The Luna Cinema, the UK’s leading open-air cinema company is coming to Dunorlan Park next week with a special series of children’s films and activities. Eileen Leahy finds out more . . .
Luna cinema has fast become the UK’s leading outdoor cinema company with pop-up sites now all over the country including ones in Dulwich, Knebworth, Edinburgh and Tonbridge. The company’s founder George Wood says their USP is simple: “Our screenings follow one simple formula: a classic film on a big screen in a beautiful or prestigious setting. We use state of the art screens, digital projectors and bespoke sound equipment to provide a cinema quality visual and audio experience.”
As well as the original Luna Cinema brand there is also the Luna Cinema Beach which hosts special screenings in Brighton and an ever growing Luna Kids Cinema which will be pitching up in Dunorlan Park for the first time for five days from August 7 until August 11.
Families can choose from a huge variety of films in the inaugural programme, including this year’s biggest children’s releases from The Lego Movie 2 to Disney’s highly anticipated live-action remakes Dumbo and Aladdin. There will also be screenings of family favourites, from Mary Poppins Returns and Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse to classics like The Little Mermaid and Moana. Other highlights include the smash hit The Incredibles 2, Finding Dory and sing-along extravaganza, The Greatest Showman.
Although relatively in their infancy, the Luna Kids Cinema screenings have proved so popular elsewhere in the country such as Hampton Court Palace and Tatton Park that lots more new venues, including Dunorlan Park, have been rolled out. They include Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, Bath’s Kensington Meadows, and Harewood House in Leeds.
Returning exclusively to the Luna Kids Cinema’s open-air screen this year will be the multi-award-winning animations based on the books of Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler with screenings of The Gruffalo, newly accompanied this year by The Highway Rat and the first ever open air screenings of the newest edition to the series Zog.
This year, Peppa Pig will also be making her first celluloid alfresco outing when the first ever UK open-air screening of Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun is shown in Luna sites across the UK. It is scheduled for August 10 in Dunorlan.
“We’re so excited to be bringing back Luna Kids Cinema after such a successful first run last summer,” continues George. “This year has been another incredible year for family friendly cinema, with the release of some truly brilliant films. With Disney’s upcoming releases of Dumbo and Aladdin joining the programme, it’s shaping up to be a pretty special summer of outdoor cinema for films fans, no matter their age.
“Once again, we’ve chosen some of the most unique settings across the country for the Luna Kids tour so no matter where you live you should be able to get to a Luna Kids screening this summer. We know that going to the cinema with babies and children can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, and that is why the Luna Kids Cinema experience is so different. We’ve hopefully thought of all the little touches to make the experience as hassle free as possible for the adults and as much fun as possible for the kids!”
This includes changing areas, access to microwaves, sun canopies and access to high chairs. Luna Kids Cinema audiences are welcome to bring along picnics to the screenings. However, all events will have a fantastic selection of healthy food and drink options tailored to all tastes – as well as a Big Kids Bar serving refreshments for older film fans, including wine, beer and prosecco.
Luna Kids cinema has also teamed up with Save the Children as the official charity partner for Luna Kids so who will receive a percentage from ticket sales. There will also be Save the Children stalls at selected screenings with fun activities for all the family.
Tickets start at £13.50 for adults and £8 for kids (inclusive of booking fees). For details of screenings, to book tickets, and for more information, please visit www.lunakidscinema.com
