Pentridge Open-Air Cinema will launch at Melbourne’s historic prison site located in the Pentridge Precinct, providing an intimate yet COVID-safe platform for Melbournites to celebrate the joy of the big screen again. Pentridge Cinema will open on December 11, 2020 by Palace Cinemas and Pentridge Open-Air Cinema will be an extension of this offering a boutique outdoor cinema experience. The inaugural event will launch just in time for summer’s warmest months from 26 December 2020 until 28 March 2021.
Here is what I have been told about the event, with gates opening at 7:30pm and films screening from sundown at approximately 8:45pm, there is ample time to relax with pre-show music and indulge in a delectable offering of popcorn, snacks and beverages from the Palace Pop-Up bar. Every Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 7:30pm, the venue will host exclusive Aperol Sundown Sessions, with a package including Aperol Spritz, a meal from Melbourne’s best providers, dessert, live music, plus the film screening. Spaces for these sit-down sessions are strictly limited to 20 with advanced bookings essential. Pentridge Cinema & Pentridge Open-Air Cinema will be an instrumental part of the cultural revival of the area as Melbourne adapts to the new normal, and its Open-Air addition will certainly become a highly anticipated annual event.
More than 55 film gems will be presented including hand-picked retro films, cult classics, prison throwbacks, along with long-awaited blockbuster releases and family favourites such as The Shawshank Redemption, Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone at Alexandra Palace, Chopper, Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense, Call Me By Your Name, The Rock, Lost in Translation and Spirited Away.
