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AN EVENING WITH DON HERTZFELDT!
WED., NOV. 19TH AT THE IFC CENTER.
By Rooftop Films on 11/17/2008
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Filmmakers' FundAN EVENING WITH DON HERTZFELDT:Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00, 9:15 and 11:15pm at IFC Center. Don Hertzfedlt comes to New York's IFC Center on Wednesday, November 19th to present three screenings of his work. The highlight of the program is the New York premiere of I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, the sequel to his Sundance winning short Everything Will Be Ok. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU was funded in part by the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund. Tickets are on sale now and quickly selling out - $15 general admission/$12 for IFC Center members. You can purchase tickets on... MORE »
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INTERVIEW WITH YLVA FORNER,
DIRECTOR OF "POLVO (DUST)"
By Rooftop Films on 11/17/2008
Filed under: Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Watch Short Films"Polvo (Dust)" (Ylva Forner | Spain | 12:45) callBrightcove(1704031108, 594, 445, "#ffffff");A young woman about to get married works cleaning houses for elderly people. One day an old man offers to pay her well if she just undresses and sits in a chair over by the window for him. A story about memories and missing someone long gone. Q&A Rooftop Films: Tell us about your film. Ylva Forner: This film "Polvo (Dust)" was actually one of my first short films. The title in Spanish has a double meaning that's lost in translation. It literally means "Dust", but in Spanish slang... MORE »
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) Opens at IFC Center on November 21st
By Rooftop Films on 11/14/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Political Films, Rooftop NewsA truly beautiful and heartbreaking new documentary is opening at the IFC Center on November 21st, and we recommend you all go check it out. I saw Ellen Kuras' film at Sundance this past January and everyone who I spoke to was as moved by the film as I was. Filmed over 23 years by Kuras (the cinematographer for countless fantastic films, including the miraculous Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) tells the story of Thavisouk Phrasavath and his family. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government conducted a secret war in the neighboring country of Laos.... MORE »
INTERVIEW WITH BRYAN WIZEMANN,
DIRECTOR OF "THE MORNING SUN"
By Rooftop Films on 11/14/2008
Filed under: Drama, Home Movies, Rooftop Filmmakers, Watch Short FilmsThe Morning Sun (Bryan Wizemann | Brooklyn, NY | 5:30)callBrightcove(1556133939, 594, 445, "#ffffff");A woman wakes up, takes a shower, gets dressed, and leaves the house. In this fascinating and ephemeral film -- a study in the use of available light and narrative restraint -- it's up the audience to string together the pieces of her morning, and the night before. Rooftop Films: Tell us about your film: Bryan Wizemann: The film up at IFC.com is actually from last year, called The Morning Sun, and it's really just a story of a girl waking up in an apartment that's not her... MORE »
"CAPTURED" SCREENS AT MAYSLES CINEMA
WED., NOV. 12, 7PM
By Rooftop Films on 11/12/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Political Films, Rooftop FilmmakersCAPTURED TRAILER Head to the Maysels Cinema tonight for a screening of Captured, an engaging and provocative documentary about vigilante-photographer Clayton Patterson and the sordid history of Manhattan's Lower East Side. Rooftop was thrilled to host the World Premiere of Captured as part of our Panorama Week in June. Over 1,000 people packed Open Road Rooftop, a graffiti-covered roof on the Lower East Side, to learn more about the ever-changing downtown community. Even former Mayor Ed Koch and former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern showed up, despite being portrayed in a not-so-positive light in the film. One of the goals paramount... MORE »
ROOFTOP MUSIC:
THE QUAVERS, FUGAZI & VIC CHESNUTT
ON A ROOF IN VIENNA, INSPIRED BY JEM COHEN
By Rooftop Films on 11/12/2008
