Movies can transport viewers to different times and places. They can offer escapist fantasy or highlight relevant history. They can entertain, inform and interpret our world in new ways.

But only if they are accessible.

For years, Emagine Entertainment has been offering moviegoers sensory-friendly and open caption options to make its theaters more accessible to more viewers. And Emagine’s Frankfort location is no exception, with four of August’s biggest film releases offered with open captions and two family-friendly films screened in a sensory-friendly way.

But Emagine CEO Anthony LaVerde hopes these screenings are just a starting point, with a more robust slate of offerings being added across the company, informed by the very people the theater chain hopes to welcome with its specialty screenings. Most notably, that includes dementia-friendly screenings the company is piloting at its Saline, Michigan, location.

“We’re excited about that aspect of the business,” LaVerde said. “It’s a new initiative we’d like to see grow. As we’re learning to do it properly, we hope to expand it significantly.”

Emagine is not alone in offering specialty movie screenings for people with particular needs. Marcus Theatres locations in Orland Park and Country Club Hills offer assistive technology, such as closed captioning devices, descriptive narration and assisted listening devices. AMC Theatres in New Lenox, Crestwood and Chicago Ridge all offer select sensory friendly screenings as well as closed captioning and assisted listening devices, while Crestwood also holds open caption screenings.

But Emagine is trying to expand into less charted — if not uncharted — territory with its dementia-friendly screenings. Through trial screenings, the company has found classics and musicals tend to resonate better with those audiences. The films are presented with softer sound and ambient lighting — tweaks LaVerde said are driven by community input, as the company has sought for its other specialty offerings.

“When we roll these out, we really have to take a lot of input and education from the community, exactly what needs to be done: the sound levels, the light levels, the actual content on the screen,” he said. We take time and really try to roll them out properly. It’s wonderful how we’ve been embraced by all these communities, who want to see us succeed and do it correctly. The feedback is immensely important to doing it right.”

During dementia-friendly screenings, audience members are also encouraged to interact during the film, including talking back, clapping, tapping their feet, swaying, singing along and dancing. This is similar to the sensory-friendly experience, which sees the lights up and sound down a bit, along with encouragement to move, dance and sing.

“Kids can talk and just be themselves throughout the film,” LaVerde said.

The sensory screenings also allow guests to bring safe snacks for any food allergies, avoidance or restrictions. The aim is to make the sensory-friendly screenings comfortable, so that families with sensory needs can still enjoy a communal experience at the movies. Those experiences can otherwise be particularly stressful for parents, LaVerde said.

“It really is based on the feedback from the folks that know a lot better than we do about their needs, and we strive to meet them,” LaVerde said, adding the company is happy to hear from groups based nearby on what the theater can be doing to meet their needs. “We’re always welcome to it, and we’re always learning.”

Sensory-friendly and open caption screenings — the latter of which display audio subtitles on the big screen — focus on new releases. Those screenings are offered on particular days and times, but LaVerde said they have been “extremely successful,” meaning Emagine has been able to offer the options for more films.

“The more screenings we can provide those communities, the better,” LaVerde said. “We’re just excited they’ve embraced Emagine and the efforts to enhance their experience with their expertise.”

The dementia-friendly screenings, which include preshow mingling, also provide guests with door-to-door service guided by a team of staff and volunteers Emagine calls the “Purple Angels.” Training teams to be dementia-friendly is part of the reason Emagine is taking things one step at a time.

“You want to make sure the theater-level staff is trained on all the correct things that are provided to us by the community — light levels, sound levels and so on,” LaVerde said.

That training and the specialty services offered are not necessarily cheap, but LaVerde said that money is not the driving force behind these specialty screenings.

“I wouldn’t say we run dementia-friendly for a profit, but certain aspects of our business aren’t always guided solely based on profit,” he said. “Being able to give back to the community and provide something unique — done properly, with the input of folks that really have the expertise — that means a lot to us. … It’s the heart of our culture that we don’t like to take from the community; we like to give back, as well.”

In addition to the specialty screenings that cater to particular needs, Emagine has also been trying Breakfast & A Movie and Senior Lunch & A Movie screenings in some locations. The former offers an early morning buffet with films chosen for families, the latter with a lunch buffet.

A Dine N’ View option at one location offers a full-service restaurant experience from one’s seat. And a senior movie series in two locations, including Batavia, offers a ticket, drink, popcorn and hot dog at one price to keep things simple, as well as an hour of post-movie mingling. Those screenings were similarly developed based on feedback from guests, LaVerde said, and it is all about welcoming everyone to Emagine theaters.

“We really try to provide an exemplary out-of-home experience,” he said.

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.