Last Friday, May 18th, Rooftop Films began its 16th season with it’s annual eclectic shorts slate, This Is What We Mean by Short Films. Continuing all summer long they will screen a total of 23 feature films and 183 shorts. Every evening begins with a musical performance; last Friday’s band was terrific, a band called Crinkles. I’ve become a fan. Among the highlights of the shorts were Henry Joost’s A Brief History of John Baldessari, Michael Galinsky, Joanna Arnow & Suki Hawley’s “First Month”, Grant Orchard’s “Morning Stroll” and Dana O’Keefe’s “Aaron Burr, Part 2”.
Along with their usual existing outstanding venues spanning the roofs, parks, and piers of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, Rooftop Films is introducing an additional two new venues this year: Metrotech & Dekalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn.
Here is the complete roster of films coming up this summer.
Friday, May 11
This Is What We Mean By Short Films Opening Night
At Rooftop, we have always envisioned our Opening Night show as a rebellion against stale cinematic forms and status quo stories. This year, revolution is in the air, and our programming crests the top of the upheaval.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, May 12
Think of Me (Bryan Wizemann)
“Trembling with vulnerability, Lauren Ambrose is positively devastating” (The New York Observer) as a young single mother doing her best not to fall apart.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Thursday, May 17
On Your Own (Short Films)
In this dynamic program of comedy, animation, drama and documentary, people on the mad margins of society express a creative vision of the world that is alluring and bizarre.
Venue: Dekalb Market (Downtown Brooklyn), 138 Willoughby St. at Flatbush Ave.
Friday, May 18
No Escape (Short Films)
Spooky folk tales, harrowing home movies, and daring documentaries about people (and creatures) caught in complex webs.
Venue: On the pier at Solar One, E 23rd Street and the East River, New York, NY 10010
Saturday, May 19
The Waiting Room (Peter Nicks)
The Waiting Room is a character-driven documentary film that uses extraordinary access to go behind the doors of an American public hospital struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Wednesday, May 23
Heavy Girls (Axel Ranisch)
Sven shares his entire life, the apartment, even the bed with his mother, who is suffering from dementia. But when she and takes off, Sven goes on a journey that turns his life upside down.
Venue: On the lawn in front of Automotive High School (Williamsburg), 50 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Friday, May 25
Dark ‘Toons (Short Films)
Enjoyably evil animation.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday May 26
Kumaré (Vikram Ghandi)
Kumaré is a documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Thursday, May 31
Bovines (Emmanuel Gras)
In the fields, one sees them, wide in grass or grazing peacefully. Large placid animals which one believes to know because they are livestock. Lions, gorillas, bear have all our attention, but did one ever really look at cows?
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Friday, June 1
This Ain’t California (Marten Persiel)
A hit at the 2012 Berlinale, This Ain’t California takes a look at the transformation of Germany over the course of 40 years through the lens of three skateboarder friends
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, June 2
The Tsunami And The Cherry Blossom (Lucy Walker)
Lucy Walker’s Academy Award-nominated, Rooftop co-funded documentary headlines a program of inspiring films that reveal exquisite hope amidst tragedy and ruin.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Thursday, June 7
The Sheik and I (Caveh Zahedi)
Commissioned by a Middle Eastern Biennial to make a film on the theme of “art as a subversive act,” independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi (I Am a Sex Addict) goes overboard when told that he can do whatever he wants except make fun of the Sheik.
Venue: On the lawn in front of Automotive High School (Williamsburg), 50 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Friday, June 8
Fat Kid Rules the World (Matthew Lilliard)
Marking Matthew Lillard’s (SLC Punk, Scream) directorial debut, and based on the bestselling novel by the same title, Fat Kid Rules the World is a story for anybody who has ever needed to find their inner rock star.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, June 9
Sun Don’t Shine (Amy Seimetz)
Sun Don’t Shine follows Crystal (Kate Lyn Sheil) and her boyfriend Leo (Kentucker Audley) on a tense and mysterious road trip through the desolate yet hauntingly beautiful landscape of central Florida.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Thursday, June 14
Kid-Thing (David and Nathan Zellner)
A fever-dream fable about a rebellious girl who spends her time roaming the land, leaving destruction in her wake.
Venue: On the lawn in front of Automotive High School (Williamsburg), 50 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Friday, June 15
Sundance Film Festival Shorts (Short Films)
The day before their instructional and entertaining ShortsLab returns to NYC, the Sundance Film Festival co-presents an evening of astonishing short films that highlight the diversity and pleasure of the form.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, June 16
I Think It’s Raining (Joshua Moore)
Starring and featuring original songs written and performed by Alexandra Clayton, I Think It’s Raining is a music-infused San Francisco portrait of a young woman at odds with who she once was and who she will become.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Thursday, June 21
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (Terence Nance)
Terence Nance’s explosively creative debut feature documents the relationship between Terence and a woman as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic.
Venue: Dekalb Market (Downtown Brooklyn), 138 Willoughby St. at Flatbush Ave.
