Summer in the Hudson Valley is a great time to make the most of the long days and the beautiful scenery — there’s a never ending list of hiking trails, swimming holes, and kayak paths. But after a long day of exerting yourself on the terrain, it’s nice to have an option that lets you sit for a few hours. Fortunately, the Cold Spring Film Society’s summer film series kicks off this Saturday. Every other Saturday through September 1, head to Cold Spring’s Dockside Park at sunset to catch a free film. We spoke to CSFS Operating Committee member John Wayland to learn more about the society’s development and what to expect this season.
For those new to the series, what is the Cold Spring Film Society?
The CSFS is very much a local organization run by a small group of very dedicated volunteers, and we appreciate all the support that we get from our local businesses and community members who help us put on these free screenings in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world. We look forward to seeing everyone down by the river this summer, starting this Saturday night with our premiere screening, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Are there any new developments this year within the society?
With the help of our supporting members and business sponsors, this year we were able to purchase a trailer to house all of our equipment and hopefully make our set up and break down a little bit faster and a little bit easier. Seven years ago when the film society first started, we were hauling our giant screen and speakers and projector, etc. all around in a tiny Toyota Prius, which got pretty beat up by all the metal pipes and equipment jostling around in it. So, this new trailer is something new you’ll see down by the river this summer that we’re all very excited about.
The lineup is very diverse this year. How did you choose the films for this year’s series?
Each year we try and program a diverse lineup for our Summer Film Series, so hopefully for everyone there’s at least one film they really want to go see down by the river. We’ll do a family adventure, a thriller, a romance, something from classical Hollywood, a comedy, etc. Personally, I’m looking forward to watching Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946) and the Coen brothers’ screwball comedy Raising Arizona (1987), which I think will be fun to see with a crowd. This year we’re screening our first musical, The Sound of Music (1965), which already seems to be generating a lot of interest in the community and I’m sure will have an audience.
