There’s going to be cinema under the stars this summer downtown.
As part of its plan to have 10 consecutive Saturdays of events on Queen St., Historic Niagara Development Inc. will be screening movies outdoors at city hall.
“Open air cinema is very popular in places like New York,” says Toni Williams, general manager of the Downtown Business Improvement Area.
“It’s actually been in the making for several months to do an open-air theatre out in front of city hall.”
A lineup is still being finalized, but Williams is hoping to do a “test screening” in two weeks to work out the kinks. She’s trying to secure the rights to Niagara, the Marilyn Monroe classic which had its world premiere in 1953 down the street at the former Seneca movie theatre.
Other films being considered include Star Wars, The Goonies and Wild Hogs. A James Cameron movie — likely True Lies — is also in the works, saluting the Oscar winner who routinely won outdoor art contests on Queen St.
People can suggest movies at www.queenstreetniagarafalls.com.
But screening outdoor movies isn’t as easy as propping up a white sheet and renting a projector.
Historic Niagara Development Inc. and Taps Brewery has purchased an outdoor projector, sound equipment, and inflatable white screen to be set up in front of city hall.
Securing movie rights also takes time. In the case of Disney, the company does not allow public screenings of films from the vaults during the summer months.
Films won’t start until 9:15 p.m., which makes longer films out of the question.
Organizers also have to keep families in mind, eliminating movies which have nudity or excessive profanity.
“We have to make sure it’s public viewing appropriate,” says Williams. “Even though we may not have young children attending, we’re still in a residential community, so we have to be careful and respectful of that.”
The outdoor movies will coincide with live music at locations throughout Queen St. every Saturday. Traffic will be blocked off.
Williams says it will look like a “mini Springlicious,” referring to the downtown’s popular festival of music, food and art. On Monday, city council approved using $250,000 from its Community Improvement Plan reserve fund to help cover costs.
“We’re building downtown Niagara Falls, so a lot of our events and marketing are a learning experience,” she says.
“For those that didn’t work, we need to set them aside. For those that do work, we need to make them work even more.”
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