CINEMA UNDER THE STARS

HamptonsFilm delights family audiences with a free outdoor film series. BY JIM SERVIN

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial this summer with HIFF.

“As the East End heats up for the summer season, we are excited to welcome our neighbors and friends back to Herrick Park for our now-annual outdoor screening series,” says HamptonsFilm Executive Director Anne Chaisson. Launching on June 22 at sundown, the festival presents free screenings of a family lm favorite every Wednesday. “Our programming team has selected an incredible lineup of timeless classics, some celebrating their anniversaries like us,” says Chaisson, referencing the 40th year of E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial (screening June 29), the 35th anniversary of Dirty Dancing (July 27), and, alongside Hamptons International Film Festival’s own pearl anniversary, three decades of Aladdin (July 6) and A League of Their Own (June 22). Other guaranteed good-time icks scheduled include Raiders of the Lost Ark (July 13), March of the Penguins (July 20), Open Water (Aug. 10) and Apollo 13 (Aug. 17).

“It is such a pleasure to revisit these lms,” says HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent. “As a longtime lover of lm, it means so much to have the opportunity to share these titles with my children. These lms function as time capsules of the periods they originated from, and it is a treat to travel back into these worlds. Films such as Aladdin and E.T. were groundbreaking achievements. It feels only tting to pay homage to them during their and HIFF’s own milestone anniversary years.”

Visit hamptons lm.org to reserve an 8-foot square, which can accommodate up to six patrons. Seats in the rst two rows near the screen are available for purchase, with proceeds going to support HamptonsFilm’s year-round educational programs. RSVPs are encouraged (patrons who don’t RSVP are accommodated on a rst-come, rstserve basis). “We are grateful to East Hampton Village,” says Chaisson, “for continuing to support our year-round programming and initiatives.” Stay tuned for HIFF’s annual SummerDocs programming, dates to be announced, for top-of-the-line documentaries.