San Francisco’s Hayes Valley is a rather new and underrated neighborhood that many people are missing out on. It was just named the tenth coolest street in the world by a TimeOut survey and it’s about to prove why. Starting on March 24th, Proxy is hosting their seventh annual Spring Series of free outdoor movie screenings. Each Friday (through April 21st) at 7:45pm (“doors” at 7pm), a different movie will be shown in the theater area near Patricia’s Green.
The schedule is as follows:
- March 24th – Nope dir. Jordan Peele
- “Residents in a lonely gulch of inland California bear witness to an uncanny, chilling discovery” (Letterboxd).
- March 31st – All the Beauty and the Bloodshed dir. Laura Poitras
- “Following the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic’s unfathomable death toll” (Letterboxd).
- April 7th – Till dir. Chinonye Chukwu
- “The true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi” (Letterboxd).
- April 14th – maɬni—towards the ocean, towards the shore dir. Sky Hopinka
- “An experimental look at the origin of the death myth of the Chinookan people in the Pacific Northwest, following two people as they navigate their own relationships to the spirit world and a place in between life and death” (Letterboxd).
- April 21st – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On dir. Dean Fleischer Camp
- “Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family” (Letterboxd).
- “Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family” (Letterboxd).
Anyone interested can RSVP for each week individually on the Proxy website.
If you’re looking to enjoy food or drinks while watching the movie, local businesses will be in attendance serving beer, wine, and ice cream, along with food trucks such as Mozzeria, Bobcha, Momolicious, and The Waffle Roast. Beyond that, Hayes Valley is full of great restaurants, bars, and stores that you can enjoy if you plan to spend time there before the movie. Some of my favorites include Gioia Pizzeria, Papito, Rad Radish, and Salt and Straw.
Hayes Valley is a great neighborhood to visit if you’re looking to get to know San Francisco better. It’s centrally located and is within walking distance from the Van Ness Muni station and the Civic Center BART station. If you’re looking for something to do on a Friday night in the next couple months, consider a free outdoor movie!