NOW it’s summer, a season full of carefree vibes. Besides going on vacations or having fun by the sea, watching movies in air-conditioned cinemas is another tried-and-true option in summertime.

The Shenzhen Art Film Screening project, a monthly event held at Broadway Cinematheque, has selected five Chinese movies, a U.S. movie, a Japanese animation and several Dutch movies for this month’s screenings.

Hosted by the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, the project invites locals to appreciate art films by charging only 20 yuan (US$2.8) for a movie at designated screenings; meanwhile, moviegoers can also exchange ideas with outstanding young filmmakers at some of the events.

No summer movie watch list is complete without animations, and Hayao Miyazaki’s classic “Castle in the Sky” (1986) hit Chinese cinemas on Children’s Day. You may have watched the movie many times, but this digitally restored version is sure to have you nostalgic for younger days and summers long gone.

As one of the most popular and critically acclaimed animation in recent decades, this fantasy adventure film, produced by Studio Ghibli, tells a timeless story of friendship and courage, and is known for its imaginative storyline, stunning visuals and memorable characters. On China’s review website Douban, the film has a 9.2 out of 10 rating. The 20-yuan screenings are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. June 3, 1:30 p.m. June 10 and 10:30 a.m. June 18 at Broadway Cinematheque.

Steven Spielberg’s coming-of-age flick “The Fabelmans,” starring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen, may have viewers look back their own childhood while feeling the power of movies. In the film, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth. The movie’s 20-yuan screenings are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. June 4 and June 10, and 1:30 p.m. June 17 at Broadway Cinematheque.

For Chinese movies, this month’s project has you covered with family-themed “A Summer Trip” and “Venus by Water,” romance movies “Love Never Ends” and “Awakening Spring,” the drama “Gaey Wa’r” and the crime/suspense flick “Lost in the Stars.”

Veteran actors Ni Dahong and Tony Leung Ka-fai and actresses Kara Hui and Cecilia Yip star in “Love Never Ends,” a warm romance centering on four 60-year-olds and two twilight loves. In this limited journey of life, before it is too late, one wants to say “I love you!”

“Gaey Wa’r” (aka “Streetwise”), which premiered in the Un Certain Regard of the 2021 Cannes, is a detailed look at the lives of small-town people in the early 2000s. The story follows a young man whose life is complicated by a cold and estranged parent-child relationship and an ambiguous romance.

“Venus by Water,” which premiered at L’ACID Cannes 2021, is about a girl who moves in with her grandmother when her mother falls sick and observes the struggle of three generations of women.

Some Dutch movies from the 2023 Netherlands Film Festival Shenzhen will also be screened in this month’s Shenzhen Art Film Screening project but details have not yet been announced.

Ticketing: WeChat miniprogram “百老汇影城”

Venue: Broadway Cinematheque, 5/F, MixC World, Nanshan District (深圳万象天地五楼深圳百老汇电影中心)

Metro: Line 1 to Hi-tech Park Station (高新园站), Exit A (Cao Zhen)