2,000 film fans turn out for open air screenings in Chichester

The screenings, which take place every year ahead of the launch of the Chichester International Film Festival, are organised by the Chichester New Park Cinema, and give film-goers a chance to enjoy movies both new and well-loved, in the open air.

This year’s offerings were no less diverse than usual, with recent blockbuster hits like Barbie and Wonka leading the charge, and classics like Dirty Dancing winning the crowds over.

For Chichester New Park Cinema manager Walter Francisco, the yearly open air screenings pave the way for the festival, and remind viewers what makes cinemas so special. “It’s in the front of our minds all the time, that sense of a communal experience,” he said. “Film is the most collaborative of all the art forms, and open air screenings bring in a different kind of audience to those who might usually visit us. We get people ranging in age from newborn babies to people well over 90 years old, and that’s what makes it special.”