'Matthias Fest': Young movie fanatic will self-fund Santa Ana movie festival for his birthday

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- For those who know Matthias Avina, choosing a movie theater as a birthday party venue was a no-brainer.

But it's what the 22-year-old decided after that choice that has many fellow movie fans celebrating.

On Sept. 19, the former theater employee will host his very own film festival in Santa Ana, with free tickets up for grabs to five of his favorite movies.

Frida Cinema, Orange County's only non-profit arthouse movie theater, will host the event with free community screenings beginning at 2 p.m.

Audiences can catch screenings of "Dog Man," "Muppets From Space," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

The festival will end with horror flick "Seed of Chucky" at 10 p.m.

Click here for Matthias Fest tickets

"I'm a big fan of watching, like, some of my favorite movies on the big screen," Avina told ABC7. "I think that's really fun."

He booked an auditorium, with plans for an all-out binge fest with his friends. But then, he had another thought.

"I was like, 'Well, why would I have, like, kind of an empty theater? You know, what if I just let people kind of crash my own party?'

Bekah Phillips, marketing director for Frida Cinema, said the idea really caught on fast.

"We kind of pride ourselves on being more than just, like, a movie theater, more of, like, a community space," Phillips said. "So, it's one of those things where it just totally made sense."

In addition to movies, families with children can grab free "Dog Man" books at the 2 p.m. showing, while others can participate in a raffle, visit the free physical media swap table, and enjoy craft activities.

Phillips said this free celebration comes as many in Orange County are looking for ways to stretch their dollars.

"They're all these movies that are, like, huge hits for us, usually, so being able to, like have, that free to our community is just… it's just the best," Phillips said. "There's nothing more fun than sitting in a theater with a crowd full of people watching a movie you love."

More Local Events: ABC7 In Your Community | Submit Your Event to ABC7