Free Outdoor Film Series at Governors Island this Summer

Governors Island is at it again, with more summertime family fun! This time, Governors Island Arts and Film at Lincoln Center bring back their free outdoor film series that will take place on the island's historic Parade Ground—an expansive eight-acre lawn with wide-open views of Lower Manhattan.

The film screenings feature John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Friday, July 1, and Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz on Friday, Aug. 5. This summer’s screenings are curated by Film at Lincoln Center, which works to support the art of cinema and film culture, and produced by Rooftop Films. 

“Outdoor films on the Parade Ground have become an iconic summer tradition, and we cannot wait to welcome film buffs and all New Yorkers to Governors Island for the fourth year of this landmark series,” Clare Newman, president and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island, said. “Ensuring access to accessible, affordable, and transformative arts and cultural experiences is a core tenant of Governors Island Arts, and we are so excited to partner with Film at Lincoln Center once again for two evenings of free movie magic with our amazing city as backdrop.”

The screenings provide more than just a fun movie-watching experience. Families will enjoy some pre-show entertainment kicking off at 7pm on each movie night before the films begin at dusk. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, including a beer garden by Threes Brewing along with food from Pizza Yard and additional Governors Island vendors to be announced!

Governors Island provides a summer-time family destination, even outside of the movie nights. The island is open to the public daily year-round, Sunday through Thursday from 7am to 6pm and Friday and Saturday from 7am to 7pm. Beginning Memorial Day Weekend, the island will remain open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays through Labor Day.

Governors Island Arts and Film at Lincoln Center Featured Films

Here's more about this summer's free outdoor films at Governors Island:

Friday, July 1

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), directed by John Cameron Mitchell, invites you to rock out! After falling in love with a U.S. Army sergeant, an East Berlin boy named Hansel undergoes a sex-change operation so that he can legally marry his beloved. But the operation is botched, leaving the boy less than a man, but not quite a woman. Deserted in a Kansas trailer park, the boy/girl, now named Hedwig, reinvents himself/herself as a rock star. Based on the hit off-Broadway musical. Presented in association with NewFest.