Filed under: Home Movies, Rooftop Music, Watch Short FilmsAt Rooftop, we love the quiet, lovely experimentations of The Quavers (who played our festival in 2007), and are glad to post about their latest music-film collaborations. So it's sure to get us excited when you set up this scenario: T. Griffin from the Quavers, Guy Picciotto from Fugazi (other members of which played at Rooftop in 2006) and Athens, GA, indie-folk hero Vic Chesnutt, brought together by a screening for Brooklyn indie-film legend Jem Cohen . . . on a rooftop! Observe, listen, reflect and enjoy. * * * "Holed up in a basement once used as a bolthole... MORE »
MEERKAT MEDIA MIXER / FUNDRAISER
SAT., NOV. 15, 8-11PM @ DCTV
By Rooftop Films on 11/11/2008
Filed under: Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Political Films, Rooftop NewsRooftop Alums Gina Telaroli and Eric Phillips-Horst, who both screened short films at our 2008 edition of "New York Non-Fiction," are part of a couple of very cool film collaborations: The Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, and Meerkat Media. As technology makes it easier and easier to make and share media, the key challenge these days is making good media. Having a group of like-minded artists to collaborate with is key, so getting involved with groups like Meerkat or BFC makes a lot of sense. And it's fun. To raise money for Gina's next feature film, they're having a party this weekend... MORE »
INTERVIEW WITH SARA POMERANCE,
DIRECTOR OF "RELAX AT HOME"
By Rooftop Films on 10/31/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Personal Narrative, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Filmmakers, Watch Short Films, Watch Short FilmscallBrightcove(1683647535, 594, 445, "#ffffff"); One of the misfortunes of old age is revealed in this simple slice of life at a relaxing brunch.. Sara Pomerance's short Relax At Home, played as a part of Rooftop Film's "Home Movies" Program this past summer. We were happy to be able to ask her a few questions about her short film and her filmmaking process. Q & A RT: So tell us little bit about this film. What was your inspiration for the film? Were these people you knew personally? SP: My lens observes the behaviors and psychological coping mechanisms of people around... MORE »
INTERVIEW WITH SARA POMERANCE,
DIRECTOR OF "RELAX AT HOME"
By Rooftop Films on 10/31/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Personal Narrative, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Filmmakers, Watch Short Films, Watch Short FilmscallBrightcove(1683647535, 594, 445, "#ffffff"); One of the misfortunes of old age is revealed in this simple slice of life at a relaxing brunch.. Sara Pomerance's short Relax At Home, played as a part of Rooftop Film's "Home Movies" Program this past summer. We were happy to be able to ask her a few questions about her short film and her filmmaking process. Q & A RT: So tell us little bit about this film. What was your inspiration for the film? Were these people you knew personally? SP: My lens observes the behaviors and psychological coping mechanisms of people around... MORE »
BRENT GREEN WITH DREW & THE MEDICINAL PEN
AT THE STONE (NYC) ON TUE. OCT. 14
By Rooftop Films on 10/13/2008
Filed under: Animation, Home Movies, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Music, Watch Short FilmsRooftop Films events are more than just a movie screening--there's films you won't see anywhere else, live music, filmmakers in attendance, and a communal energy that exceeds just about anything you'll get in a theater.Which is why we're so crazy about Brent Green--his shows have all that magic and passion, pinched together with wires and duct tape, and blasted forth though old phonographs, scratchy woodcuts, and a creaking, plaintive voice. Brent makes astonishing and inspiring animated films about strange old houses, alcoholic Santas, and bringing our soldiers home from an unnecessary war one piece at a time, and he sings... MORE »
ROOFTOP PROGRAMMERS AT APEXART
Cell Phone Videos: Screening and Discussion
By Rooftop Films on 09/22/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Rooftop Newsapexart Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 6-8pm 291 Church St (btw. Walker & White, NYC) FREE In conjunction with the exhibition Scrawl. Please join apexart, Mark Elijah Rosenberg (Founder & Artistic Director of Rooftop Films) and Dan Nuxoll (Rooftop's Program Director) in a discussion on the technological movement in cell phone capability that is influencing and altering the public's ability to capture moments, generate content, and create entirely new modes of communication. The event also includes a screening of selected videos from apexart's open call for cell phone videos that present moments that are an intimate snapshot of a city's inhabitants... MORE »
