he first will be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and it will be ‘King Kong” in the Manassas Park Community Center.

Also planned for the months of September and October are:
• Sept. 11 “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep” at Signal Hill Park.
• Sept. 17-18 Movie Festival: “Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed “ and “Monsters vs. Aliens” at Signal Hill Park ”
• Oct. 2 “Monsters, Inc.” at Splash In at the Community Center.
• Oct. 16 “Harry and the Hendersons” at Splash In at the Community Center.

“Splash In” movies begin at 7:30 p.m. and tubes are provided.

All outdoor movies start at dusk and in the event of rain, movies will be moved indoors to the Community Center.

Admission is free to all movies but the Movie Festival benefits the Child Protection Partnership and a suggested $5 donation per family, per night is requested.

For more information contact Theresa Polk at t.polk@manassasparkva.gov. or call 703 335-8872.

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As the sun set Friday evening, the normally dark and dingy area under the Soquel Ave bridge was buzzing with excitement. It was a special event for the community as Guerilla Drive-In was showing the work of a local film maker, Cheri Lovedog. “The Jesus Factor” was shot in Santa Cruz and was created with a cast and crew mostly made up of locals, some of whom were sitting in lawn chairs waiting to see the film.

Earlier, Guerilla Drive-In had arrived to find the area under the bridge littered with plastic bags, dirty and unwanted clothing, and containers of partially eaten food. As the organizers and audience members gathered up this trash, they mused over the thought that they would leave this river-side space looking much better than they’d found it. Another audience member brought a large bag of popcorn and was passing it around to share with the entire group. It was a community effort, not only to create the film but now, to share it with others and transform this space under the bridge into something magical.

However, within the first 15 minutes of the film, the evening came to an abrupt halt as an officer from the Santa Cruz police department descended on the group and demanded to speak to “the person in charge.” Organizers pointed out that 40 to 50 people worked to put the event on. The officer insisted that without a permit, the gathering must be halted immediately.

Earlier in the week, Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin and Vice-Mayor Ryan Coonerty told a closed Downtown Association meeting that they were now targeting individuals in an attempt to stop all unpermitted gatherings. Coonerty said, “As far as I am concerned, shame on the organizers for costing police time and funds that could be spent on preventing gang violence.” Coonerty did not acknowledge however, that the crackdown on family-friendly community events is costing the city more money that it doesn’t have. The city council already added 8 police officers that it had no way to pay for in emergency meetings after black-clad vandals broke windows during a May Day street party.

Liz Burchfield of the Guerilla Drive-In collective said, “Imagine a world where parks were not threatening places where drug deals went down, but rather alive with activity: families having night-time picnics, lovers holding hands, friends star-gazing. Isn’t that world much better than the one that keeps us divided and afraid?”

Guerilla Drive-In has been working for years to re-envision the Santa Cruz community, bringing together neighbors in a commercial free venue, providing a safe and free event for the community, and reclaiming and cleaning up public space. GDI films have been shown in parks, downtown streets, industrial areas, and community gardens. Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In has been covered by the New York and Los Angeles Times and has inspired a movement that has been copied worldwide.

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The group Waterside will perform. The live entertainment, games and free food will begin at 6 p.m. The movie, Toy Story, will start at dark on the 20-foot inflatable projection screen.

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Children donning yellow and black and sporting wings descended on the Fifth Annual Movies on the Lawn held at Riverside Park. The event featured the animated “Bee Movie” as well as dances, face painting, free photos and even a real bee hive and honey.

The evening of free fun kicked off at 6 p.m. with pontoon rides, turtle races, food and more. With breezy and clear weather, movie lovers viewed the animated film on a giant 50-foot inflatable screen, as children interacted by waving glow sticks, blowing kazoos, tossing balls, roaring, singing and more.

By about 6:30 p.m. the park was already swarming with activity. Brenda Neuman, store manager at Walgreens, was helping little ones don bee costumes and get free 4-by-6 portraits. Mom Cammie Smith brought Vanessa Smith, 3, and Vincent Lounsbury, 5 months, to buzz in for a snapshot. She said it was her first time attending the outdoor movie event.

“It’s really cool. I didn’t know they did things like this,” she said. “I thought it would be nice for the kids to do.”

