Flicks on the Beach comes back to Coney

It’s show time at Coney.

Coney Island, dubbed America’s playground, has it all, from rides to food to baseball to the beach. Now for the seventh time, it will also be host to its annual Flicks on the Beach movie series.

This summer, a collection of eight films of all genres and for all tastes will be shown for free every Monday evening, starting on July 10, on a big screen set up on the beach at West 12th Street overlooking a scenic view that is tough to beat.

The series, hosted by the Alliance for Coney Island and presented by Amazon Studios, offers locals and tourists a unique way to enjoy the cinema.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for families to spend time together,” said Cynthia Godla, director of events, marketing and public relations for the Alliance for Coney Island. “It’s a unique location. Not only are you on the beach, but you have an amazing and iconic backdrop next to you so I do think that’s one of the key components that make it stand out.”

The atmosphere is festival before the opening credits roll, said Godla. “People generally come a little earlier in the evening before the sun sets, and we do have music and giveaways, and there are a lot of activities on the Boardwalk that people can engage in while they’re still waiting for the movie,” she said. “We have music on site, some games people can play beforehand and of course you have Coney Island. You can walk around and enjoy the area.”

Since the event attracts large crowds, the Alliance wants to make sure all attendees enjoy themselves. “There are thousands of visitors for each screening and it’s something that draws a crowd,” Godla said. “We definitely want to have something for everyone. We try to keep it different but we also have a lot of family-friendly movies and also have movies that older audiences would be interested in seeing as well, like for a date night.”

The screen size is 40 feet, allowing the area to accommodate more people if they wanted to come.

Godla added that, compared to sitting in a theater, this series offer a unique experience for Brooklynites, “Especially in the summer where you have the breeze off of the ocean, you have all the activities going on around you. I think that makes it one of the top destinations for someone to come watch a movie,” she said.

This summer, there is a diverse list of films that is sure to speak to everyone. “The crowd depends on the movie,” she said. “Like for instance,  ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ gears towards children and families but when you have a movie like ‘Rogue One’ or ‘La La Land,’ that brings out the older crowds and those going on dates. Not to say that a person in the mid-20s couldn’t enjoy ‘Finding Dory’ too.”

New this year, the series will also include special sneak previews of two fantastic new independent films directed by New York-based filmmakers, courtesy of Amazon Studios — Gillian Robespierre’s “Landline,” and Matt Ruskin’s “Crown Heights.” Both films will be released in theaters this summer before being released on Amazon.

The Flicks on the Beach series begins on Monday, July 10 with the latest adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” with Emma Watson, then “Landline” on July 17, “Finding Dory” on July 24, “La La Land” on July 31, “Get Out” on August 7, “The Lego Batman Movie” on August 15, “Crown Heights” on August 21, and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” on August 28. Festivities begin at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www.allianceforconeyisland.org.