SF’s beloved free movie screenings will not be returning for 2025. The screenings, called Sundown Cinema, had six successful years of showing free movies in SF parks, typically from May through October. Unfortunately, after one screening of The Fog in partnership with SFFILM this April, the rest of the program will not be returning for 2025.
The film series originally posted a preliminary schedule for 2025 after they screened The Fog on April 25, with three dates listed over the months, including a June screening of Wicked at Yerba Buena Gardens. Now, according to KQED, the series is unable to return due to layoffs among other issues at SF Parks Alliance. While the rest of the series is canceled, Yerba Buena Gardens will continue to screen Wicked in June during their annual festival.
SF Park’s Alliance is a nonprofit that works with SF parks to create events for the public to enjoy. In the past years, Sundown Cinema has been one of their most successful projects, with hundreds showing up at SF parks throughout the summer for free screenings of major movies. The nonprofit has also had to cancel a market, called the Crane Cove Park Market. The market was another popular event throughout 2024, but it unfortunately will not continue for this year. SF Parks Alliance CEO Robert Ogilvie told KQED that costs per screening were between $30,000 and $40,000. He stated that while it is a tough decision to cancel the program, the nonprofit just no longer had the resources to continue the movie screenings.
While it’s unfortunate we don’t have the monthly movie screenings to look forward to this year, there are plenty of free events happening this summer in San Francisco. Monthly night markets, block parties, and more are all regularly scheduled this year, including free concerts in Golden Gate Park, Downtown First Thursdays, and many more.
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn