Guest Post: We all scream for ice cream at Ben & Jerry's Sundae Sessions

Guest post by Amanda Barbera

I used to think a choc-top at Hoyts was a treat. But now I’ve been spoilt - by Ben, and by Jerry.

The Ben & Jerry’s annual “Sundae Sessions” Big Charity Launch, held on 5 February by the Bondi Pavilion, shook up the ‘Sunday night at the movies’ tradition which, up until now, I knew no better than to love.

Gone are the 40 minutes of commercials and yet-to-be classified previews of movies starting sometime next year. Left behind are the rip-off buckets of popcorn, Malteasers & other confectionary you’ll get venomously ‘shhh-ed’ at just to open. And no longer do you need to glaciate in cinema sub-zero temperatures and worry that the person you’ll sit down next to after a bathroom break is not the date you arrived with at all.

Pre-movie entertainment is a festival in itself, with sunset performances by the Winter People, Hungry Kids of Hungary and The Cat Empire perfect choices to get the audience grooving. The vibe was as playful, carefree and fun as, well, a sunny Bondi Sunday afternoon! Maybe it was the sun coming out and the magical beach backdrop; maybe it was the free games & charity prizes. And it’s a sure bet it was the free scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream handed out all evening long. Like the Strawberry Cheesecake? Try Chocolate Fudge Brownie! Demolished Sweet Cream & Cookies? You’ll love New York Super Fudge Chunk. There’s no better way to test every flavour out there than with a licence to keep coming back for more. If you hadn’t realised what the finest, super premium ice-cream tastes like before, you’ll be screaming for the stuff after. 

When it’s time to sit down and watch the inspiring documentary, ‘Life in a Day’, we grab a beanbag, super warm blanket and cocoon under the stars.

And the best part? There’s a story behind every brand and this one’s driven by a social conscience and dedicated activism towards tackling some big global issues. Working alongside ‘Tunes for Change’ and The Cat Empire, the evening raised $20,000 for Australians for Cambodian Education (ACE) to help educate severely disadvantaged children and break the poverty cycle in Cambodia. The proof really is in the ice-cream. 

Johnny Hammond (Ben & Jerry's), Chloe Hamersley and Rich Coombes (Batlow Cider)

It’s another Ben & Jerry’s reminder that ‘capitalism can cure’, and support for the message couldn’t have been easier tonight – EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

Bondi Openair is running from 29 January to 4 March on the Dolphin Lawn next to the Bondi Pavilion.  Ben & Jerry's are hosting Sundae Sessions with free ice cream each Sunday.  The full film schedule can be accessed here.  

Lifeafterfive* attended as a guest of Ben & Jerry's Australia.