Friday, June 22
Is It Love? (Short Films)
Romantic short films about the unusual nature of love in the modern world.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, June 23
Gayby (Jonathan Lisecki)
Jenn and Matt, two best friends from college who are now in their 30s and single by choice, decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together… the old-fashioned way. Gayby will screen during Gay Pride weekend.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Wednesday, June 27
The Comedy (Rick Alverson)
Tim Heidecker stars in this black comedy about a self-absorbed, filthy-rich, obnoxious hipster, insulting his friends and condescending to strangers, and yet somehow appearing compelling, pitiable, perhaps even likeable. Presented by Rooftop Films and BAMcinemaFest
Venue: Outdoor parking lot at BAM Cinematek (Fort Greene), Fulton Street and Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Friday, June 29
New York Non-Fiction (Short Films)
A salutation to New York’s hustlers and everyday heroes, a celebration of all the people and places that make New York the most amazing city in the world.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, June 30
China Heavyweight (Yung Chang)
In central China, a Master coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Wednesday, July 4
The American Experience (Short Films)
On America’s birthday, we celebrate the diversity, daring, and charm of our country, in a program of short films that is funny, revelatory, dramatic and All-American.
Venue: On the grass along the water at Socrates Sculpture Park (LIC, Queens), 3205 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11106
July 5
The Imposter (Bart Layton)
Rooftop Films, indieWIRE, and Snag Films celebrate our 16 year anniversaries with a special sneak preview of The Imposter. An engaging investigation into a bizarre 1997 case in which a Spanish man impersonated a missing adolescent from San Antonio that combines non-fiction detective work with an alluring sense of mystery.
Venue: TBA
Saturday, July 7
The Madness Of Production (Short Films)
Rooftop Films and XO Projects’ annual INDUSTRIANCE™ show presents visually astonishing and intellectually stimulating films that examine the changing landscape in industry and architecture and the way these changes affect individuals around the world.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Friday, July 13
Clermont-Ferrand (Short Films)
A collection of extraordinary new short films, all selected from the 2012 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, the premier short film festival in the world.
Venue: Dekalb Market (Downtown Brooklyn), 138 Willoughby St. at Flatbush Ave.
Saturday, July 14
Argentinean Lesson (Wojciech Staron)
Captured in breathtaking 16mm film, an eight-year-old traveling from Poland to Argentina meets Marcia, a beautiful and brave young girl, 11 going on 30.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Friday, July 20
Coming Home (Short Films)
It’s never easy to go home, but this program of spirited black comedies, fraught animations and intimate documentaries offers hope for reconciliation.
Venue: Outdoors at Metrotech Commons, Bridge St & Johnson St Brooklyn, NY 11201
Saturday, July 21
Brooklyn Castle (Katie Dellamaggiore)
Co-Presented with Kickstarter
Brooklyn Castle tells the story of I.S. 318 – an inner-city school where most students come from low-income homes – that also happens to have the most winning chess team in the country.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Wednesday, July 25
Her Master’s Voice (Nina Conti)
Internationally acclaimed ventriloquist Nina Conti, takes the bereaved puppets of her mentor and erstwhile lover on a pilgrimage to ‘Venthaven’ the resting place for puppets of dead ventriloquists.
Venue: On the grass along the water at Socrates Sculpture Park (LIC, Queens), 3205 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11106
Friday, July 27
Animation Block Party (Short Films)
Some call it punk rock, some call it grass roots, but labels aside, NYC-based Animation Block Party is the premier animation festival of the East Coast.
Venue: On the lawn in front of Automotive High School (Williamsburg), 50 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Saturday, July 28
Grandma Lo-Fi (Orri Jónsson, Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir, Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir)
At the tender age of 70 Sigríður Níelsdóttir started recording and releasing her own music straight from the living room. 7 years later, she had 59 albums to her name with more than 600 songs – an eccentric myriad of catchy compositions mixing in her pets’ purrs and coos, found toys, kitchen percussion and Casio keyboards.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Saturday, August 4
The Patron Saints (Brian Cassidy & Melanie Shatzky)
The Patron Saints, a recipient of the Rooftop Filmmaker’s Fund grant, is a disquieting and hyperrealistic glimpse into life at a nursing home. Bound by the candid confessions of a recently disabled resident, the film weaves haunting images, scenes and stories from within the institution walls.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Sunday, August 5
Rural Route Films (Short Films)
Once again, Rooftop teams up with the amiable folks at the Rural Route Film Festival to bring a little slice of the countryside into the city, and up to an expansive rooftop farm.
Venue: On the roof of the Brooklyn Grange (Queens), 37-18 Northern Blvd, Long Island City, New York 11101
Thursday, August 9
Welcome to Pine Hill (Keith Miller)
A recently reformed drug dealer working as a claims adjuster receives earth-shattering news that compels him to make peace with his past and search for freedom beyond the concrete jungle of New York.
Venue: The Myrtle Avenue Hill in Ft. Greene Park, Myrtle and N. Portland, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Friday, August 10
Only the Young (Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims)
Kevin and Garrison are boyhood friends in a sleepy California suburb. They share a love of skateboarding, an evangelical Christian faith and a sense of confusion about romantic relationships.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, August 11
Detropia (Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady)
Detropia is a cinematic tapestry of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Friday, August 17
Love Story (Florian Habicht)
A chance encounter between a man and a woman on a train leads to a day of adventure and discovery in this romance written on the streets of New York.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (Lower East Side), 350 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, August 18
Rooftop Shots (Short Films)
Closing Night! The sharpest short films—Award-winning comedy, drama, animation and documentary—fired from the roof one last time.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory (Park Slope/Gowanus), 232 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Date TBA
Inocente (Sean Fine & Andrea Nix Fine)
Presented by Rooftop Films and The Fledgling Fund
A series of free screenings, plus art workshops and exhibitions, centered on this inspiring and lovely documentary, made by Academy Award-nominated filmmakers, about a homeless teen finding hope through creativity.
Venue: TBA
Please check Rooftop’s website or Facebook page for updates as all events are subject to change. You can also join and are entitled to various perks and entitlements.
