a distinct audience demographic, giving studios a comprehensive view of how their films will play across the heartland. The Alamo Drafthouse chain, headquartered in Austin, adds a unique curated screening culture found nowhere else.
Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston carry the highest screening volume in Texas, with AMC NorthPark Center and AMC Galleria serving as anchor venues. Austin's Alamo Drafthouse locations offer curated advance screenings with themed food pairings and filmmaker Q&As. San Antonio sees occasional screenings at its Santikos and Regal venues. Free passes circulate through Gofobo, Advance Screenings, and Texas-based radio stations. The state's film festival scene includes South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, one of the most important film festivals in the world.
Texas has three cities in the top 10 US media markets (DFW #4, Houston #7, Austin #35 but rapidly growing), making it the only state with that level of representation.
Austin
16 events · 5 free · 4 concerts
Dallas
18 events · 2 free · 12 concerts
Houston
13 events · 3 free · 13 concerts
San Antonio
8 events · 2 free · 2 concerts
Fort Worth
8 events · 8 concerts
Plano
3 events · 3 concerts
Bedford
2 events
Mission
1 event · 2 free
El Paso
1 event · 2 free
College Station
1 event · 1 concert
Londview
1 event · 1 concert
Willis
1 event · 1 concert
Friendswood
1 event
Longview
1 event
The Colony
1 event
Richardson
1 event
Denton
1 event
SeeItEarly aggregates free advance screening passes from 20+ sources across 17 cities in Texas. Browse the city listings below, click "Get Passes," and follow the instructions on the source site. Most passes are first-come, first-served.
The most active cities are Austin (18 events), Dallas (18 events), Houston (17 events). New events are added daily as studios announce screenings.
Yes, most advance screenings are completely free. Studios use them to generate buzz and gather audience feedback before a movie's official release. Some premium events or film festival screenings may charge admission, which we clearly label.