Toronto's Sail-in Cinema a great hit with sailors - why not here?

by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 31 Jul 2013 What a great thing this would be in Auckland, or Sydney, or Perth or anywhere with a great harbour or lake. For three summer nights, Canada’s Sugar Beach is transformed into Toronto’s largest outdoor theatre. Movies are shown under the open skies on a two-sided screen set atop a barge in Toronto Harbour. You can watch movies for free from Sugar Beach or from the deck of your sailing boat in Lake Ontario.

Yes, Canada's 'Sail-in Cinema' will be back again this year for a third time. The world's first two-sided open air cinema caters for both sailors and landlubbers alike.

Sailors can come to the movies by boat and drop anchor. Landlubbers (let's not forget them) can bring a chair, a cushion or a picnic blanket.

The inaugural Sail-In Cinema™ was held in 2011 to mark the Toronto Port Authority’s centennial year and welcomed thousands of Torontonians to the newest part of the waterfront. More than 2,000 people and 70 boats came to the water’s edge to celebrate the anniversary and watch nautical-themed movies. It was judged so popular that it seems as though it's going to be part of the ongoing scene in Toronto.

One unusual aspect of the event is that all of the films are chosen by the audience. Last year’s screenings of The Poseidon Adventure, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Hook, were selected by viewers on Sail-In Cinema’s website

The theme for this year's movies is 'Heroes of the Silver Screen.'

This year's movie line up includes:
Ghostbusters on Thursday August 15
The Princess Bride on Friday August 16
Back to the Future on Saturday August 17

The other movies on the shortlist included Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was a few votes shy of third place; Top Gun; Superman and Goldfinger.

'We're excited about this year's film choices,' said TPA President and CEO, Geoffrey Wilson. 'Sail-In Cinema is a unique event and is one way that the TPA is helping Toronto rediscover and celebrate its vibrant harbour. These films are sure to draw Torontonians to the waterfront, and boaters to the water, to enjoy a summer evening under the stars watching three of the most entertaining movies from the 80s,' he continued.

For more information, go to http://www.sailincinema.com