St George Openair Cinema Returns for Summer 2017

It's beginning to look a lot like summer — or, as we may as well call it in Sydney, outdoor movie-watching season. While St George Openair Cinema won't announce their full program until early December, they have revealed their very first title for their 21st season. If you like watching homegrown films under the stars, get excited.

The 2017 program will kick off with a preview of Lion, starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, David Wenham and eight-year-old newcomer Sunny Pawar. Based on a true story you might've seen splashed across the local media over the past few years, it tells the tale of Saroo Brierley. He became separated from his older brother at the age of five, first ended up nearly 1,500 kilometres away from home, and then forged a new life in Australia — before taking to Google Earth more than two decades later in an attempt to find his long-lost family.

If it sounds more than a little moving, that's because it is, with awards buzz following the movie since it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. And, while it releases in Aussie cinemas on January 19, this is your chance to see it early.

Just what else will grace St George Openair Cinema's 350-metre screen might still be anyone's guess; however we do know that they'll be running a 39-night season between January 7 and February 17, and featuring more than a dozen premieres and previews. The other thing we know is that it'll be busy: more than 1500 patrons per evening are expected to flock to Mrs Macquaries Point adjacent to Royal Botanic Gardens.

St George Openair Cinema 2017 runs January 7 to February 17. Tickets are on sale at 9am on December 9, 2016. Visit the website for updates, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.