ROOFTOP WEEKEND RECAP - September 5th & 7th
TWO SHOWS ON COMING TO AMERICA
By Rooftop Films on 09/08/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Political Films, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Weekend RecapFRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5: La Frontera Infinita at El Museo del Barrio (East Harlem) The rain threatened all night, but never came, and Rooftop Films concluded an excellent run of shows at El Museo del Barrio. The museum, which is committed to exhibiting the work of Latino artists from East Harlem and abroad (even while under renovation and expansion), made an excellent partner for Rooftop Films, where we don't screen in theaters, we screen in communities. In 2008, we hosted three evenings of music and film, focused on the local and international Latino community. Each show, including this one, was... MORE »
A FILM ABOUT VIOLENCE
(Ethan Knecht | 1:05 | Drama)
By Rooftop Films on 07/30/2008
Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Home Movies, Watch Short FilmsIf you like this film, see similar ones this Saturday, August 2, at Rooftop's unique and wonderful "Home Movies" show!callBrightcove(1683828054, 594, 445, "#ffffff");The simple and powerful example of the ways the film frame shapes (and distorts) our understanding. Like many great short films, this one starts by making you laugh. A Film About Violence presents us with the awkward situation of the filmmaker, on camera, undergoing a series of slaps to the face while he spills his thoughts on what exactly violence is. It's all about the context--how we would feel if there was a context in this situation, if... MORE »
ROOFTOP WEEKEND RECAP - July 25-26
ANIMATION, FAMILY DRAMA, AND A VISIT FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Rooftop Films on 07/28/2008
Filed under: Animation, Documentary, Drama, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Political Films, Rooftop News, Rooftop Weekend Recap, Sparrow, Watch Short FilmsFRIDAY: Animation Block Party at Automotive High School We always have an amazing turnout for our partnership with the exuberant Animation Block Party but this week we set a record: two screens at Automotive High School allowed some 1,000 people to check out the packed program. The night began with comments from AHS teacher Jenny Kessler, who has started a student gardening program at this uber-urban school, growing vegetables on the very lawn we were watching films. She was selling a lush selection of produce to fund student activities, and our wonderfully supportive audience was thrilled to learn a little... MORE »
CUSPS
(Sara Zia Ibrahimi | 14:28 | Documentary)
By Rooftop Films on 07/22/2008
Filed under: Documentary, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Watch Short FilmscallBrightcove(1634707660, 594, 445, "#ffffff") ; Paralleling changes in the city of Philadelphia with those in her own life, Iranian-American filmmaker Sara Zia Ebrahimi explores her experiences living as an urban nomad. Cusps is a unique visual journal of an artist on the cusp, caught between the lure of stability and the freedom one needs for artistic expression. Sara Zia Ibrahimi uses the film medium as a confessional, as a diary, of her experiences being pushed from place to place as Philadelphia changes, and as she changes along with it in the time of the rise of the creative class. With... MORE »
THE MORNING SUN
(Bryan Wizemann | 05:32 | Drama)
By Rooftop Films on 07/15/2008
Filed under: Drama, Home Movies, Rooftop FilmmakerscallBrightcove(1556133939, 594, 445, "#ffffff");A study in available light and narrative restraint. A one-night stand. Friends with benefits. No stings attached. Call it what you will, but the sun always rises and someone has to go back home in the morning. In this beautifully crafted film (using only available lighting) it's up to the viewer to decide what events lead up to a woman waking up alone, in someone else's bed. Later on this summer we'll be featuring another film by Rooftop favorite Bryan Wizemann in our Home Movies Program. According to Wizemann, the short film titled Film Makes Us Happy... MORE »
