The third annual event is set to attract even more than the 1.4 million people who took advantage of cheap cinema tickets last year.

Daniel Battsek, chairman of the All Industries Marketing Committee for Cinema, said: "National Cinema Day is fast becoming an institution.

"On National Cinema Day 1998 we are toasting the success of British Cinema and its continued development."

The Full Monty: a British success story

Cinema has been enjoying a renaissance in Britain over the last few years, with greater numbers going to the movies.

Attendances hit rock bottom four years ago, with only 54 million people going to the movies.

But by last year, admissions had almost tripled to reach a record 139.5 million.

The trend has continued in 1998. Figures published by the Cinema Advertising Association indicate a 20% rise in cinema-going for the first quarter of 1998.

Admissions are higher than they have been at any point since 1972, with an average of 3.23 million people enjoying a night at the pictures every week.

The cinema market is expected to continue to grow over the next five years, with admissions expected to increase to 185 million by 2002 when nearly 800 new screens will have opened.

But the number of cinema-goers in Britain compares poorly with the USA. The number of visits per year per head of population in Britain is about 2.2 compared to five in the US.