Queens Drive-InPresented by Museum of the Moving Image, Rooftop Films, NYSCI — kicking off with a special screening of ‘Coming 2 America’

The popular drive-in series returns for a second season to provide arts and entertainment in the borough, to bring back jobs, and to support the larger filmmaking community

Opening March 5, 2021

New York, NY (February 24, 2021) — Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), Rooftop Films, and the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) today announced the return of the Queens Drive-In at New York City’s iconic Flushing Meadows Corona Park. A collaborative project between three non-profit organizations, the Queens Drive-In hosted over 80 sold-out events during the summer and fall of 2020, including dozens of New York and world premieres, many of which featured in-person and live-streamed appearances by filmmakers and stars. Among New York City drive-in experiences that opened in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queens Drive-In offers one of the largest screens with a capacity of 200 cars, high-quality DCP projection, and adventurous programming. The 2020 series included more than twenty free community events, raised thousands of dollars for local community organizations, and provided work for hundreds of employees and local food vendors, making it a vital resource for the community and providing a rare opportunity to gather and celebrate the arts as the neighborhood rebounded from tragedy.

The 2021 spring season will run from March through June 2021, and will kick off on Friday, March 5 with a special screening of Amazon’s highly anticipated Coming 2 America, coinciding with the film’s release on Amazon Prime Video. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP, and attendees will receive free food and merchandise courtesy of Amazon Studios. The event is co-presented by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who will also be onsite to introduce the film and celebrate the reopening of the Drive-In.

The core mission of the Drive-In will be to provide a safe space for film screenings and other cultural events, and additionally the organizations plan to continue utilizing the venue as a way to give back and provide additional resources to the community, creating vital jobs and supporting local food vendors. As such, a portion of public ticket sales from the Queens Drive-In will be donated to Plaza Del Sol Family Health Center, a not-for-profit health care center serving the community in Corona, Queens. Plaza del Sol is part of Urban Health Plan, a health system of federally qualified community health centers based in the Bronx, Corona, Queens and Central Harlem.

With the support of the Office of the Queens Borough President, there will be free screenings for the community at the Queens Drive-In, as well as additional free tickets to most programs made available to residents of Corona and Elmhurst via local community organizations. Free event details will be announced soon.

“Coming to America is the quintessential, iconic Queens film, and we are beyond thrilled to host one of the only screenings of its sequel, Coming 2 America, right here in the film’s backyard. I am proud to continue the Borough President Office’s tradition of hosting drive-in films in our home borough. I thank Museum of the Moving Image, Rooftop Films, the New York Hall of Science, and Amazon for being valuable partners in welcoming Coming 2 America back home to Queens,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr.

Programming will continue throughout the spring with new and classic films curated by Museum of the Moving Image and Rooftop Films. Events will include more than a dozen double features, including playful pairings of urban dystopias Escape from New York and Robocop; the chaotic adolescence of Dazed and Confused and Fast Times at Ridgemont High; the groundbreaking Shaft and Boyz n the Hood; Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury vs. Meiko Kaji in Lady Snowblood; classic action capers North by Northwest and From Russia with Love; Rocky and Creed; beloved tales of female independence Desperately Seeking Susan and Thelma and Louise; and, song-and-dance standard-bearers from two different eras: Singin’ in the Rain and Magic Mike XXL.

There will also be regular screenings of beloved family films, including Labyrinth; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; a Babe/Babe Pig in the City double feature; and an opening weekend presentation of The Muppets Take Manhattan. Additional classics will include Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, David Lynch’s Dune, the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, and a screening of Your Name, one of the most popular anime films of all time. The Queens Drive-In will also be presenting four screenings focused on public health–related themes, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, starting with Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys preceded by a documentary addressing issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced by a public health expert.

Tickets for March and April programming are on sale now, and additional free and ticketed events will be announced throughout the spring.

"The Queens Drive-in film screenings brought much needed respite for families amid this pandemic. I am proud to continue to support this initiative as we go into the spring and a new sense of normalcy with one of our favorite forms of entertainment. Thank you to Rooftop Films, the Museum of the Moving Image and the New York Hall of Science for offering safe, creative and entertaining ways for families to come together," said Francisco Moya, New York City Council Member for East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LeFrak City, and Corona.

The partners continue to hold audience and staff safety as their first priority, and for this reason screenings will be available only to attendees watching the films from their enclosed automobiles until further notice, in accordance with City and State regulations. The partners will remain in conversation with the City and State agencies to determine whether in the future it will be safe and legal to adapt the event spaces to accommodate socially distanced walk-up attendees. For more information on Queens Drive-In safety and operations, please visit: rooftopfilms.com/drivein/queens/faqs.

TICKETS: Tickets are now on sale for select upcoming screenings at the Queens Drive-In on the Rooftop Films website. Tickets will be priced starting at $35 per car (up to 5 passengers per car) and $45 for double features. Members of the presenting organizations will receive a 20% discount.

VENUE: Queens Drive-In, on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 47-01 111th St, Flushing, NY 11368. MAP

SCHEDULE (To date; additional titles will be added as they are confirmed.):
March 5: Coming 2 America
March 7: The Muppets Take Manhattan
March 12: Rocky + Creed
March 13: The Shining
March 14: Singin' in the Rain + Magic Mike XXL
March 20: Escape from New York + Robocop
March 21: Babe + Babe: Pig in the City
March 26: Thelma & Louise + Desperately Seeking Susan
March 27: Fast Times at Ridgemont High + Dazed and Confused
March 28: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
April 2: David Lynch's Dune
April 3: North by Northwest + From Russia with Love
April 4: Labyrinth
April 10: Shaft + Boyz n the Hood
April 11: Your Name
April 20: The Big Lebowski

ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
The Museum's mission is to advance the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Museum continues to fulfill its mission online through live conversations with artists, filmmakers, scholars, media educators, and other industry professionals; articles published in MoMI's online film magazine Reverse Shot and science and film resource Sloan Science & Film; online access to the Museum's collection and exhibitions, including through virtual tours and recorded programs; and the presentation of a range of films—including acclaimed new theatrical releases and repertory programming—online and at the Queens Drive-In. For more information, visit movingimage.us. Follow MoMI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE
The mission of the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is to nurture generations of passionate learners, critical thinkers and active citizens through an approach called Design, Make, Play. Design, Make, Play emphasizes open-ended exploration, imaginative learning and personal relevance, resulting in deep engagement and delight in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World’s Fair and has evolved into New York’s center for interactive science. For more information, visit nysci.org or call 718-699-0005. Follow NYSCI on Twitter and Instagram: @nysci, and on Facebook at: facebook.com/nysci.

ABOUT ROOFTOP FILMS
Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers. In addition to their annual Summer Series — which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer — Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and fellow non-profits, and supports screenings citywide with the Rooftop Films Community Fund. At Rooftop Films, we bring underground movies outdoors. For more information and updates, please visit rooftopfilms.com.

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Top image: Queens Drive-In / photo by Maike Schulz

Press contacts:

For Rooftop Films/Queens Drive-In:
Lauren Schwartz & Alex Cutler, Sunshine Sachs
rooftopfilms@sunshinesachs.com

Kelley Rand, Rooftop Films
kelley@rooftopfilms.com

Tomoko Kawamoto, Museum of the Moving Image:
tkawamoto@movingimage.us

PRESS MATERIALS/IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE HERE

Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation).