Wex Drive-in Returns This Summer

Free Film Parties Light Up the Wex Plaza and the Ohio Statehouse Lawn

For the third year in a row, the Wexner Center is bringing the big screen outside for the Wex Drive-in Outdoor Film Fest series of free open-air film screenings on the Wexner Center Plaza, 15th Avenue and High Street on the campus of The Ohio State University. And for one night only, the Drive-in heads downtown for a special screening on the Ohio Statehouse lawn. This year, the Drive-in features four classic films, shown the third Thursdays of the month, except the Statehouse screening:

June 19: The classic Universal horror movie The Mummy (1932), starring Boris Karloff. This atmospheric film is one of the all-time great spine-tinglers. Run time: 75 mins.
July 17: Orson Welles’s The Lady from Shanghai (1947), a visually arresting film noir starring Welles and his then-wife Rita Hayworth. Run time: 87 mins.
August 21: With the incomparable stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen, 20 Million Miles to Earth is one of the most distinctive sci-fi adventures from the 1950s. Run time: 82 mins.
August 28 (Wex Drive-in Downtown, on the Statehouse lawn): Cary Grant and Jean Arthur team up for the classic George Stevens screwball comedy The Talk of the Town (1942). Run time: 118 mins.

All movies start around dusk (generally 9 pm), but filmgoers can come early with their blankets and chairs and mingle with other film fans. At each Drive-in, free snacks (including ice cream generously provided by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams) will be served, and a cash bar will be available. In the event of rain, the screenings will move inside the Wexner Center (with the exception of the Statehouse screening). As in previous years, Wexner Center members will also receive a Wex Drive-in commemorative mug.

Last year’s Wex Drive-in was a runaway success, with hundreds of people packing the Plaza for food, fun, and classic films. Notes Dave Filipi, a curator in the film department: “To be able to see a film outside, under the stars, with friends and family, can be one of the great joys of summer. After the blockbuster success of last summer’s Drive-in, we’re pleased to again be able to offer a free event for the entire community to enjoy.”

EVENT AND SEASON SUPPORT
Significant contributions for the Wexner Center’s 2008–09 film/video season are made by the Rohauer Collection Foundation.

Wex Drive-in is presented with support from Orange Barrel Media and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.

Additional funding is provided by the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation and Wexner Center members.

In-kind support provided by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

Promotional support is provided by CD 101, The Alternative Station, and The Other Paper.

Community partners are: Ohio Statehouse and Downtown Residents’ Association of Columbus (DRAC).