Sisters Sheila and Monica Ford were parked in their lawn chairs and waited for the movie. They said they come to the outdoor movies every year, bringing grandchildren.

“It’s just a night of family fun. I love it,” Sheila Ford said. “There are always things for the kids. There’s not a lot of things you can do for free.”

Honey lovers also were lining up at the booth of Terri Dodge, owner of Double D’s Bees. She was offering honey samples ranging from clover to buckwheat flavor, and had a glass-enclosed display of a real bee hive.

“Everybody’s amazed at the bees,” Dodge said.

Nicki Meyer, executive director of Friends of Riverfront, said Saturday’s movie was the first animated feature shown in the park. This year’s event also included more interactive features to keep the kids entertained such as the free pictures, Bee and Bug parade as well as the kazoos and glow sticks to be used during the movie.

Emcee Robert Anthony also engaged the crowd as he held a bubble gum blowing contest, chicken dance, performances by the Kathy Marx dancers and more.

“It’s just such a nice night to have a event like this,” Meyer said.

When not dancing with her grandmother Nancy Kanopa, Miss Beloit Jessica Gile led the parade and performed three songs on her saxophone, “Girl from Ipanema,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and “What a Wonderful World.”

Jennifer Kodl, project coordinator for Friends of Riverfront, said the outdoor movies typically attract about 1,000 people. In other years the following movies were shown: “Wizard of Oz,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Water Horse” and “Field of Dreams.”

At the beginning of summer, Kodl said that people are already calling and inquiring about the movies.

“They are starting to expect it,” Kodl said.

Meyer thanked her dozen volunteers as well as the event’s sponsors — Stateline Community Foundation, Hendricks Developing Group, Knights of Columbus, Visit Beloit and Batterman Group.

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• Aug. 27: “Hoodwinked.” Music TBA.

Movies in the Park – The city of Portland hosts music and movies throughout the summer at various city parks. The pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the movies at dusk. Events at East Portland area parks are listed below. Visit portlandonline.com/parks for a complete schedule.

• “The Princess and the Frog” with the River City Trio and the Sounds of Rayvis on Thursday, Sept. 2. Argay Park, Northeast 141st Avenue and Failing Street.

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“Music can reach people no other art form can reach,” said Wright, who started the internationally renowned 30-member choir in 1973. Sounds of inspirational music moved through the warm night air as the choir sang “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and other favorites. Selections included “Ave Maria,” sung in Latin by Ray Dalton and Camila Recchi.

The varied rhythms of the songs reflect the community’s diverse population. Wright said Skyway’s diversity is partly due to the high cost of living in the urban area. “It’s hard for people of color to live in Seattle proper,” she said. Some people who resided there for years have been “forced to move out” and relocate to Skyway.

The neighborhood has absorbed an influx of diverse groups, including people who speak limited English. Wright noted that “The diverse groups are stacked on top of each other.” Communication becomes difficult. An “explosive situation” can result, she added. Wright said the council invited the choir to perform before the movie to help “heal the area.” She smiled then and said, “And that’s what we’re in the business to do.”

Healing will take time. The community still mourns the tragic death of 12-year-old Alajawan Brown, an innocent victim who was shot in the back on April 29 while walking home after getting off a Metro bus on MLK Way South and 129th Street. Brown was returning from Walmart where he purchased a pair of football cleats. He died near the 7-Eleven doors where he ran for help.

Violence and crime in Skyway serve as calling cards for media coverage. “Skyway stays in the news,” said Wright, who believes it is as important for the media to cover positive things taking place in the community.

“The media tends to focus on the crime up here,” said Michele Savelle, a volunteer for Skyway Solutions and owner of GIS and Graphic Design. “People are afraid to come up here. (But) there are a lot of positive things here.”

The free outdoor family movies are just one example of those positive things. On Friday nights, cars, blankets and outdoor chairs line the parking lot between U.S. Bank and the post office on Renton Avenue South and South 126th Street. Movies start at dusk. The other evening Skyway resident Elaine McMillon took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a family outing with her son and two granddaughters.

Mandy King’s brother and sister-in-law live in Skyway. King, an Auburn resident, said the movies are a “fun, free event for the family.” Her two sons, 2-year-old daughter and 7-year-old niece all patiently waited for the performance and movie to start. Jesse, age 6, said he came “‘cause it’s fun.”

