OpenAir Cinema

Overview

Rob Bryant, General Manager of the OpenAir Cinema can sum up the experience in three words, 'Sydney in summertime'.

This isn't just an outdoor cinema, Mr. Bryant explains, "It's an experience of Sydney. We all live here and we all run around like mad everyday, just keeping our head above water here, but we don't all that often stop. [The OpenAir Cinema] gives 60,000 people the opportunity to just take stock of where we live."

Preferably with a beer in hand while munching on some gourmet catering. And of course the Mr. Bryant also calls the event, "a festival of films, which this year boasts, preview or premiere films and a lot of current releases, all the Boxing Day big releases and a couple of January releases."

The full program will be released on December 11, but Mr. Bryant gave Concrete Playground a sneak peak, starting with opening night and the Australian musical Bran Nue Dae; "a lovely story set in Western Australia, centring on the importance of home" starring Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins and Australian Idol's Jessica Mauboy. Also previewing are Clint Eastwood's Apartheid story Invictus (starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon), Rob Marshall's all-star musical extravaganza Nine and John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic The Road.

OpenAir Cinema audiences will get first look at the raucous British political satire In The Loop, designer Tom Ford's directorial debut in A Single Man, as well as Mel Gibson's return to the big screen in Martin Campbell's The Edge of Darkness. Mr. Bryant eagerly describes the latter as "an edge-of-your-seat, thriller kind of thing," while he is also keen about bringing a little horror to the Botanic Gardens with a special preview of The Wolfman. "It might be the first [horror film] ever [programmed] actually. It's got a fabulous cast, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Hugo Weaving and it's inspired by the original Wolfman, which was really the founding father of all horror films."

If scaring yourself silly in the Botanic Gardens isn't your thing, then Mr. Bryant suggests the Boxing Day films like Sherlock Holmes or The French Kissers, or perhaps some favourites from 2009 like (500) Days of Summer and Where the Wild Things Are.

But as for bribing Mother Nature for fine weather, Mr. Bryant admits "Well you just can't, can you?!" Offering that, "We've reached the stage where when it rains you've got 1600 people sitting there "" you get a poncho "" you sit there and people have a wonderful spirit about it."

Rain, hail or shine, the OpenAir Cinema draws a "rock concert-like" demand for tickets, with last year selling, 20,000 in half an hour, 40,000 in the first day. So when presales commence 9am on December 17, it's time to book your next visit to Mrs. Macquaries Point and that marvelous postcard view of Sydney in summertime.

We have a double VIP pass to give away for (500) Days of Summer at the OpenAir Cinema. Just send us your details to [email protected] with "OpenAir Cinema Giveaway" in the subject line for your chance to win.

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