Thrivin’ at the Drive-In

By Grace Collins ’23, September 19, 2020

Frankie Walls ‘22 worked to launch Newark’s first pop-up drive-in movie theater.

Frankie Walls '22 built a website and managed the social media channels for Newark Moonlight Cinema.

(Photos submitted)

Frankie Walls ’22 considers herself as an old soul.

“I’ve always been into retro things,” she said. “I have a record player; I have the old Polaroid camera and my grandmother’s old cameras.”

That passion for the past manifested itself during this past summer, when Walls helped bring back a piece of nostalgia to her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, by helping to create Newark Moonlight Cinema, a pop-up drive-in movie theater held in a former minor-league baseball stadium.

At the height of their popularity, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins in the United States. Today, that number has dwindled to a few hundred. However, drive-ins are making a comeback across the nation, offering a chance to view a movie while staying socially distanced, at a time when many indoor movie theaters remain closed due to coronavirus precautions.

Walls got involved with Newark Moonlight Cinema in part due to her academic aspirations. A film, photography, and visual arts major in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, she had previously worked with owner and filmmaker Ayana Morris. The two taught videography to high school students at the Abbott Leadership Institute’s Youth Media Symposium, a nonprofit organization that teaches advocacy and leadership through social media.

“The whole point was to showcase more Black films in a Black community. People don’t recognize the significance of having things that are fun for younger audiences to do. I'd never heard of a drive-in in a more urban community. I'd only ever heard of a drive-ins in small towns.”

Frankie Walls '22

Needing some help getting the drive-in running this summer, Morris immediately thought of Walls.

“She kind of took me under her wing and became a really cool mentor for me,” Walls said. “It was a good feeling, because she told me she didn't know who else she would hire to work for her that closely besides me.”

Walls’s responsibilities included developing a website for the cinema, managing its social media channels, and creating the logo and graphics. While building the website was something she’d never done before, for the other roles, she leaned on experience she’s gained while a student at Ithaca College, particularly her role as social media manager for the Ithacan.

“Anything that you think of, you can make it happen. I’ve been with Moonlight since the early stages and finally seeing it come together for opening weekend, it was so awe-inspiring.”

Frankie Walls '22

With more than 6,000 people following Newark Moonlight Cinema on Facebook, and sold-out shows every week, it’s been a hit in the community. The drive-in features weekend showings of movies created by and starring Black actors and directors, such as Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America.”

“The whole point was to showcase more Black films in a Black community,” said Walls. “People don’t recognize the significance of having things that are fun for younger audiences to do. I'd never heard of a drive-in in a more urban community. I'd only ever heard of a drive-ins in small towns.”

As she reflects back on the summer, she’s proud of the integral role she played in helping to launch the drive-in.

“Anything that you think of, you can make it happen,” she said. “I’ve been with Moonlight since the early stages and finally seeing it come together for opening weekend, it was so awe-inspiring.”

Hannah Fitzpatrick '21 contributed to this story.