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<\/p>\nPublished Aug. 28, 2026at9:03am<\/p>\n
Addressing the vast crowd gathered at the Presidio\u2019s Civil War Parade Ground on a blustery July evening, The San Francisco Standard Business Editor Kevin Truong succinctly summarized what makes the Sundown Cinema series so special.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping this becomes a core memory tonight for many of you guys out in the crowd,\u201d Truong said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true: the magic of being together and watching a movie in a singular outdoor setting is the kind of thing you tend to remember forever. And thanks to The Standard and presenting sponsor Amazon, Sundown Cinema\u2019s triumphant return this summer has been filled with unforgettable moments.<\/p>\n
Bringing the best of San Francisco together for free, community screenings held at some of the city\u2019s most idyllic locations, Sundown Cinema has already visited Dolores Park, the Presidio, and the Marina with future dates at the Ferry Building and Crane Cove Park still to come. \u00a0<\/p>\n
For July\u2019s presentation of Pixar\u2019s Inside Out, joy was the prevalent emotion as families flocked to the Presidio Civil War Parade Grounds on a windy but welcoming Friday night. It was the perfect place for children to practice cartwheels and somersaults on the grass as the sun slowly sunk towards showtime.<\/p>\n
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A portable bubble machine proved wildly popular, infusing whimsy wherever it was left to belch bubbles to everyone\u2019s delight. During his introductory remarks, Truong kept the good times rolling by inviting five kids from the audience to act out the emotions featured in Inside Out.<\/p>\n
Impromptu costumes made the moment all the better. Asked to give the crowd her \u201cmaddest, angriest face,\u201d a young girl named Hallie nailed her assignment while wearing a red hat and holding a cardboard cutout of a campfire. Sarafina, by contrast, was tasked with representing Sadness. Her efforts \u2014 complete with a jutting lower lip and pouty eyes \u2014 were perfectly complimented by a blue feather boa and an inflatable rain cloud.<\/p>\n
Later, The San Francisco Standard Editor-in-Chief Kevin Delaney detailed what makes The Standard\u2019s coverage stand apart from its competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Standard was founded to cover San Francisco like the world capital that it is: with real reporting, with humor, and with the city as a character in the narrative,\u201d Delaney said. \u201cWe hope you read The Standard already and if you don\u2019t, we invite you to subscribe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The evening also aptly encapsulated what Amazon continues to provide to local communities and small businesses alike.<\/p>\n
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In San Francisco, that includes support of numerous free city programs like Tulip Day at Union Square, the Potrero R&B Festival, and the Downtown Ambassador program. Amazon has also helped bring 87,000 residents back onto downtown streets via its Let\u2019s Glow SF sponsorship and continues its partnership with the SF-Marin Food Bank to deliver 70,000 meals a week to those in need.<\/p>\n
Impressively, the Amazon trucks parked onsite at all three events to transpire so far have enjoyed robust food donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank. The totals include 271 pounds donated at the June screening, 223 pounds donated at the July screening, and 204 pounds at August\u2019s screening.<\/p>\n
Set against the iconic landscape of the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding natural skyline, August\u2019s event at Marina Green was a family affair as host Sophia Garrow, The Standard\u2019s Comedy Correspondent, brought her dad Steve along to help introduce Disney\u2019s 1998 twin hijinks caper The Parent Trap.<\/p>\n
Addressing a robust audience consisting of families, friends and perhaps even a few first dates, Garrow, encouraged folks to spend time before the screening patronizing one of two unique options at The Standard\u2019s nearby booth: \u201cAsk a Reporter\u201d and \u201cAsk a Dad.\u201d The latter, adorably, featured Garrow\u2019s own father, who would later be called upon to stand before the crowd and help his daughter demonstrate the film\u2019s famous secret handshake.<\/p>\n
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Additional themed merriment came in the form of a round of trivia \u2014 did you know the exteriors for the fictious Stafford Hotel where the twins played by Lindsay Lohan attempt to get their parents to reunite were shot at Treasure Island\u2019s Administration Building? \u2014 and a full-throated round of soundtrack karaoke.<\/p>\n
Following the final notes of \u201cHere Comes the Sun,\u201d The Standard\u2019s Head of Business Development, Devon Rothwell, invited Amazon employee and SF native Natalie Banke to share her thoughts on why supporting community events like Sundown Cinema is so important.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so amazing to see Sundown Cinema back,\u201d Banke said. \u201cI used to go to Sundown Cinema before it went away during the pandemic and I just want to give a big, big thank you to SF Standard because they are the reason this is back in full force. I do work at Amazon. As you know, it\u2019s a big company but it\u2019s made up of community members right here in San Francisco like me. Amazon gives us the resources to give back \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
It was at this moment that she was interrupted as a gang of moped riders puttered by.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why we love this city,\u201d Banke finally added. \u201cWhere else can you see a moped gang drive along the Marina Green?\u201d<\/p>\n
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It was, as Truong had hoped, the perfect recipe for new core memories: excitement, beauty, and the gathering of community to have fun together while also giving back. Fortunately, the good times are set to keep rolling with two screenings left on Sundown Cinema\u2019s 2026 schedule.<\/p>\n
The first is School of Rock, which screens at the Ferry Building on Sept. 25. Then comes a Halloween-themed season finale with\u00a0Beetlejuice\u00a0at Crane Cove Park on Oct. 16. And don\u2019t forget to RSVP and be in attendance at either event to be entered in a raffle for a $1000 Amazon gift card.<\/p>\n