Rooftop Films is more than a film festival--we are a community, and we aim to provide more than just a screening for our filmmakers. Obviously, we want to have their films seen by new, large audiences at our shows, but we also want to help the films be seen elsewhere--at other festivals, on our TV show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, online at IFC.com, in theaters, even at The Academy Awards. We want to help them distribute their films and earn a living, we want to help them make new films (see news about the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund awardees below).
Along those lines, we are proud to be partnering with the Independent Feature Project (IFP), one of the country's leading support organizations for independent filmmakers. In September, during IFP's Market, we will be once again screening films from IFP's Labs (and maybe more).
Given the pivotal role that festivals play in launching emerging filmmakers, IFP's Rough Cut Labs are designed to assist in tackling the creative and technical challenges of completing projects before they are submitted to festivals. Led by seasoned independent producers, the Labs help independent filmmakers achieve the full potential of their material prior to industry exposure by providing four days of feedback and advice on the specific technical, creative and post-production issues such as editing, music selection and scoring, festival and press strategy, sales, marketing and distribution.
The program is open to all first-time, narrative & documentary feature filmmakers who have completed the majority of principal photography. As a commitment to diversity, IFP seeks to ensure that at least 50% of participating projects have an inclusive range of races, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities and physical abilities in key creative positions.
Many Rooftop alums have come out of these Labs, including Todd Rohal ("The Guatemalan Handshake"), Kat Candler ("Roberta Wells"), Alex Karpovsky ("The Hole Story"), Eun-hee Cho ("Spin"), and Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund awardee PJ Raval ("Best Kept Secret"). The advice and support filmmakers receive in these labs is invaluable, and we highly recommend them.
The Documentary Rough Cut Lab (May 6 - 9, 2008) and Narrative Rough Cut Lab (June 10-13, 2008) are held in New York City. Full criteria and on-line application available at www.ifp.org/labs
If you're applying, tell Milton Tabbot (documentary) and/or Amy Dotson (narrative) that you heard about it from Rooftop Films!
In 11 years, Rooftop has now shown over 1,400 films. Casimir Nozkowski has shown about a dozen, more films than anyone else (or at least the 2nd most; Steve Collins has also shown about that many--statistics from the early days are a little hazy. Historians are arguing over original program note documents now stored at the National Archives.)
One of the reasons Cas is so successful is because he can make a smart, sweet, savvy film with very few resources. His work typifies the Rooftop attitude: a good idea, a simple execution, a unique movie.
His most recent work is a potential New York Non-Fiction candidate, a subtle and fun anthropomorphizing of some bottles on the subway. I'd love to hear what people's thoughts are on this, because I found it alternating touching, inspiring, funny and melancholy.
The song in it is "The Dance Went On Too Long" by The Chief Smiles. Cas writes, "This was not sanctioned by the MTA. Or Snapple. Or many strangers on the subways."
I almost never agree with the Academy Awards, but 3 of the 4 nominees for Best Documentary Short Film played at Rooftop Films in 2007--Freeheld (Directed by Cynthia Wade), Salim Baba (Tim Sternberg) and Sari's Mother (James Longley)--so you know I agreed with those choices.
I'm thrilled that Brooklyn native Cynthia Wade (below, right) was given the award for her stunning and powerful film about NJ Police Lieutenant Laurel Hester's (above, right) struggle to have her pension passed on to her domestic partner as Hester was dying of cancer. Hester's strength helped changed this discriminatory policy, and we hope that Wade's film can continue to inspire tolerance and equality.
Rooftop Films is more than a film festival--we are a collaborative community of filmmakers, audience, venues and neighborhoods. One of our most innovative programs is The Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund, a slate of grants given to selected filmmakers whose work has screened at the festival. We have a number of grants available:
+ The Rooftop Films & Eastern Effects Equipment Grant. Rooftop is working with the excellent Brooklyn rental house Eastern Effects to award one feature film a full lighting & grip package. The recipient will be announced in March 2008.
+ The Short Film Grant. Rooftop earmarks $1 from every ticket sold and from every film submission fee received to give to select new projects which our filmmakers are working on. You can read about past grants here. In 2007-08, Rooftop Films will give out almost $12,000 in cash grants--the most recent recipients are announced below.
+ Rooftop Films will be announcing new grant partnerships and awards in the near future, so stay posted!
2007-08 ROOFTOP FILMMAKERS' FUND RECIPIENTS (listed alphabetically - read full details here)
+ Heidi Brandenburg & Matt Orzel, "untitled Peruvian Rainforest doc." + Bill Brown, "Cumberland." + Don Hertzfeldt, "Everything Will Be OK (part 2)." + Melanie Shatzky & Brian M. Cassidy, "The Blessing of the Animals." + Spencer Parsons, "Chainsaw Found Jesus."
