Outdoor cinema screenings have experienced a huge rise in popularity during the past few years. Here in Gloucestershire we are blessed with numerous outdoor venues that give audiences the opportunity to see their favourite films on the big screen.

The man behind many of Gloucestershire’s outdoor cinema screenings is Andrew Mitchell-Stead, owner of The Alfresco Film Company. Andrew’s company has only been running for just over a year but in that short time has made a significant impact on the film scene here in the South-West. “There’s something magical about outdoor cinema,” Andrew said. “I don’t think there’s a better environment to enjoy a film than when the stars are out and it’s a lovely clear evening. With the films that we choose to screen, there’s always a sense of social togetherness where film fans come together to celebrate their favourite films,” he added.

The unprecedented hot spell from late June to early August made for ideal conditions for fans of outdoor cinema, and also made Andrew’s job a whole lot more comfortable. Andrew continued: “The weather was magnificent for such a long time, we’re not used to it here in the UK. On occasions it was as warm at 11pm as it was at 5pm and audiences were able to enjoy amazing sunsets and clear skies. For a company that’s based outdoors we really couldn’t have asked for more.

“Gloucestershire has so many fantastic locations that I take the big screen to such as the Cotswold Farm Park, Over Farm and Cowley Manor. All the locations are lovely for their own reasons. Cowley Manor is one of my favourites, the gardens are wonderful, and the hotel is a gorgeous building. The screen is set up on the front lawn, it’s a perfect setting. The screen I use is eight metres wide and seven metres high. Setting it up takes about three hours. I spend a lot of time on creating a comfortable environment with candles and fairy lights that transform the venues we use."

Once Andrew has set up the screen, he’s able to unwind and enjoy the film. He continued: “I choose films that I know will have the most appeal to our audiences. A lot of the films we show are family films such as ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Greatest Showman’ but we also screen classics like ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. ‘The Greatest Showman’ has been a real hit this summer, it’s a film that audiences really immerse themselves in, you see a lot of singing along to the songs and dancing as well.

“This summer has been particularly busy which is very pleasing. We’ve filled every weekend of the summer with outdoor screenings. The only way for the company to continue to grow is to purchase a second screen which I’m hopeful of arranging in the future.”