Solar Cinema, a mobile cinema which is powered entirely by solar energy, is making its way to the Maltese Islands this summer, as part of the Valletta 2018 Cultural Programme.

Solar World Cinema is an international network of solar-powered mobile cinemas which pop up in numerous outdoor public spaces across the globe, bringing unseen films to unusual places for the general public to enjoy. Each mobile cinema is completely self-sufficient, powered by 100% solar, sustainable energy thanks to photovoltaic panels which capture enough sunlight during the day to produce 10 hours of film screening.

Screenings by Solar Cinema will be held in various public spaces across Malta and Gozo throughout the summer, including in Żurrieq, Żebbuġ, Luqa, Birkirkara, Qrendi, St Paul’s Bay, Sliema, Mellieħa, Marsascala, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida, Rabat, Paola, Mġarr, Kalkara, Lija, Żejtun, St Lucia, and Qala, Xagħra and St Lawrence in Gozo. Visitors are invited to bring a cushion or a chair to enjoy open-air screenings and post-film discussions during the upcoming spring and summer evenings. All screenings are open to the general public free of charge between May and October 2018.

Solar Cinema goes beyond the borders of the traditional cinematic world, offering a curated programme of both local and international short films, thought-provoking documentaries, animations and feature films tackling a number of salient social issues, with a focus on themes of sustainability and the environment. Some of the themes include voyages and migration, island life, water and the environment, and human encounters. Solar Cinema’s mission is to democratise the access to cinema, by creating a special platform which allows people to spend time in outdoor public spaces turned into sustainable open-air cinemas. This unique way of engaging with film also raises awareness and stresses the importance of switching to renewable energy sources.

In Malta, Solar Cinema has already worked on stop-motion film workshops for children during the Valletta Green Festival, promoting environmental awareness through the use of recycled materials.

For more information visit solarcinema.org. For updates on upcoming screenings visit the Solar Cinema Facebook page.

 

Upcoming screenings by theme:

Family friendly short films

11^th May                      8.30pm            Republic Square, Żurrieq

24^th July                       8.30pm            St Gregory Gardens, Żejtun

 

Feature Documentaries

Two Trumpets for St Andrew
22^nd May                     8.30pm            Dokkiena Parvis, Dokkiena Street, Luqa

Sonic Sea
8^th June                        8.30pm            Malta National Aquarium, St Paul’s Bay

Dolphin Man
17^th July                       8.30pm            Wied iż-Żurrieq, Qrendi

 

Feature animated films

Boy and the World
3^rd July                         8.30pm            Ta’ Xbiex Yacht Marina, Ta’ Xbiex

Boy and the World
13^th August                  8.30pm            Chinese Garden of Serenity, St Lucia

The Red Turtle
21^st August                  8.30pm            Għajn Tuffieħa Scout Campsite, Mellieħa

 

Go Greener short mix for kids

18^th September           8.00pm            Kalkara Playground, Kalkara

 

Short film programme:  Go Greener #1

19^th June                      8.30pm            St Joseph Square, Qala (Gozo)

 

Short film programme: Go Greener #2

15^th May                      8.30pm            Piazza Ospedale, Żebbuġ

2^nd August                    8.30pm            Ġuże’ Ellul Mercer Gardens, Msida

Short film programme: Encounters

29^th May                      8.30pm            Sir Anthony Mamo Gardens (behind Church of St
Helen), Birkirkara

2^nd October                 8.00pm            Pawlu Boffa Gardens (next to Paola Local Council), Paola

 

Short film programme: Into the Deep End

5^th June                        8.30pm            St Matthew Square (Tal-Maqluba), Qrendi

21^st September            8.00pm            Ċentru Rikreattiv (Recreational Center, Lija

 

Short film programme: Enroute

12^th June                      8.30pm            Mortimer Playground – Next to Exiles, by the Tower, Sliema

7^th August                    8.30pm            Selmun Chapel, Mellieħa

 

Short film programme: Memories

16^th June                      8.30pm            Pope John Paul II Square, Mellieħa

11^th September           8.00pm            St Lawrence Square, St Lawrence (Gozo)

 

Short film programme: About the Sea

9^th July                         8.30pm            Ramla Bay, Xagħra (Gozo)

29^th June                      8.30pm            Mifsud Bonnici Square (Fuq il-Bridge), Marsascala

 

Short film programme: Sense of Belonging

30^th July                       8.30pm            Howard Gardens, Mdina