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Central Park made its big screen debut in 1908 in the silent version of Romeo and Juliet. Since then, more than 250 films have used the Park’s beauty as a backdrop. The Central Park Conservancy will celebrate 100 years of movie making in the Park at the 6th annual Central Park Film Festival, presented by Bloomberg L.P. The festival consists of free nightly screenings under the stars from Tuesday, August 19 - Saturday, August 23. To celebrate a century of cinema, the festival will salute the five boroughs of New York City through five nights of films. Held outdoors at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield, the Film Festival pays homage to the people and places that make New York so iconic. Staten Island will appear on the big screen in the Mike Nichols favorite Working Girl. Brooklyn is the backdrop for the romantic comedy Moonstruck. Adding intrigue in Queens is the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train. The gritty police drama The French Connection follows two New York City cops from the Bronx. And Manhattan plays hero in the modern-day family fairy tale August Rush.
Schedule: Tuesday, August 19: Working Girl (1988) A witty, romantic look at life in the corporate jungle. Tess McGill is an ambitious secretary trying to climb the corporate ladder out of Staten Island and to the top of Wall Street. When her boss steals her winning idea, she cleverly battles back. 113 min. Wednesday, August 20: The French Connection (1971) In this gritty police drama, two tough cops put a Bronx candy store under surveillance. They discover that the proprietors are involved in one of the biggest narcotics smuggling rings on either side of the Atlantic. A showdown between police and mobsters entails. 104 min. Thursday, August 21: Strangers on a Train (1951) Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite “doubles” theme is thoroughly explored in this story of two men who meet on a train and whose destinies become forever linked. Bruno and Guy both want someone dead. Bruno proposes that they exchange murders to eliminate motive and suspicion. The two become trapped in a web of guilty secrets that can only be escaped by death. 101 min. Friday, August 22: Moonstruck (1987) When the moon is full, anything can happen! And it does in this acclaimed romantic comedy about the lives and loves of an extended Italian-American family in Brooklyn. Cher won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in this heartwarming celebration of life, love, and family ties. 102 min. Saturday, August 23 * Family Night: August Rush (2007) Two young musicians have a chance encounter but when they are torn apart they leave an infant in their wake. Young August Rush, orphaned by circumstance, uses his unique inherited musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth. Music and Manhattan play starring roles in this modern tale. 100 min. |
