If you enjoy films and free popcorn, check out the summer film festival that will be held in Strauss Park every Thursday from Aug 5. to Aug 26.

Despite the heat, the first showing went well and according to Grand Center project Manager Rachel Kell, they were able to accommodate everyone.

Kell doesn’t anticipate the heat to effect attendance for the upcoming showings because “Strauss Park is one of the coolest places in the city with ample shade due to the trees.”

The next film, Dirty Dancing, will be shown on Aug. 12 and a greater turn out is expected due to the greater popularity of the film
The festival will be wrapped up with the showings of Billy Elliot on Aug. 19., and Saturday Night Fever on Aug. 26.
For those movie buffs in attendance, Cinema St. Louis, which is responsible for the St. Louis International Film Festival, will have a trivia contest before each film. Prizes include everything from T-shirts to concert tickets.

Besides the obvious six degrees of Kevin Bacon that connect these films, all are popular dance films. In addition, all of the films feature protagonists who rebel against their society in order to pursue their passion for dance, with the exception of Baby (Jennifer Grey) in Dirty Dancing, whose only passion seems to be John (Patrick Swayze).

According to the project manager Rachel Kell, the theme of this Cinemania is intended to promote Grand Center’s Dancing in the Street event on Sept. 25. Each year, this event draws crowds of between 15,000 and 20,000 people.

This is the third year that Grand Center has sponsored Cinemania, and this year, they are partnering with Ameren UE. The festival will be located at a more central location this year, Strauss Park, which is at the intersection of Grand and Washington, across from The Fox Theatre. The themes from previous Cinemanias included cult classics and musicals turned to film. The event originally began as both a marketing campaign for Grand Center as well as a reminder to St. Louis residents that the area continues to thrive as a center for the arts during the summer.

Trivia will begin at 8 p.m. and will be followed by the movie at 8:30 p.m. For more information visit www.grandcenter.org/shows_events/?event=61.