Movies by moonlight

With a three-month movie festival it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the embarrassment of riches on big screen display.

That’s certainly been the case with Moonlight Cinema, now in its 10th year at Centennial Park, as movie lovers attempted to wade through the massive choice of films in the schedule.

So Moonlight’s new event director Simon Bogle decided to help moviegoers negotiate their way by adding a series of screenings to coincide with other major events.

There will be special movies programmed to tie in with Christmas, New Year, Australia Day, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year and the three full moons that occur across the festival.

And for the first time Moonlight will also be hosting a special Mardi Gras screening with the award-winning Transamerica, as well as a Mardi Gras recovery screening of current hit Shortbus.

Mardi Gras is obviously such a huge event in Sydney and so it makes sense for us to program movies accordingly, Bogle explained.

Transamerica is such a great film and was the clear choice for that screening. Then at the other end of Mardi Gras, we have Shortbus, which is on the night after the party.

Is there a better way to wind down than to sit back on one of our bean beds and watch a movie after having been out all night the night before? he asked.

The rest of the Moonlight Cinema season also has some queer screen favourites dotted through it, including The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Wizard Of Oz and Brokeback Mountain.

Bogle predicts the Brokeback screening will prove to be one of the most popular of the entire festival.

How wonderful to see that surrounded by trees and under the stars, he said.

With that wonderful soundtrack playing, that is going to be a very memorable night.

I also think Priscilla will be a big hit for us. It’s a great chance to see the original movie back on the big screen with that very Australian story.

Bogle, who has previously worked with the Sydney Opera House and as general manager of the Adelaide Festival, believes Moonlight Cinema has become a part of the way people enjoy Sydney in summer.

It represents something that is fun and relaxed, and sits very well where it is located, he said.

People love Centennial Park and, with the movies in the Belvedere Amphitheatre, it is easy to lie back on the lawn and watch a great movie under the stars.

:I know that sounds like a clich?but that really is the experience with Moonlight.

Moonlight Cinema is on at Centennial Park from Thursday 7 December. For more information visit the Moonlight Cinema website.