“I know a place, ain’t nobody crying.” These are the famous words sung by legendary music group The Staple Singers and can easily be the new slogan for Newark Moonlight Cinema drive-in movie theater located in Newark, New Jersey’s Downtown District.
It is one of the few drive-ins in the nation that is Black-owned and highlights cult-classic and African American filmmakers. Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, and John Lee Hancock’s The Little Things, starring Denzel Washington, is on the slate of this week’s screenings.
Co-founded by filmmaker Ayana Stafford-Morris and real estate developer Siree Morris in 2020, the two-screen drive-in opens on a seasonal basis and can accommodate up to 300 cars on its seven acres. The drive-in was originally in a different location, but has since moved to 220 Orange St., Newark, close to where Ayana Morris grew up.
“It’s truly nostalgic when you were born and raised in a community and see that community torn down and vacant for so long — it puts a hole in your heart,” Stafford-Morris said. “So when we were forced to move, we found this location and we thought we’d be able to turn empty lots into something beautiful.”
The Morris family have plans to extend their vision into an around-the-clock entertainment complex.
“We are trying to start a 24-hour nightlife for families for the City of Newark,” Siree Morris said.
Their business strategy includes enhancements to its standing drive-in concessions, and possibly adding an immersive indoor and outdoor movie experience. Currently in its second season, moviegoers can expect the theatre to show films between Wednesdays and Sundays until Oct. 31, 2021.
