BEIJING -- Beijing is offering movie ticket coupons worth 10 million yuan (about $1.4 million) to its residents to revitalize the film market affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Moviegoers can redeem the coupons until Nov 16 via the WeChat official account of Beijing Culture-easy Card, and use them on several major movie ticket selling platforms.

Authorities announced Saturday the move designed to reignite consumers' enthusiasm for cinemas. Theaters in B

eijing resumed operations on July 24 after months-long closure amid the epidemic.

Beijing will also host special screening activities, both online and offline, during the Beijing International Film Festival which kicked off on Saturday.