Kicking off June 8th with a cult classic, the Sundown Cinema series in SF for 2023 has its best film lineup yet.
Babe, grab the e-bikes — we’re heading to Alamo Square to get high and watch ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ Should we find ourselves in an open relationship between now and June 8th, this will be a line of dialogue we will unironically utter to ourselves.
Why, you ask? Because dear reader: San Francisco’s favorite outdoor movie night series is slated to return this summer.
Announced today, May 10th, the SF Parks Alliance released the film list for 2023’s Sundown Cinema — now in its fifth season.
“This season of Sundown Cinema will feature seven films in seven parks across the city, ranging from feel-good rom-com to thrillers to family-friendly hits,” reads a press release from the nonprofit. Per Drew Becher, the CEO of SF Parks Alliance, this now yearly film series exists as a tangible way for “everyone to celebrate [San Francisco’s] parks.”
Admittedly, past seasons of the beloved outdoor film festival have been expectedly one-note; each iteration would ring in a single tone, showcasing, say, mostly animated films or those geared toward a wide-range family appeal.
The nonprofit seems to have noticed this, too — and has rectified this by including a “wider range of films than previous years.”
“There are movies in everyone’s neighborhood, but these will be worth traveling for, too,” continues Becher.
Just like in prior years, each Sundown Cinema event will include local food trucks and themed pre-show entertainment that are specific to each show. The entire series is (again) free and open to the public; those looking to secure reserved seating can do so by becoming an SF Parks Alliance member (in advance). And based on last year’s turnouts: Reserving your seat prior to the show will prevent you from having to sit so far back that you find yourself squinting at the closed captions.
Below, you can find the full lineup for this year’s outdoor cinema series in San Francisco, all of which will begin shortly after our solar system’s star dims:
- Thursday, June 8 @ Alamo Square Park – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- Friday, June 30 @ Presidio – Top Gun: Maverick
- Friday, July 21 @ Crane Cove Park – Moana
- Friday, August 18 @ Dolores Park – Mamma Mia (sing along)
- Friday, September 8 @ India Basin Shoreline Park – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Friday, September 29 @ The Ferry Building – Legally Blonde
- Friday, October 20 @ Jerry Garcia Amphitheater – Ghostbusters (1984)
With Madonna, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift all coming to the SF Bay Area over the next few months, now coupled with the return of Sundown Cinema, it’s looking to be anything but a cruel summer — more like a unique one, if we do say so ourselves.
For more information on Sundown Cinema, including how to secure reserved seating, click here.
Feature image: Courtesy of SF Parks Alliance