+ Heidi Brandenburg & Matt Orzel, "untitled Peruvian Rainforest documentary." Heidi and Matt are spending time with the indigenous peoples and watching as their lives are changed by the increasing pace of oil and gas mining, with links to global warming and the world's dependency on oil. www.yachaywasifilms.co.uk
+ Bill Brown, "Cumberland." Utilizing his unique and fascinating first-person experimental documentary style, Bill will be reconstructing the lives of the 7 members of the 372 Military Police Company who were convicted of abusing detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
+ Don Hertzfeldt, "Everything Will Be OK (part 2)." The 2nd part of Don's Sundance-Award winning film which follows a stick-figure named Bill as he grapples with depression and madness. The new chapter will find Bill struggling with the death of a loved one, the ever-present question of his health, and the apparent unraveling of time. www.bitterfilms.com
+ Melanie Shatzky & Brian M. Cassidy, "The Blessing of the Animals." Melanie and Brian's new film will be a "portrait of love, death and devotion, as witnessed on the day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals." www.pigeonprojects.com.
+ Spencer Parsons, "Chainsaw Found Jesus." Spencer's film is "a melancholy comedy about two fathers, two sons, and the cocaine sale that brings them all together for an everyday adventure."
Rooftop Films received a record number of applicants this year, and we are thrilled to see so many of our alumnae filmmakers working on exciting new projects. Good luck to all the filmmakers.
For some people, it takes a few days to acclimate to the cold and the altitude of Park City. For me, it takes a few days to acclimate to "normal" life after Sundance and Slamdance. I wake up panicked that I've slept through some 8:30am screening. I walk down a busy street confused as to why I haven't run into half a dozen film-world friends. I take a few seconds to think about something other than cinema and feel like I'm slacking off.
But we've been back from the Park City fests for a week now, and I think I'm starting to "recover" from all the amazing movies, fantastic friends, and dreamy days in dark theaters. It's exhausting, but it's a blast. I kept a little diary this year of everything I did out there, which was pretty crazy. I won't bore you with the details, but in 8 days I saw 27 features and a bunch of short films, had conversations with 140 different people, and spent half a day snowboarding (left). What a trip.
To read about as many of the films as Dan and I could stay awake at night to write about, scroll down through the January archives. We really loved the slate out there this year, as we found a ton of films that were right up Rooftop's alley--straightforward films that focused more on telling great personal stories instead of fancy filmmaking frills. I hope our reviews are entertaining and interesting, and provide some insight into these films and the people behind them. And if you agree, or don't, leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
Rooftop Films has a TV show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and the fate of our show, and of community media in New York City, is at stake. As you may know, MNN, the Public Access Television Center in Manhattan, like other Public Access TV centers operate through the local franchise renewal process. MNN is financially supported by Time Warner Cable and RCN Cable, under a franchise agreement with the City of New York. There are nine cable franchises in the City covering all five boroughs. These franchises agreements all expire in 2008. This year in 2008, the City of New York will be renewing the hugely lucrative cable television franchises across all five boroughs of the city.
These renewals occur only once every ten years and impact video, Internet and telephone services to all eight million residents of New York City. As the largest and most important media market in the country, and arguably the world, these broadband deals will have far-reaching consequences for the very structure and character of the mass media nationwide and, indeed, for American democracy itself.
WE NEED YOU to come out to Thursday, FEB. 7th's CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL HEARING!
As part of the Franchise renewal process between the City of New York and Time Warner Cable, a public hearing will be held to allow NYC residents an opportunity to voice their views and concerns regarding the cable franchise we will all be living with for the next 10 to 15 years.
We are asking organizations and community producers to come out and testify to the importance of MNN and Public Access's media resources to your local community, constituents and organization.
We want public officials to know that a diverse array of local organizations use Public Access's channels and resources to bring information, education and entertainment to other New Yorkers. It is extremely important that our public officials hear loud and clear that Public Access provisions are critically important to our community and that continued and expanded support for the needs and interests of Manhattan residents must be included in any franchise agreement that is reached. Your voice is critical!
WHAT: CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL HEARING TO DETERMINE THE NEXT 10-15 YEARS OF MNN & PUBLIC ACCESS TV IN NYC
WHEN: Thursday, February 7th, 2008 from 3pm-7pm WHERE: Borough of Manhattan Community College at the Richard Harris Terrace 199 Chambers Street (between Greenwich and West Streets), NYC. TRAINS: Take the A, B or 1 Train to Chambers Street
Even if you don't intend on testifying please come down anyway to show your support!
