It should be no surprise to anyone that Malibu residents are a hardy bunch of film fans. Four evenings in Bluff’s Park, under starry skies, cool breezes and an even a bit of condensation couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the city’s first summer film series.
Initiating the city’s new movie equipment, the films were shown on a 28-foot blow-up screen and came off with nary a glitch as the city’s Parks and Recreation crew quickly mastered the new technology.
Selected for their “family friendly nature,” the films, “Shark Tale,” “Two Brothers,” “Sea Biscuit” and “Shrek II,” were well attended and the atmosphere festive as attendees-arriving by car, on foot or via the special double decker bus from the Webster Elementary School parking lot with blankets, chairs and picnics-well prepared to enjoy the outdoor show. Adults chatted while children played and ate their fresh-popped popcorn and snack bar goodies. Themed “favors” and activities were provided by CineMalibu co-sponsor, The Malibu Times. Stuffed sharks and horses for “Shark Tale” and “Seabiscuit” were handed out, and for “Two Brothers,” “tiger cubs” (tiger-costumed Malibu teens, Joe Rosenthal and Nicole Aslanyan) passed out candy and romped with the children on the grassy field.
George Goldstein’s Wealth Management Group provided significant funding as the CineMalibu Galaxy Sponsor. Goldstein, his wife, Tina, and their family are Malibu residents; he is the managing director of the company’s Residential Income Division in Southern California.
As the Constellation level sponsor, Malibu Creek Plaza (the Soboroff family) also made a generous contribution. Other sponsors making in-kind contributions included Scott Tallal’s Home Theater Doctor, Malibu’s Custom Home Theater Specialists, Sanyo, JBL, VXP: The Vision Experience (Visual Mixing Artists), and Katherine Kursarach Gate Security/Palisades Patrol, who donated the services of two patrolmen and service dog Rusty for all four events. London Bus helped with transportation. Individual donors included Garry Shandling and the Donen and Baker families. Raffle prizes were donated by Paul Mitchell, Malibu Yogurt and Bob Burns Malibu Restaurant. Also providing support were Heal the Bay, Malibu Coastal Vision, and the Malibu Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich made CineMalibu her summer project, providing political and moral support for the effort, helping to get funding for the equipment, access to appropriate films and attending every movie with her family. Parks Director Paul Adams, Nidra Winger Maus and the staff of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department provided direction, supervision and produced the event while David Lyons, formerly of Wallace Theater’s New Malibu Movie Theater, provided movie expertise and supervised technical efforts.
“CineMalibu is a fine example of various interests coming together to create something very special for the people of Malibu” said Karen York, co-publisher of The Malibu Times. “With so much to divide us, isn’t it great that movies bring can bring us together?”
CineMalibu T-shirts, available in all sizes for $15, can be purchased at City Hall or at the Michael Landon Center at Bluff’s Park.
“Shrek 2” will screen at Bluffs Park Saturday evening as part of the CineMalibu Community Movies in the Park series. The outdoor movies are part of an ongoing summer program to offer evening activities to youth and their families. It is co-sponsored by the city of Malibu and The Malibu Times, with constellation sponsor Steve Soboroff. The Wealth Management Group is a sponsor of the program as well, in addition to JBL, Scott Tallal of the Home Theater Doctor, Sanyo and VXP The Vision Experience.
Local community groups such as the Kiwanis Club of Malibu, the Malibu AYSO and Little League, the Rotary Club of Malibu and others have helped out selling popcorn and snacks and drinks, with proceeds going toward community activities. Volunteers are needed between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Those who help out will receive a free CineMalibu T-Shirt. Contact David Lyons at 818.657.9319 for more information.
Admission is free and seating begins at 8 p.m.