Enjoy a Free Movie Under The Stars with Regent Park Film Festival – Here’s how!

Regent Park Film Festival’s FREE Under The Stars Programming is set to kick off on July 10, with weekly nighttime screenings until July 24!

TORONTO, July 4, 2024 – Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) has just announced the return of its Under the Stars programming this July. The annual – and FREE – summer film series features films of all genres that highlight Indigenous, Black and People of Colour narratives, told by people who belong to those communities. Starting Wednesday, July 10, Under the Stars will take place at the Big Park in Regent Park (600 Dundas St. East) and will run weekly until Wednesday, July 24. Festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the screenings starting at sundown.

A pillar in the Regent Park neighbourhood, Under the Stars aims to bring people of all ages, cultures and communities together for nights of free film showings, food, and performances. The beloved community program saw over 6,000 attendees in 2023 and looks to continue this momentum in 2024. 

Above: Starting Wednesday, July 10, Under the Stars will take place at the Big Park in Regent Park (600 Dundas St. East) and will run weekly until Wednesday, July 24. Festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the screenings starting at sundown.

This year’s lineup invites Torontonians and visitors alike to enjoy films by luminaries like Fawzia Mirza, Carlos López Estrada, Don Hall and Spike Lee. Attendees can look forward to enjoying films that amplify the experiences and stories of BIPOC communities, including:

The Queen of My Dreams – Wednesday, July 10

Following the sudden death of her father, queer Pakistani woman Azra (Amrit Kaur) leaves her home in Canada to travel to Pakistan. She soon finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories real and imagined—from her conservative mother’s (Nimra Bucha) youth in 1960s Karachi to her own coming of age in rural Nova Scotia. Fawzia Mirza’s stylish feature debut mashes up the textures of Indian cinema and a Canadian coming-of-age picture, tracing key moments in the lives of a mother and daughter born three decades apart.

Raya and the Last Dragon – Wednesday, July 17

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it’s up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.

Crooklyn – Wednesday, July 24 

Inspired by their own childhood, Spike Lee and his siblings Cinque Lee and Joie Lee co-wrote this tender and nostalgic look at a working class Black family growing up in pre-gentrification 1970s Bedford-Stuyvesant. Zelda Harris plays Troy, a quiet but self-possessed little girl saddled with four rambunctious brothers and a struggling musician father, Woody (Delroy Lindo), who leaves the breadwinning to his tough-loving schoolteacher wife, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard). Crooklyn follows the Carmichaels (and many of their eccentric neighbours) as they both live and learn the funny, beautiful, and painful lessons of growing up.

Taste of Regent Park

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Attendees are also invited to take part in family-friendly pre-show activities like performances, dance and music classes, lawn games, colour pages and more. The Taste of Regent Park will also take place before the screenings, allowing attendees to fuel up before a relaxing night under the stars. The vibrant weekly market features talented local artisans, craftspeople, community organizations, food vendors, and entertainers.

In the heart of Regent Park, people come together in The Big Park (Dundas E & Sumach St.) to celebrate, share and enjoy delicious, healthy, affordable, and culturally diverse foods.

For more visitor information and full scheduling, please visit rpff.ca/under-the-stars/.

About Regent Park Film Festival

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is an award-winning, community-based, charitable organization, and Toronto’s longest-running, FREE film festival. RPFF amplifies and centres marginalized communities and their stories, while opening up access to the film and television industry through year-round programming.

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