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WE NEED YOUR HELP PICKING THE MOVIES FOR 2012!
Voting for the 2012 movies begins in June! Check back here to vote, or send us an email at: howarthpark@srcity.org and we will notify you when online voting begins!
Unfortunately, due to licensing dates, we will NOT be able to show any Disney or Pixar films this year.
Jump Houses on the lower lawn ($2/5 min OR $10/night)! Face-painting on the lower lawn!
Yummy treats on the lower lawn available from 6-10 PM! Chicago-Style hotdogs and Bruno's Chuck Wagon from 6-8 PM!
Movie starts at dusk - approximately 7:30 PM. We have included links to the International Movie Database Parent Guide for each movie. Please review the guide and/or prescreen the movie to be sure it is appropriate for your family!
Please note: We will have a large seating area up front for people with blankets. If you choose to bring a chair, we will seat you further back or to the sides. This is so that we can make the screen visible and the movie enjoyable for as many people as possible!
Are you interested in helping to sponsor this event
or to be a vendor at this event? Email: howarthpark@srcity.org
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...
How do we select movies?
In order to show a movie for a public event, we must obtain a license. Each movie license costs us approximately $300.
Some movies we are not able to get a license for because the production company has decided not to license it at this time. (Star Wars and Ponyo are 2 movies not available for license at this time). Disney movies (and Pixar) can only be licensed for certain dates, usually 2 weeks in the spring, and 2 weeks in the fall, and those dates are selected by Disney. Any other time of year we cannot get a license for Disney/Pixar movies. This is why we are rarely able to show any movies from the Walt Disney family and/or why we can only show a limited number of Disney movies.
This year we allowed everyone to vote online for the movies they wanted to see! Over 300 people voted for their favorite movies. Since we had such a positive response to online voting, we will continue this tradition next year! So look for online voting starting in May 2012!
Additionally, based on attendance and surveys over the past 4 years, we have learned that the majority of people that attend this event are families with pre-teens and teens. While we always strive to pick family-friendly movies, movies that are geared towards that age group (generally PG movies) draw a much larger attendance than G-rated movies. With every movie selection, we post a link to the International Movie Database Parent Review so that parents and guardians can review why the movie received the rating it did and make a determination if the movie is appropriate for their family.
What time does the movie start?
We start the movie as soon as it is dark enough that the movie is visible on the screen. Part of the reason we chose movie dates in August and September is that it gets darker sooner so that we can start the movie sooner. We also selected August/September because the weather is traditionally warmer that time of the year, and because it allows us to show Disney movies, as some of the weeks are dates Disney is allowing for licensing of their movies.
How do we cover the cost of showing a movie in the park for free?
We look for community sponsors to step forward and help pay the costs. (Each movie costs us approximately $550 to put on - $350 for the license and $200 in staff costs to bring out the stage, screen, and sound/video equipment). We also look for vendors who are interested in being paying a fee to be able to sell food, bring in jumpy houses, or sell glow in the dark items the nights that the movies are happening. The train, carousel, and ponies are open before the movie starts and ticket sales also help cover the cost. If you are interested in being a vendor or a sponsor, please contact us at howarthpark@srcity.org
Note: It has been suggested that we charge a fee for this program. In addition to wanting to keep this event open to everyone in the community, if we charged a fee for this event, the cost for the movie license goes up significantly. By keeping the movie free, we get the lowest cost movie license possible.
2011 Movie Co-Sponsors: