FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FILM & FLIRT: THE IRL DATING EVENT THAT DITCHES THE APPS FOR ROM-COMS

New event series combining speed-friending, icebreaker games, and cinema to help singles connect face-to-face.

London, 10 March 2026 - A new event series launching this April is bringing dating back to real life with a romantic comedy twist.

Film & Flirt is a fun new screening series that combines matchmaking social experiences with independent cinema, creating a low-pressure, high-fun supplement to dating apps. Think speed-friending, themed games, and actual human conversation - followed by a film about unexpected connections.

"Many dating apps have left people exhausted and disconnected," says Urvisha Patel, creator of Film & Flirt, and co-founder of Big Picture Film Club. "We're creating a space where you can meet someone the old-fashioned way: face-to-face, over drinks, with no algorithms involved. And if sparks fly, you get to sit next to them during a rom-com. It's basically the perfect first date."

The debut event launches at Genesis Cinema in London on Tuesday 14th April, with further planned events to follow.

Film & Flirt targets the growing number of singles experiencing "swipe fatigue" - research shows 78% of dating app users feel burned out, yet keep swiping because they don't know where else to meet people.

"We're pro-actually-meeting-people. There's something magical about in-person chemistry that no profile can capture."

Each event welcomes 50-60 singles aged 25-45, with a focus on achieving gender balance (organisers are actively recruiting men to combat the typical female-heavy ratio at dating events).

About Film & Flirt

Film & Flirt is an event series created by Big Picture Film Club in collaboration with matchmaking service Introducing Two, that combines IRL matchmaking experiences with independent cinema. The mission: bring back face-to-face connection in a world oversaturated with digital dating, while supporting quality independent film.

Key Details

What: Film & Flirt - IRL dating event + rom-com screening

When: April 2026 (series continues through the summer)

Where: Genesis Cinema, London (more sites to be confirmed)

Who: Aged 25-45, single/actively dating\open to meeting new people

Cost: £15-20 per ticket

Capacity: 50-60 per event

Film: Due Dating (90 mins, British rom-com)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I57sm194hzQ

About Due Dating (film)

Due Dating is a refreshing British rom-com that asks: what if pregnancy doesn't pause your life or your love life? With the tagline "Young, free…and pregnant," the film follows Cherry, a young woman refusing to let her bump stop her from dating, and Cole, a blogger who needs to understand the female perspective. It's the indie rom-com rewriting the rules on love, timing, and what it means to be ready.

For press enquiries, interviews, or access requests, contact:

Urvisha Patel

[email protected]

+44 7949157007