NAME OF FESTIVAL: Rooftop Films Summer Series
SINCE: 1997
WHERE: Brooklyn, NY
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Rooftop Films Summer Series - is the core program of Rooftop Films, the only outdoor festival of its kind, screening site-specific programs of new independent films throughout NYC from May to August. Our screenings are more than just film screenings—they are cinema events featuring live music, immersive performances, filmmaker Q&As, and huge after-parties. We host over 40 outdoor movie events with more than 48,000 attendees per summer in outdoor locations throughout New York City.
Rooftop Films Summer Series
Obvious Child
Rooftop Films in New York City, announced today the feature film lineup for the 18th Annual Rooftop Films Summer Series. This year’s series kicks off at Industry City in Sunset Park with some of the most exciting new short films from around the world on Friday, May 16th, followed by a special sneak preview of Gillian Robespierre’s upcoming A24 release Obvious Child on Saturday, May 17th.
I HATE MYSELF 🙂 directed by Brooklyn, New York filmmaker Joanna Arnow will World Premiere this weekend – Friday July 19, 2013, as part of the Rooftop Films summer screening series in Brooklyn, NY. “Sex, offensive slam poets, and a naked film editor add to the director’s journey for egoless self-identity in this home movie-style portrait of lilting self-loathing.”
The 2013 Rooftop Films Summer Series held across New York City begins on May 10th with a collection of new short films including Gold Party by Nellie Kluz, a recipient of a grant from the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund; Slomo by Josh Izenberg, winner of the jury award for best short documentary at the 2013 SXSW film festival; and Weighting, directed Brie Larson and Dustin Bowser. The Summer Series will wrap August 15-17 with three screenings, including a special sneak preview of David Lowery’s, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
Below is the full schedule for the 2013 Summer Series.
Rooftop Films full feature film slate for 2013 was released today and it includes more than 45 new independent films, including two special sneak preview screenings co-presented with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rooftop Films and the Academy will present a free screening of “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” which premiered at Sundance. The film, which opens June 14th, shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Rooftop and the Academy will also partner to present “Short Term 12”, the feature film debut of Destin Cretton. Cretton was a 2010 Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship winner, and “Short Term 12” went on to win the 2013 SXSW Grand Jury Award in March.
Rooftop Films is back for the 17th Annual Summer Series, with this year’s edition kicking off on Friday, May 10th with a screening of what the festival describes as “some of the greatest new short films from all around the world”. On Saturday, May 11th, Rooftop will present a special sneak preview screening of “Frances Ha,” directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Greta Gerwig,
Some highlights from this year’s Summer Series include New York premieres, sneak previews, and more:
Rooftop Films announce the feature film lineup for the 16th Annual Summer Series presented by AT&T, featuring over 45 outdoor screenings with huge crowds, live music, spectacular venues and the best in new, independent, and foreign films. This year’s edition kicks off with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world on Friday, May 11th at Open Road Rooftop at New Design High School in the Lower East Side, and a special preview screening of Think of Me, starring Lauren Ambrose, on Saturday, May 12th also at Open Road Rooftop.
Rooftop Films has continued to experience remarkable growth since their initial single screening on the roof of founder Mark Elijah Rosenberg’s tenement building in 1997 and the focus remains on leveraging their grassroots popularity to bring out big crowds and shine a spotlight on new independent films that might otherwise never get the attention they deserve.
Acting as innovators and leading an event-based film marketing revolution, Rooftop Films has helped enable the success of many alumni, including Wasteland, Trouble the Water, Holy Rollers, Winnebago Man, and numerous others. In addition, through their Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund, they help more powerful, understated films not only be seen, but made; films such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Patron Saints, Nancy, Please, and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom have received production or post-production support via the Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund and gone on to have tremendous success at festivals and reaching wide, appreciative audiences.
However, the popularity and longevity of Rooftop Films comes primarily from the fact that their events take audiences beyond the average multi-plex movie going experience. This year is no different.
“Our aim at Rooftop Films,” says Founder and Artistic Director Mark Elijah Rosenberg, “is to immerse our audiences in new worlds, to bring them places they wouldn’t otherwise go, to provide intimate looks into unique lives. I’m excited about our feature film programming in 2012 because it includes daring and personal films on a wide range of subjects, from a diverse collection of filmmakers, and with every film we’ll be providing a unique cinematic experience.”
During the weekend of June 6-8, Rooftop Films will be presenting three films from the SXSW Film Festival to New York City: Caveh Zahedi’s (I am a Sex Addict) political documentary The Sheik and I, Matthew Lillard’s (Scream, SLC Punk) comic feature debut Fat Kid Rules the World, and Amy Seimetz’s dramatic thriller Sun Don’t Shine, about a road-trip gone bad.
Please find below the full line-up for the 2012 Summer Series listing of feature films. All shows include live-music before the screenings and most include filmmaker Q&As and after parties with complementary open bars. The Summer Series will also include over 20 programs of short films. The full schedule including locations and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Rooftop Films 16th Annual Summer Series Opening Weekend
Friday, May 11, 2012
This is What We Mean by Short Films
Opening Night of Rooftop Films 16th Annual Summer Series will feature grand stories in little packages, with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world.
Venue: Open Road Rooftop (350 Grand Street, LES)
Tickets, films and more info at: www.rooftopfilms.com
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Think of Me (Bryan Wizemann)
http://www.thinkofmemovie.com/
“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 (350 Grand Street, LES)
Tickets, films and more info at: www.rooftopfilms.com
Additional 2012 Feature Selections will include: (in alphabetical order)
Rooftop Films is doing it different this year, announcing a special weekend of select films from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, making their New York Premieres June 3-5 2011, as part of Rooftop Films 15th Annual Summer Series. The films making their New York Premieres as part of our South by Southwest Weekend are The Dish and the Spoon directed by Alison Bagnall and starring Greta Gerwig, No Matter What directed by Cherie […]
Rooftop Films returns Friday, May 13th on the roof of the New Design High School in the Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, and continue with screenings throughout the city every weekend through August 20. This year’ series will feature over 50 shows: every weekend from May 13th – August 20th. The lineup includes 23 feature-length films including 2 World Premieres and 15 US or NY Premieres; 183 short films from 26 countries, shown […]
Rooftop Films is now accepting submissions for our 2011 Summer Series. In May 2011 we will begin our 15th year of bringing the best underground films in the world outdoors and to the rooftops of New York City. Filmmakers who submit their films are given the chance to participate in one of the most unique, filmmaker-friendly, independent film events in the world. The 2011 Summer Series will run from May through September and will feature […]