Another event sponsored by West Hill Community Council and the West Hill Business Association is the upcoming Skyway Car Show and Community Fair on Sep.11. Information regarding the show is posted on the council’s website at http://www.westhillcommunity.com/. Paul Berry, council president, said the council “functions as a focusing entity and community conduit between King County and the citizens.”

Free movie nights reflect to the community that there is an organizing center in Skyway, Berry said. They also provide a place for “people to connect together on a summer Friday night.” Free Friday night movies continue through August.

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Go underground Tuesday evenings for Films Underground at The Basement and then come up for air on Fridays for Hectic’s outdoor theater The Grip at Caffeine Supreme.

Both venues kick off the movies at 8 p.m. and are giving film lovers the opportunity to catch locally produced flicks mixed in with B-movie horror classics — a combination that Hectic Films owner Rickey Bird Jr. says is providing some much needed exposure to the local scene, Bird said.

“We gain the people coming in by showing these movies like ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Night of the Living Dead.’ Then we have intermissions where we show locally produced films and shorts, Hectic Films trailers and older pieces that we have produced but haven’t put up on the Internet.”

Bird likes the diversity that comes with hosting films in two locations as each offers something special for the viewer.

“The coffee shop is perfect for this. You go out there and hang out on the grass and the coffee shop is still open. Picnic tables are there, you can bring coolers, lawn chairs and blankets.” Bird warns that no alcoholic beverages are allowed as they do not have a permit, but he is working on refreshment specials for future screenings.

The Basement, while just around the corner, is a completely different animal.

Works of local artists serve as a backdrop for the screenings, giving people a taste of the downtown Bakersfield art scene.

The venue also brings viewers closer to the heartbeat of Hectic Films as Bird has begun to build film sets at the location in partnership with Basement owner Deon Bell.

“We hooked up because I was going to start doing some shooting down there,” Bird said.

“But then I asked him if I could use the extra space for some sets and maybe some cross-promotion where I could bring people down into his gallery and show movies.”

Bell, an artist and longtime patron of the arts, was happy to have that element of the scene developed in his establishment. “I’ve always wanted to do more with the film side of the arts scene,” Bell said. “There aren’t too many people here in Bakersfield who make films the way Rickey does, and I thought it would be great to get him involved.”

As both an artist and gallery owner, Bell knows the importance of an available venue.

“Artists need to have a place to show their work. It gives them a reason to keep on creating,” Bell said. “I have a lot of friends who make short films and they do it because they love it. Without a place to show their stuff they lose interest. But with Rickey there with his screens and projectors, the accessibility will encourage them to produce more.”

Bird agrees with Bell’s predictions that the movie nights, which have been in operation for a month, will encourage local artists to keep creating.

“The first few weeks we showed movies made here in Bakersfield like ‘Stereotype’ by John F.U., Matt Kieley’s ‘Carte Blanche’ and Myron Ward’s ‘Who Hit Me,’” Bird said. “Now we are trying to let our local content build up again while we show the horror movies.”

According to Bird, he is beginning to see a positive response from his friends and local filmmakers who have, for the most part, been taking their time when it comes to delivering a finished product.

“Now that we have started to screen, two of my other buddies who make movies have gotten motivated to start filming and finishing up their current projects,” Bell said.

“I’m hoping this will lead to even more people showing their films. Sometimes, unfortunately, this part of the Bakersfield scene needs a little jump-start.”

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Guests should bring lawn seating. Following is the schedule of movies, which start at dusk: Sept. 8, “Furry Vengeance;” Sept. 15, “Beethoven;” Sept. 22, “Bolt” and Sept. 29, “Fame.”

Movie seating is in the courtyard near the interactive fountain and opens at 7 p.m.

Before the movie, guests can purchase a $19.95 picnic for two from a special dinner menu from participating marketplace restaurants. Dinner orders must be placed by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

For more information, visit www.janssmarketplace.net.

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“Vertigo,” the Alfred Hitchcock classic, will be shown Friday on the grounds of the history center, 1195 West Circle Drive S.W., Rochester. Starting at 7 p.m., there will be concessions, interactive art activities and music. The movie starts at dusk.

Admission is free. Upcoming outdoor movies at the history center are “Back to Future III” Sept. 3, and “Bee Movie” Sept. 10.

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