Get the blankets, popcorn, and picnic baskets ready. HamptonsFilm has announced the return of its Summer Outdoor Screening Series, which will launch on June 22 at Herrick Park in East Hampton with "A League of Their Own," Penny Marshall's 1992 sports comedy-drama starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, and Lori Petty.
Other "classic crowd favorites" are "Sister Act" (June 29), "Aladdin" (July 6), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (July 13), "March of the Penguins" (July 20), "Dirty Dancing" (July 27), "Open Water" (Aug. 10), and "Apollo 13" (Aug. 17). A surprise screening will take place on Aug. 3 at Main Beach in East Hampton, and Aug. 24 will be a rain date, if needed.
"Open Water" is something of an outlier among the other high-profile titles, as it was made for a reported $120,000 and without big-name stars. Directed by Chris Kentis, it follows a couple that goes scuba diving while on vacation, only to be stranded miles from shore in shark-filled waters when the crew of their boat accidentally leaves them behind. Whether to avoid the cost of creating mechanical sharks, or for heightened realism, the filmmakers worked with live sharks. Like the sharks, the story behind the film is also real. It was inspired by a couple who were accidentally left behind by a dive boat crew on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998.
Each screening will begin approximately at sundown, and seating is free and open to the public. Attendees can visit hamptonsfilm.org to reserve an 8 by 8 foot square for themselves and their party free of charge. Each square can accommodate six guests. Squares are also available in the first two rows, near the screen, for a fee.
HamptonsFilm's SummerDocs series will return for its 14th year with three documentaries on June 25, July 23, and August 13. Last year's films were "Summer of Soul," "The Lost Leonardo," and "Lily Topples the World." Titles for this summer's series will be announced at a later date.
The 30th annual Hamptons International Film Festival will expand to a 10-day event starting Oct. 7. In the meantime, throughout 2022 HamptonsFilm will present through a link on its website memorable films from previous iterations of the festival, accompanied by comments by representatives of the film or the festival.
Among the available titles are "Muriel's Wedding," "I Am Greta," "Pollock," "The Piano," and "Slumdog Millionaire."
