Summer is when the movie studios unleash their blockbuster (they hope) at the megaplex, but there’s also a chance to catch some movies at festivals, parks and beaches.
Andy Smith Journal Arts Writer asmith651
Summer is when the movie studios unleash their blockbuster (they hope) at the megaplex, but there’s also a chance to catch some movies at festivals, parks and beaches.
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Flickers’ Rhode International International Film Festival is the biggest film festival in the state (and we have a lot of them). It brings hundreds of movies to locations throughout Rhode Island, along with forums, seminars, workshops and parties for filmmakers and film fans. It is one of only six film festivals in the country that qualifies short films for the live action, documentary and animation categories at the Oscars, BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and the Canadian Screen Awards. This year’s festival will be held from Aug. 7-12.
But first there’s the Kidseye Summer Filmmaking Camp, an intensive five-day experience for kids 8-17 established by the festival and held at the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston from July 9-13. The films created at the camp will be shown in August during the main festival. Participants will learn about screenwriting, storyboarding, acting, directing, editing and production design. Cost is $395. For information and registration, go to film-festival.org/kidseye.php
At the festival itself, the Opening Night Film Screening and Gala will take place Aug. 7. On Aug. 8, there will be a Providence Backlot Walking Tour, a stroll through central Providence with an eye for potential film locations. There will be an Acting for the Screen Workshop the same day. On Aug. 9, the festival will host the popular Rhode Island Film Forum, which brings film people together with civic, political and education leaders.
On Aug. 10 there’s a seminar for screenwriters, the Scriptbiz Screenwriters Workshop, with tips about not only writing a script, but pitching it to movie makers and executives.
Remember that Kidseye summer camp? You can check out what the participants created on Aug. 11 at the Kidseye Red Carpet Premiere. And that evening is the Closing Night Block Party, intended a bit more for the grownups. Things close out Aug. 12 with the official Awards Ceremony and Closing Day Celebration.
For more information, go to film-festival.org.
Newport
The City by the Sea provides some opportunities to see films outdoors this summer.
NewportFILM Outdoors will present free documentary films, along with interviews with filmmakers, at a variety of locations on Aquidneck Island on Thursday evenings starting June 21 and ending Aug. 30. Venues include the Eisenhower House at Fort Adams State Park, Salve Regina University, The Elms, St. Michael’s Country Day School, St. George’s School, Rosecliff, the Newport Art Museum and the Newport International Polo Grounds in Portsmouth.
The full schedule is not yet available, but the series starts on June 21 with a documentary on TV personality Fred Rogers, at a location to be announced, with a Q&A featuring filmmaker Morgan Neville. On July 26, “Two Trains Runnin,'” about a search for obscure bluesmen in Mississippi, will be at St. Michael’s Country Day School; on Aug. 16, “Chef Flynn,” about a prodigy chef, will be at St. George’s School; and on Aug. 23, “Life in the Doghouse,” about a dog rescue organization, will be at the Polo Grounds.
Other films in the series announced so far are “Far from the Tree” and “Unstoppable: The Fearless Life of Bethany Hamilton.” For more information check Newportfilm.com.
Also in Newport, The Friends of Ballard Park will have free “Movies on the Rocks” at the quarry meadow of the park. Entry is at 21 Hazard Road. “Rocky” will be shown Aug. 8, “The Princess Bride” on Aug. 15 and “Bambi” on Aug. 22. For more information, go to ballardpark.org.
On the beach
Mermaids, sharks, pirates. What better place to see them (plus ghosts and gremlins) then at a movie on the beach. There are several film series planned this summer where you can watch a movie with a backdrop of surf and sand.
In Narragansett, there will be a free film series beginning June 27, held in front of the North Beach Clubhouse deck at Narragansett Town Beach.
The series starts June 27 with “The Little Mermaid,” who probably lives nearby. Films continue on July 11 with “Leap!”; July 18 with “Open Season”; July 25 with the classic 1954 version of “Sabrina”; Aug. 1 with “Moana”; Aug. 8 with “Angels in the Outfield”; and Aug. 15 with “Jaws.” (Someone always shows “Jaws” at the beach.) Movies begin at dusk.
At Misquamicut’s Wuskenau Town Beach there will be drive-in movies at 9 p.m. for $15 per car, with the original (1984) “Ghostbusters” on May 25. On June 1 it’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” June 8 “Forrest Gump,” June 15 “50 First Dates” and June 22 “Beetlejuice.”
The schedule expands in July and August, starting July 5 with “Kong: Skull Island,” July 6 “Jaws” (again), July 7 “Jaws 2” (why stop with one?).
Then on July 12 it’s “Grease,” July 13 “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” July 14 “Dirty Dancing,” July 19 “Back to the Future,” “July 20 “Back to the Future II,” July 21 “Back to the Future III,” July 26 “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” July 27 “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “July 28 “Beauty and the Beast.”
August films start Aug. 2 with “The Goonies,” Aug. 3 “Wizard of Oz,” Aug 4 “Top Gun,” Aug. 9 “Wonder Woman,” Aug. 10 “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Aug. 11 “Caddyshack,” Aug. 16 “Karate Kid II,” Aug. 17 “The Breakfast Club,” Aug. 18 “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Aug. 23 “Jurassic Park,” Aug. 24 “Jurassic World,” Aug. 25 “Footloose,” Aug. 30 “16 Candles,” Aug. 31 “Happy Gilmore.”
Also in Misquamicut, the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce presents free movies on Misquamicut Beach, 321 Atlantic Ave., Westerly, at 8:30 p.m. Movies start July 10 with “The Secret Life of Pets” and continue July 17 with “Despicable Me 3,” July 24 with “The Incredibles,” July 31 with “Moana,” Aug. 7 with “Meet the Robinsons,” Aug. 14 with “Sing,” and Aug. 21 with “The Lego Batman Movie.”
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