HOT DOG MAN
(Joyce Ventimiglia & Jim Haverkamp | 5:45 | Comedy, Documentary)
By Rooftop Films on 07/10/2008
Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Home Movies, Rooftop FilmmakerscallBrightcove(1556197798, 594, 445, "#ffffff") ; A hilarious and poignant home movie about an absurd American icon, a giant self-devouring hot dog statue in downtown Durham, North Carolina. What goes through your head when you drive downtown and one day, there is a giant and somewhat sinister looking statue of an anthropomorphic Hot Dog? Joyce Ventimiglia and Jim Haverkamp, a husband and wife filmmaking team, gave people a chance to talk about it in their short documentary. Some people are attached to the statue, and say the town wouldn't be the same without it; and of course, some hate it--but there... MORE »
ROOFTOP WEEKEND RECAP - June 12-14
3 SOLD-OUT SHOWS
By Rooftop Films on 06/16/2008
Filed under: Animation, Documentary, Home Movies, Political Films, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund, Rooftop Weekend Recap, Watch Short FilmsThe First Annual Rooftop Panorama a huge success Rooftop Films is more than a film festival--we are a community, a collaboration between filmmakers and audience members, between movies, venues and neighborhoods. We not only screen films outdoors; we also foster collaborations by renting equipment, teach filmmaking to young people at partner schools, and co-produce new films through The Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund. But because our festival runs through five months (weekends and more from May 31-September 27), as opposed to many that last a weekend or a week, there's not always the same opportunity for filmmakers, distributors, critics, and audience members... MORE »
CRAZY EYES DOLPHIN VS. THE MAD COWS
(Ian Stewart | 4:35 | Animation)
By Rooftop Films on 06/05/2008
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Home Movies, Rooftop Filmmakers, Watch Short FilmscallBrightcove(1556197793, 594, 445, "#ffffff"); A sobering animated expose about how Mad Cow Disease is now killing dolphins. Via karate. Okay, this is seriously one of the funniest films we've ever shown in the 12 years of Rooftop Films. Ian was a camp counselor, and he used to have his kids tell a part of a story, and then pass it on to the next kid. When you start off with an energetic loony ranting about a bovine/porpoise kung-fu battle, you know you're in for a great tale. This is one you'll watch over and over, and email to all your... MORE »
ROSWELL
(Bill Brown | 19:17 | Documentary)
By Rooftop Films on 06/05/2008
Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Political Films, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund, Watch Short FilmscallBrightcove(1557911184, 594, 445, "#ffffff");In this action-packed experimental documentary, Bill Brown drifts through New Mexico trying to find out what caused that lonely spacecraft to crash land in a tiny town in the American desert half a century ago.Bill has been one of Rooftop Films' favorite filmmakers for years. He covers an astonishing and amusingly diverse range of topics--including aliens from outerspace (here in Roswell) and aliens from across the border (in The Other Side)--with an low-fi aesthetic and an extremely personal touch. It's really a thrill to have unique and thoughtful film art like this online. Two whole DVDs of... MORE »
About the Rooftop Films Blog on IFC.com
By Rooftop Films on 05/01/2008
Filed under: About Rooftop Films and This Blog, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Environmental Films, Home Movies, Personal Narrative, Political Films, Rooftop Filmmakers, Rooftop Music, Rooftop News, Watch Short FilmsFor those of you who know don't know much (or anything) about Rooftop Films, here is a brief introduction: Rooftop Films is a non-profit film festival and production collective that has been screening and producing independent films since 1997. We are most famous for our annual Summer Series, a summer-long outdoor film festival that features more than 35 screenings each year. All of our summer screenings take place in stunning outdoor locations--either on rooftop or in parks, along piers, or in other scenic outdoor locations all over New York City (and occasionally beyond). We have screened more than 1,500 films... MORE »
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