Jul 3, 2009 2:00 pm US/Eastern
Little Italy Residents Prepare For Film Festival
Reporting
Ron Matz
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Movie watchers sit in Little Italy for a late night movie.
CBS
It's the grand-daddy of all the open air film festivals in the Baltimore area and it starts its 11 year Friday night.
Ron Matz reports all are welcomed to pull up a chair, and head for the streets of Little Italy.
These are the sounds and sights of Little Italy. Friday night "Moonstruck" kicks off the 11th year of the little Italy Film Festival. It's "cinema al fresco."
"About 12 years ago, I was visiting Italy for the summer and I saw that they were having it in the piazza, so I thought it would be a good idea to come back here and try it in Baltimore," said Mary Ann Cricchio, president of the Little Italy Restaurant Association.
For nine consecutive Friday nights during the summer movie goers get a bird's eye view of their favorite films.
It wouldn't have happened without 99-year-old John Pente. He lives across the street from the big screen. The projector's in a room upstairs.
"We had the board on the wall, they needed a place for the projector and they spotted my window and they asked my permission. I told them if it's nice for the neighborhood I would be glad to do it. I thought maybe it was for one year, but now it's 11 years," said John Pente, resident. "The best part is I can watch all these people from my top floor. You watch 2000 people spread out over here, it's a beautiful sight and they're all having a beautiful time and they come back again."
Colombo Bank provides the free popcorn and there's "live" music before the movie starts.
"I think it's great for the community, for Little Italy on the whole. It brings people to our neighborhood to see what a great place it is. It's clean, it's fun, it's safe, there's parking there's wonderful restaurants and you have Vaccaro's Pastry shop, it's just a fun place," said Cricchio.
For a complete schedule of the films for the Little Italy Film Festival click here.
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