Film Al Fresco

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?Summertime, and the living is easy?? You don’t need us to point out that we’ve stumbled onto an unexpected early summer heatwave. There’s lots going on in the sunshine up and down the country, but nothing says summer quite like an open-air cinema screening. We’ve picked a few worth checking out.

* Bringing movies to an outdoor screen near you since 2012, Happenings runs hugely popular cultural pop-up events (you get 30 hours? notice, people!) in green public spaces around Dublin – the last of which was the The Instant Open Air Cinema Festival last April. The next event is a screening of Labyrinth in IMMA, on 24 July, as part of the Summer Rising Festival, and they’ll be organising movie nights in Dublin‘s Fitzwilliam Square and Limerick‘s People’s Park all summer. An up-to-date calendar of screenings is available on the Happenings Facebook page and website.

* Having debuted on this year’s St Patrick’s weekend with a screening of Grease (what else!), Drive In Movies will be showing no less than 60 films inside the standage area of the Ferry Terminal at D?n Laoghaire Harbour over the summer. The twice-daily screenings will feature cult and classic films, along with a number of family and independent Irish movies. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are just some of the features you can look forward to.

* Outdoor Movies?in the Park, a popular event with families in south Dublin, is returning to Marlay Park with three screenings on Saturday, 9 August. As always, it’s held in conjunction with the Co Co Food Market so delicious food is close by. Bring your picnic blankets!

Watching flicks under the night sky is now a long-standing tradition in Cork. Movie Junction in Carrigtwohill was Ireland’s first outdoor cinema and remains the biggest, with two mega-screens on the sloped grounds of the Fota Retail Park. Opened in 2010, this is the original American drive-in cinema experience with popcorn, sweets, pizza and chips to be had without having to leave the comfort of your seat.

Too lazy to drive to the drive-in? Get your family and friends together, and screen a movie in your own back garden. Check out the latest issue of Image Interiors and Living for style tips and tasty summer food recipe ideas for the perfect al fresco film party. Have fun and share your party snaps on our Facebook and Instagram. Roll on, warm summer nights!

@DianaNacu / @Image_Interiors