SF’s Free Outdoor Movie Nights Return for 2024
San Francisco’s popular outdoor movie night, “Sundown Cinema” returns to The City for its 6th season on May 17, 2024. Sundown Cinema will bring seven films and pre-show entertainment to seven SF parks across the city, including sing-alongs, car chases, home videos, and family-friendly hits.
Sundown Cinema debuts Friday, May 17, at Dolores Park with a Selena sing-along. Next, the series will head to the Presidio Civil War Parade Ground for a screening of Bullitt on June 14. For the first time, Sundown Cinema will be hosted at Glen Park for the David Bowie-led cult classic Labyrinth on July 12.
In another first, Sundown Cinema is partnering with the Prelinger Archives to screen SF’s Lost Landscapes: Found Home Movies. The film, cut and edited specially for Sundown Cinema, is an eclectic montage of lost and rarely-seen historical film clips showing life, survival, and celebration in San Francisco as captured by amateurs. The footage is carefully curated by Rick Prelinger, a Bay Area guerrilla archivist who collects the uncollected and makes it accessible.
Other highlights for the 2024 season include Barbie at the Ferry Building and The Princess and the Frog at India Basin Waterfront. The season culminates with The Nightmare Before Christmas, plus a Halloween costume contest and sing-along, at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park on October 18.
In addition to the movie screenings, each Sundown Cinema event will include local food trucks and themed pre-show entertainment. The entire series is free and open to the public. Attendees can secure reserved seating by becoming an SF Parks Alliance member in advance. Reserved seating ensures attendees have a space to sit, even during the most popular and busy events. Membership supports SF Parks Alliance, the only citywide parks nonprofit in San Francisco, and comes with all the additional benefits listed here. Current members and those interested in joining can secure reserved seating here, and all attendees are encouraged to RSVP to movie nights in advance to win reserved seating and prizes.
2024 Sundown Cinema Schedule [all movies will begin shortly after sundown]
● Friday, May 17 @ Dolores Park – Selena (sing-along)
● Friday, June 14 @ Presidio – Bullitt
● Friday, July 12 @ Glen Park – Labyrinth
● Friday, August 2 @ The Ferry Building – Barbie
● Friday, September 6 @ Duboce Park – SF’s Lost Landscapes: Found Home Movies
● Friday, October 4 @ India Basin Waterfront – The Princess and the Frog
● Friday, October 18 @ Jerry Garcia Amphitheater – The Nightmare Before Christmas (costume contest)
