D.C. Outdoor Cinema Happenings 2009

No Screen on the Green? Try These Outdoor Films Instead The big news ricocheting around the D.C. blogosphere this morning is that HBO will not be sponsoring the annual Screen on the Green movie series on the Mall this summer.

We Love D.C. had the news this morning, and it's not yet clear whether the outdoor films will continue with a new sponsor or whether the series is completely finished. We'll update with more news as we get it.

But as we're waiting, we wanted to remind everyone that as much as we loved the six-week series, there are a number of other free, Metro-accessible outdoor film festivals in the area every summer. If you need to get your al fresco cinema fix this summer, we suggest making plans to see one of these.

I Love the '80s Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival Fridays through Sept. 4 "Dirty Dancing," "Sixteen Candles," "The Karate Kid," "Top Gun," "Weird Science," "Pretty in Pink," "Ghostbusters," "E.T.," "Footloose," "Back to the Future," "Short Circuit"-- this film festival in Rosslyn's Gateway Park covers all the bases for fans of classic '80s films.

Crystal Screen Summer Film Series Mondays and Wednesdays through September 23 Superheroes are the focus at Crystal City's ever-popular series. Catch all five "Superman" films, all three "X-Men" releases and the seemingly endless supply of Batmen, from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale.

Outdoor screenings begin at dusk on Monday nights, and all films will also be shown two days later in a family-friendly afternoon screening at the Crystal City Sports Pub. NoMa Summer Screen Wednesdays, June 10-July 29 An empty lot near the New York Avenue Metro station is the site of a weekly series devoted to music-related films.

Expect a mix of documentaries (Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "Buena Vista Social Club," "Standing in the Shadows of Motown") and fictional portrayals ("Ray," the Dylan-in-the-'60s bio "No Direction Home").

DJs from the excellent funk-and-soul night Fatback warm up the crowd with dance music, and barbecue will be available. The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival Nightly, August 14-21 Heavier on recent blockbusters than the other festivals, this annual event at Strathmore is a fundraiser for NIH children's charities. (Admission is free, but the charities benefit through concession sales and donations.)

Selections this year include "Slumdog Millionaire," "Twilight," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Bring the kids for "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." Other perennial outdoor festivals, including those in downtown Bethesda and the Village at Shirlington, have not yet announced their lineups. -- Fritz

Original article posted on Washington Times Blog