Free Outdoor Movie Series Coming To Newton This Summer

The city has announced the debut of Village Movie Nights, bringing six free outdoor movie screenings to parks and playgrounds across Newton's villages on Thursday evenings this summer.

The new series is presented in collaboration with West Newton Cinema and begins Thursday, July 16, with a screening of Top Gun at Emerson Playground in Upper Falls. Residents are encouraged to bring folding chairs or blankets and enjoy the films outdoors with friends and neighbors. In the event of rain, indoor facilities will be available at each location. West Newton Cinema will also sell popcorn and other snacks during every screening.

Former Boston Globe film critic and Pulitzer Prize finalist Ty Burr will introduce many of the films throughout the series. Burr regularly hosts classic film discussions through West Newton Cinema's Movie Club.

The full Village Movie Nights schedule includes:

• Thursday, July 16: Top Gun — Emerson Playground, Upper Falls
• Thursday, July 23: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — Hamilton Field, Lower Falls
• Thursday, July 30: Mamma Mia — Captain Ryan Park, West Newton
• Thursday, Aug. 6: Field of Dreams — Charles River Campus of UMass, Oak Hill Park
• Thursday, Aug. 13: Rudy — Pellegrini Park, Nonantum
• Thursday, Aug. 20: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs — Auburndale Cove, Auburndale

The July 30 screening of Mamma Mia will feature a sing-along with a guest pianist performing on one of the city's Artful Pianos in West Newton before the movie begins.

The partnership also highlights West Newton Cinema's expanding community programming. The historic independent theater, which was preserved through a community-led fundraising campaign and now operates under nonprofit ownership, has continued to host special events and film series in addition to its regular screenings.

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