If watching a movie outdoors is still on your summer checklist, there's still time.
This weekend marks the Chicago Park District's foray into showcasing local films about Chicago as part of its Movies in the Parks series.
Fifteen films out of nearly 80 submissions from amateur, student and professional filmmakers made the cut and will hit the big screen beginning Friday through Sept. 20.
Among the independent features, documentaries and shorts included in Chicago On Screen are:
"White Lotus Rising" is about the Ten Thousand Ripple art-based project to bring about peace in Chicago. (Sept. 5 at Ping Tom Park. 300 W. 19th St.)
"The Peace Exchange" follows teens who traveled to Thailand and Burma with Chicago peace builders to learn how to promote peace in Chicago. (Sept. 5 at Ping Tom Park, Sept. 6 at Northerly Island)
"Louder Than a Bomb" focuses on four Chicago-area high school teams competing in a poetry slam. (Sept. 6 at Northerly Island)
"Maydays" centers on two Chicago-area high school students who meet at a Model United Nations conference and become friends who watch the 2012 NATO summit unfold in Chicago. (Sept. 6 at Northerly Island; Sept. 13 at Dvorak Park, 1119 W. Cullerton St.)
"Natural Life" explores the juvenile justice system through the lives of five individuals sentenced to life without parole for crimes they committed as juveniles. (Sept. 18 & 19 at Washington Park, 5531 S. King Dr.)
"Close Quarters" is a comedy about coffee shop conversations of love, sex, friendship and relationships. (Sept. 19 & 20 at Revere Park, 2509 W. Irving Park Rd.)
For a full schedule of all 15 films, click here.
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