Moonlight Cinema Has Unveiled Its Nostalgia-Filled 2021 Melbourne Program

When you've been screening movies under the stars for 25 years, it's worth celebrating that fact. And when you're hosting your newest season of outdoor flicks after a year of significant worldwide change, giving viewers something comfortable and reliable to watch is a mighty sensible approach. Moonlight Cinema is doing both when it returns to Melbourne in January 2021, all by packing its program with a heap of film favourites — so get ready to kick back on the grass and watch Love Actually, Bohemian Rhapsody, 10 Things I Hate About You, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Toy Story and Dirty Dancing.

Indeed, there's a definite retro air to Moonlight's lineup this year — which arrives after the outdoor cinema first announced that it was definitely returning in this chaotic period, and then revealed its exact dates. Between Thursday, January 7–Sunday, April 25, the event will head to Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens with a heap of old-school flicks. You'll also be able to see some recent releases, in case you haven't had the chance since cinemas started reopening (back in November in Melbourne).

In the classic camp, a heap of rom-coms will help you feel warm and fuzzy, with The Holiday, Pretty Woman and Notting Hill on the bill. From 2020 and 2021's new releases, there's a little bit of everything. Happiest Season keeps the romantic comedy theme going, the Sia-directed Music will screen in the evening air and new Aussie crime drama The Dry will play surrounded by plenty of grass. There's also Russell Crowe getting angry over the phone and in his car in thriller Unhinged, superhero flick Wonder Woman 1984 doing its thing and stellar documentary I Am Greta.

Some slots in the program haven't been filled yet, so it's worth checking exactly what's playing on your preferred date. And, because Moonlight announces its lineup month by month, it has only revealed its January slate.

It's also worth remembering that the outdoor cinema is BYO — and there'll be food trucks, a bar, snacks and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along, too.

Moonlight Cinema kicks off in Melbourne on Thursday, January 7, running through until Sunday, April 25. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the  cinema's website.