At least three festivals will present free film screenings in Montreal parks this summer. All told, Montrealers will have dozens of opportunities to catch some flicks with their neighbours and friends under the (barely-visible-through-the-urban-light-pollution) stars.

Here's a breakdown of public screenings in 2022.

Cinéma sous les étoiles

Between Wednesday, June 29 and Tuesday, September 6, Cinéma sous les étoiles will put on a total of 55 free documentary screenings in the Montreal area.

16 parks and venues across the city will host events, including the newly-renovated Théâtre de Verdure in Parc La Fontaine.

The festival will begin with a screening of Laetitia Moller's L’énergie positive des dieux in the Plateau Mont-Royal's Parc Baldwin on June 29.

In an email shared with MTL Blog, a festival spokesperson also highlighted the presentation of Laura Rietveld's La famille de la forêt in Ahuntsic's Parc Tolhurst on July 1 and Paul Tom's Seulsin Parc Jarry on July 22.

The complete program is online.

CINEMANIA

CINEMANIA is a celebration of francophone film that takes place annually in November. This summer, organizers will screen 11 films from the 2021 edition for free in nine Montreal parks.

As of the time of writing, only the July program is out. It includes screenings of:

• Aïssa Maïga's Marcher sur l'eau in Parc Molson on July 14 (in collaboration with Cinéma sous les étoiles),
• Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni's Une vie démente in Parc Jean-Brillant on July 20,
• Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige's Memory Box in Parc Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on July 21,
• Catherine Therrien's Une Révision at the Théâtre de Verdure also on July 21,
• and Xavier Giannoli's Illusions Perdues at the Théâtre de Verdure on July 28.

Film Noir au Canal

Film Noir au Canal screens gritty hard-boiled police dramas alongside the spooky former industrial structures of the Lachine Canal.

Festival organizers have so far only released one title from its 2022 program, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window on July 17, but dropped hints about films to come. As in previous years, the 2022 edition will close with the screening of a popular neo-noir film.

Screenings take place in Square Saint-Patrick at the corner of rues Saint-Patrick and Wellington.