Old Pasadena Summer Cinema returns for another year as a month-long, FREE movie series featuring screenings in predominantly outdoor locations. Running from July 1 – July 29, this annual summer film program celebrates motion picture in all forms, offering a variety of audience-pleasing movie titles and genres in unique locales throughout the historic district of Old Pasadena. With nearly 20 screenings during the month, Old Pasadena Summer Cinema is the largest free open-air film festival in California and draws a broad local and regional audience. All the Old Pasadena Summer Cinema screenings are free and open to the public.
Three screenings in Central Park are themed events that include special activities and the chance to picnic in the park prior to each film. Bring your own chairs and blankets to Central Park. Films begin at 8:30pm and pre-activities begin at 6:30pm.
- DATE NIGHT, SATURDAY JULY 8: The Sting (1973) PG. Register for a spot on a walking tour of Old Pasadena filming locations of The Sting with Pasadena Walking Tours, which includes a Prohibition-era cocktail at POP Champagne & Dessert Bar. Pre-film activities at the park include live ragtime music with Holly Street Stompers, swing dance lessons with Dance Street Studio, and a Prohibition-themed photo booth. Buy your $10 ticket for the Walking Tour in advance.
- FAMILY NIGHT, SATURDAY JULY 15: Wreck-It Ralph (2012) PG. Join Neon Retro Arcade at the park with an arcade pop-up, costumed characters from the movie, superhero face painting, frozen goodies from Kona Ice, and a raffle.
- LADIES’ NIGHT, SATURDAY JULY 22: Mamma Mia (2007) PG-13. Grab your besties and head to the park for a bohemian evening under the stars. Enjoy henna tattoos, hair braiding, and more with Gypsy Bazaar, learn to dance the Hustle with Dance Street Studio, and groove to an ABBA-inspired DJ.
Enjoy another open-air option at One Colorado with films projected in the charming courtyard. Look for family favorites like Jurassic Park, Hugo, and Inside Out; two films that champion the underdog, Freedom Writers and Remember the Titans; and recent films like The Martian and Doctor Strange. Seating is provided at One Colorado, but be sure to arrive a little early for best options.
Distant Lands Travel Bookstore, which screens four travel-related films inside the store, including Samsara, a documentary filmed over five years in 25 countries around the world, and Riding Solo to the Top of the World, a remarkable chronicle of the people and places filmmaker Guarav Jani encountered during his time in the Changthang Plateau region of India near the Chinese border. Another indoor option, Flower Pepper Gallery, screens the beautifully animated Song of the Sea and stop-motion animation Kubo and the Two Strings.
Finally, Old Pasadena audiences have the chance to see a new documentary, The Cat That Changed America, that follows the mountain lion P-22 in Griffith Park and the efforts to develop a wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon in Los Angeles. Following the July 13 screening at the Pasadena Senior Center, the filmmaker and featured wildlife experts will be on hand for a panel discussion with film-goers.
Old Pasadena Summer Cinema Program:
