Recently in 2009 Summer Series Category
FRIDAY AUGUST 14
ROOFTOP FILMS and VERIZON FIOS present
HOME MOVIES
Short films and video about moments in time, capturing and imagining what it felt like to be there.
OPEN BAR AFTER PARTY FOLLOWING THE SCREENING FOR ALL IN ATTENDANCE
Venue: On the lawn of Automotive High School
Address: 50 Bedford Ave. @ North 13th St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Directions: L to Bedford Ave. or G to Nassau Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Films
10:30PM: Filmmaker Q & A
11:30PM-1:00AM: After-party: Open Bar at Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave. @ Driggs) Courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner
Tickets: $9 at the door or online
Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, City Council Member David Yassky & Automotive High School
HOME MOVIES
Every year Rooftop hosts a program of Home Movies--discovering the forgotten, unmediated moments of people's lives, unfiltered and as they live them. The films reveal textures, patterns, feelings that might go unnoticed, fleeting incidents that would otherwise pass without thought, but when captured on film or video provide an insight into the lives captured, or those recording.
This year's program includes a wide range of techniques and storytelling strategies, displaying the varied forms that biographical documentary (and pseudo-documentary) can take. Filmmakers parse through mysteriously painful childhood memories (Bloomfield or a Childhood Memory; My Rabbit Hoppy); trace their family history (Ten for Grandpa); work through their issues relating to failed romances and short-lived affairs (Men With Girlfriends Later; I Slept With a Cookie Monster); and capture the fleeting impact of politics on the moments of their lives (Hotel Diaries). The details change and the narrative devices are diverse, but the goal of each film remains the same: to express through film or video what happened in that moment, what it meant to the filmmaker, what it felt like to be there.
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 15TH
ROOFTOP FILMS and VERIZON FIOS present
WHERE YOU LIVE
Short films that show us where you live and how you live. From the harshest African deserts to the fertile Irish countryside, from rapidly growing guesthouses in Hong Kong to the slowly fading inner city of Detroit, these fun and fascinating documentaries invite you into unique communities worldwide.
Venue: On the roof of El Museo Del Barrio
Address: 1230 Fifth Ave. @ 104th St. (East Harlem)
Directions: 6 to 103rd St. or 2/3 to 110th St.
Rain: In the event of rain, show will be indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music
9:00PM: Films
11:00PM-12:30AM: After-party on the roof: Open bar courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner Tickets: $9-$25 at door or online
Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, & El Museo Del Barrio
WHERE YOU LIVE
Since Rooftop Films earliest days, we have called for "films that show us where you live and how you live," films that allow intimate looks into the lives of people and populations around the world. Because at Rooftop, we don't screen in theaters--we screen in communities, and we attempt to make every event a unique connection between filmmakers and audiences, between venues and neighborhoods. We seek out new locations to host events, and bring together area-residents and non-natives for a shared, memorable experience. Tonight, we bring you a program of films that have that touch of local flavor, that bite of distinct hardships, and the comforting joy of community history.
FULL DETAILS - BUY TICKETS
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SEE THE WAY WE GET BY AT THE IFC CENTER.
Filmmakers and Doc Subjects in Attendance!
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Rooftop's Julia Friedman spoke with Aron about his film.
ROOFTOP FILMS: Give us a brief description of your film for those who haven't seen it yet.
ROOFTOP FILMS: Give us a brief description of your film for those who haven't seen it yet.
ARON GAUDET: The Way We Get By is really about life and more importantly how having a purpose in your life means so much. We follow three seniors who volunteer as troop greeters--they go day in and day out to a small airport in Bangor, Maine to greet troops heading to and returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And over the last six years, while greeting nearly one million U.S. soldiers and Marines, they have been able to fight through the many obstacles that come with growing old simply because they are determined to keep their promise to be there for every flight.
RF: Your mother is one of the protagonists in the film. What compelled you to tell her story?
AG: After retiring, my mother had spent years looking for a hobby to put her time into, but had found nothing of interest and basically spent her days sitting at home reading books and watching birds. And then she found troop greeting and it transformed her life. Suddenly she was never home, going out to the airport seven days a week, at any time of the day or night, to greet troops. Seeing this change first hand really inspired me to look closer and see what it was that had made her so active. Once I saw a troop flight come in and be greeted I understood the emotional draw, and really just thought it was a great story to tell.
RF: In what way do you think the relationship between a documentary filmmaker and his/her subjects influences the finished product?
AG: I think in our case it influenced the finished product a great deal. This was our first feature film and we had been told by some documentary filmmakers that you shouldn't get too close to your subjects or form friendships with them because it would just be harder to objectively tell their story. We decided to do the exact opposite. We became a part of their lives and them a part of ours. Besides my mom, the other two subjects from the film are like family now, and we continue to talk with them every week, and visit them whenever we can. The result, I think, is an extremely intimate film. So many times our subjects completely opened up to us emotionally, and gave us so much because there was a great deal of trust built in our relationships with them. They knew we would be there for the long haul. And in the edit room, we were able to separate our feelings for them and still be very true in telling each of their stories. I would never do it any other way.
RF: Your film neither strikes an anti-war, nor pro-war stance, but rather focuses on personal sacrifices and relationships. Especially when dealing with topics as divisive as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, why did you choose to omit your own critical stance?
AG: At the airport they have a few rules you must follow if you would like to greet the troops and the number one rule is "leave your politics outside the airport"...they are really determined to not have what they do be political in any way. It is simply about supporting the troops. So it was a very easy choice to give that same rule to our film. We just felt like there were so many documentaries out there, related to the war, that took such a political stance, and we really didn't want to be another one of those films. Plus, to tell the story of these three individuals didn't require politics, and our political views certainly had no bearing on the story.
RF: Both the young soldiers and the aging protagonists showed a deep commitment to service. Do you think that this is perhaps more typical than the mainstream media would have us believe? Are these characters exceptional people, or do they represent the strength of character of many Americans?
AG: I think they represent what many people believe in and would like to do, but I think their extreme dedication and commitment sets them apart from most people. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the majority of Americans would still be getting calls, in the middle of the night, 7 days a week, and getting out of bed to drive to the airport and greet troops--six years into the war. I think the majority of Americans support the troops regardless of their politics, but the dedication it takes to support them the way our subjects do is truly inspiring.
RF: Have you always been a full-time filmmaker? If not, what has your professional journey been?
AG: "The Way We Get By" is my first feature film, and my journey to get to this point has been a long one. For ten years, I worked as a promotion producer in television news in different markets around the country. And for ten years, I looked for ways to make that jump to filmmaking, but it wasn't until I met producer Gita Pullapilly, and found my perfect partner, that I was able to do so...that's why I'm marrying her! She was truly my equal on the producing side of things, and I felt like I finally had someone I could go into battle with and take on a project like a feature film.
RF: Tell us about your next project.
AG: My next project takes place on October 16th--our wedding day. After that, we've got several projects we're interested in, but still looking for one of them to speak to us like this one did. One thing we learned through all this is we need to fall in love with one of our ideas completely if we're going to dedicate four years of our lives to it.
RF: Your mother is one of the protagonists in the film. What compelled you to tell her story?
AG: After retiring, my mother had spent years looking for a hobby to put her time into, but had found nothing of interest and basically spent her days sitting at home reading books and watching birds. And then she found troop greeting and it transformed her life. Suddenly she was never home, going out to the airport seven days a week, at any time of the day or night, to greet troops. Seeing this change first hand really inspired me to look closer and see what it was that had made her so active. Once I saw a troop flight come in and be greeted I understood the emotional draw, and really just thought it was a great story to tell.
RF: In what way do you think the relationship between a documentary filmmaker and his/her subjects influences the finished product?
AG: I think in our case it influenced the finished product a great deal. This was our first feature film and we had been told by some documentary filmmakers that you shouldn't get too close to your subjects or form friendships with them because it would just be harder to objectively tell their story. We decided to do the exact opposite. We became a part of their lives and them a part of ours. Besides my mom, the other two subjects from the film are like family now, and we continue to talk with them every week, and visit them whenever we can. The result, I think, is an extremely intimate film. So many times our subjects completely opened up to us emotionally, and gave us so much because there was a great deal of trust built in our relationships with them. They knew we would be there for the long haul. And in the edit room, we were able to separate our feelings for them and still be very true in telling each of their stories. I would never do it any other way.
RF: Your film neither strikes an anti-war, nor pro-war stance, but rather focuses on personal sacrifices and relationships. Especially when dealing with topics as divisive as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, why did you choose to omit your own critical stance?
AG: At the airport they have a few rules you must follow if you would like to greet the troops and the number one rule is "leave your politics outside the airport"...they are really determined to not have what they do be political in any way. It is simply about supporting the troops. So it was a very easy choice to give that same rule to our film. We just felt like there were so many documentaries out there, related to the war, that took such a political stance, and we really didn't want to be another one of those films. Plus, to tell the story of these three individuals didn't require politics, and our political views certainly had no bearing on the story.
RF: Both the young soldiers and the aging protagonists showed a deep commitment to service. Do you think that this is perhaps more typical than the mainstream media would have us believe? Are these characters exceptional people, or do they represent the strength of character of many Americans?
AG: I think they represent what many people believe in and would like to do, but I think their extreme dedication and commitment sets them apart from most people. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the majority of Americans would still be getting calls, in the middle of the night, 7 days a week, and getting out of bed to drive to the airport and greet troops--six years into the war. I think the majority of Americans support the troops regardless of their politics, but the dedication it takes to support them the way our subjects do is truly inspiring.
RF: Have you always been a full-time filmmaker? If not, what has your professional journey been?
AG: "The Way We Get By" is my first feature film, and my journey to get to this point has been a long one. For ten years, I worked as a promotion producer in television news in different markets around the country. And for ten years, I looked for ways to make that jump to filmmaking, but it wasn't until I met producer Gita Pullapilly, and found my perfect partner, that I was able to do so...that's why I'm marrying her! She was truly my equal on the producing side of things, and I felt like I finally had someone I could go into battle with and take on a project like a feature film.
RF: Tell us about your next project.
AG: My next project takes place on October 16th--our wedding day. After that, we've got several projects we're interested in, but still looking for one of them to speak to us like this one did. One thing we learned through all this is we need to fall in love with one of our ideas completely if we're going to dedicate four years of our lives to it.
+ + +
BUY TICKETS TO SEE THE WAY WE GET BY AT THE IFC CENTER.
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Rooftop Films (NYC) and the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) have joined forces to present two remarkable films from IFFR 2009 in Rooftop's Summer Series. Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly by Edwin (Indonesia) and Los Herederos by Eugenio Polgovsky (Mexico) will be screened on July 17 and 18, 2009 with the filmmakers and IFFR director Rutger Wolfson attending. Q&As with the filmmakers will be hosted by Rooftop Films Founder and Artistic Director Mark Elijah Rosenberg.
The collaboration, a pilot project between the International Film Festival Rotterdam and Rooftop Films, sets out to raise the profile and track record of both films in the US. The films screened at IFFR and have been supported financially by its Hubert Bals Fund.
Also that weekend, Rooftop Films will host a forum with film industry leaders about the future of independent, alternative film exhibition.
Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly, a dark comedy from Indonesia about the local Chinese community, was made by first-time feature filmmaker Edwin (who uses only his first name as his artist name). Los Herederos, by Mexican filmmaker Eugenio Polgovsky, is an impressive and artful documentary about child labor.
Rooftop Films' 13th Annual Summer Series runs every weekend from May 15-September 20. Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length films and programs of shorts--all new, all independent. Rooftop screens films outdoor in unique locations, with live music before each screening, filmmaker Q&As after the screening, and after-parties for all in attendance. Rooftop creatively matches the film, the music and the venue, connecting films with communities and artists with audiences so that each event is unique and memorable.
The IFFR is interested in exploring new ways of finding an audience for independent cinema and therefore is glad to collaborate with Rooftop. Rooftop Films Founder and Artistic Director Mark Elijah Rosenberg said of the partnership, "Both our festivals are dedicated to supporting truly independent filmmakers who are making daring films, and in finding unique new ways to produce and exhibit these films. It's an honor for Rooftop and the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund to be working with Rotterdam on this new venture."
For screening dates, locations, visit www.rooftopfilms.com. To buy tickets, click here.
Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly is a film that is both serious and playful. The film tackles a sensitive racial political issue, namely the denial of the cultural identity of the Chinese minority in Indonesia, but is also filled with humorous and bizarre jokes and situations.
Edwin's film premiered November 2009 in Pusan's New Currents section, then went on to compete in Rotterdam's VPRO Tiger Awards Competition and there was honored with the FIPRESCI Award of the international film critics' jury.
Edwin (1978, Indonesia) studied graphic design in Surabaya and film in Jakarta. Besides short fiction, Edwin makes music videos and documentaries. In 2005 his film Kara, the Daughter of a Tree became the first Indonesian short film ever invited to the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. For the IFFR, Edwin made the short film Hulahoop Soundings (2008), a kind of remake of Joel Coen's graduation film Soundings. Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (2008) is his feature début.
Rooftop Films Summer Series screening date and location of Blind Pig: July 17, 2009, on the roof of the Old American Can Factory. Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/Park Slope, Brooklyn). Doors open at 8:00pm. Live music at 8:30pm. Film at 9:00pm. BUY TICKETS.
Edwin's film premiered November 2009 in Pusan's New Currents section, then went on to compete in Rotterdam's VPRO Tiger Awards Competition and there was honored with the FIPRESCI Award of the international film critics' jury.
Edwin (1978, Indonesia) studied graphic design in Surabaya and film in Jakarta. Besides short fiction, Edwin makes music videos and documentaries. In 2005 his film Kara, the Daughter of a Tree became the first Indonesian short film ever invited to the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. For the IFFR, Edwin made the short film Hulahoop Soundings (2008), a kind of remake of Joel Coen's graduation film Soundings. Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (2008) is his feature début.
Rooftop Films Summer Series screening date and location of Blind Pig: July 17, 2009, on the roof of the Old American Can Factory. Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/Park Slope, Brooklyn). Doors open at 8:00pm. Live music at 8:30pm. Film at 9:00pm. BUY TICKETS.
Los Herederos (The Inheritors) is a hypnotic documentary that observes the young working poor in the hinterlands of Mexico, alternately expressing the joy of children finding ways to play, the frustration of their harsh and repetitive lives, and the fateful acceptance of their existence.
Eugenio Polgovsky (1977, Mexico) studied film, photography and directing at the CCC in Mexico and won the Special Prize in a UNESCO photography contest. He works as director and cinematographer. His first feature-length documentary Tropic of Cancer (2004) was awarded several times at festivals. Polgovsky's Los Herederos received a digital production grant in 2007 from the Hubert Bals Fund, premiered August 2008 during the Venice Film Festival and was selected for Rotterdam 2009's Bright Future section for first and second time filmmakers.
Rooftop Films Summer Series screening date and location of Los Herederos: July 18, 2009, On the roof of El Museo Del Barrio. Address: 1230 Fifth Ave. @ 104th St. (East Harlem). Doors open at 8:00pm. Live music at 8:30pm. Film at 9:00pm. BUY TICKETS.
Rooftop Films Summer Series screening date and location of Los Herederos: July 18, 2009, On the roof of El Museo Del Barrio. Address: 1230 Fifth Ave. @ 104th St. (East Harlem). Doors open at 8:00pm. Live music at 8:30pm. Film at 9:00pm. BUY TICKETS.
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On Saturday, June 20th, Rooftop Films will be screening Jennifer Maytorena Taylor's film New Muslim Cool on the roof of El Museo del Barrio. Get tickets now before it sells out.
Jennifer Maytorena Taylor is a director, producer, photographer, and narrator. Her latest feature film , New Muslim Cool, chronicles the personal journey of Puerto-Rican American rapper Hamza Pérez. Pérez ended his life as a drug dealer 12 years ago, and started down a new path as a young Muslim. Now he's moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family, and take his message of faith to other young people through his uncompromising music as part of the hip-hop duo M-Team. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world.
Rooftop's Julia Friedman discussed the film with Jennifer. Here's the scoop:
ROOFTOP FILMS: Give us a brief description of your film for those who haven't seen it yet.
JENNIFER MAYTORENA TAYLOR: After the FBI raids his community's mosque, Puerto Rican American Muslim hip-hop artist Hamza Pérez must confront life in post-9/11 America, and himself. NEW MUSLIM COOL, shot over three years in Pittsburgh, PA and other locations around the US, follows Hamza's ride through the streets, projects and jail cells of urban America, following his spiritual journey to some surprising places -- where we can all see ourselves reflected in a world that never stops changing.
RF: Hamza's background, as a Puerto-Rican, Muslim American is truly representative of the American "melting-pot." Was this part of what drew you to focus on him as a character?
JMT: My work often focuses on Latino characters and themes (I'm partially of Mexican descent) so that was a point of connection that served us well at many points in the production process, especially with the rest of the Perez family. Our principal DP, David Sarasti, is from Columbia, so that also added some good Latino flavor to the production team.
And definitely, Hamza's multiple affiliations represent the complex cultural identity that so many of us share in the melting-pot, and I think help underscore that we can be many things at once and still share a national identity and set of common values.
RF: The movie focuses on the FBI's persecution of Muslim Americans, especially under The Patriot Act. Under the Obama administration, do you think that some of this persecution has subsided, or are Muslim citizens still being harassed and denied rights?
JMT: We never intended to focus on this issue when we set out to make the film, indeed I intentionally did not use 9/11 and its aftermath as a frame for the film's story because I didn't want that to be the only point of reference. I was so tired of only seeing Muslim stories in that context that I tried to start with a fresh slate.
But of course when the surveillance issue emerged and then the raid happened, we had no choice but to make that part of the film. Even so, the action that unfolded after the raid had much more to do with Hamza and his community's emotional and spiritual responses to the event. I actually looked for them to do something more typically dramatic but that is not how they chose to respond, and so the film ends up with a much more subtle and quiet storyline.
Also I should say that Hamza and the other folks in the film, while being understandably very upset about the raid, did not really see themselves so much as victims. Partly that is because many of them grew up with a lot of police presence in their communities, partly because they try really hard to take a lot of responsibility for themselves and their responses, and partly because they are sophisticated about the ways in which others may see them. That's what Hamza and Suliman's song So Clear is about, which they'll perform at the Rooftop Films show.
Finally, I am not sure what may have changed in the last few months with regard to the PATRIOT Act and treatment of the Muslim community in the US, but I'm hopeful.
RF: The role of hip-hop and poetry in the film functions as both artistic expression and social statement. In your opinion, and perhaps in Hamza's as well, are art and music the most effective means of changing public opinion?
JMT: I'm not sure if they are the most effective of all but I think they are certainly one of the most effective ways of moving mass opinion. I think the thing is to make people feel empathy and a personal connection and not just treat issues in the abstract.
RF: The film focuses on Hamza's spiritual journey of personal growth. Did you as the filmmaker experience a similar transformation during the making of the film?
JMT: I think I have more respect and understanding now for people who choose to follow organized forms of faith of all kinds --- when they are motivated to make society better and respect that others have different beliefs (including no religious affiliation) but can still have common values.
RF: Are you a full-time filmmaker? If not, what else are you up to?
JMT: I've worked full-time as a producer and filmmaker for about 10 years, and in addition to making long-form independent documentaries often work as a producer in current affairs and arts at the San Francisco PBS affiliate, KQED.
RF:Tell us about your next project.
JMT: We're launching a lot of components of NEW MUSLIM COOL over the next few months, including an expanded soundtrack album hosted by Q-Tip. This fall we're going to kick off a campus and prison screening tour with the film to sound that theme, and also plan to work with several youth civic engagement projects through the next couple of years. We'll be preparing a special DVD for use in correctional facilities with extra features and discussion guides that jail staff can use with inmates of different faith backgrounds, to both help the interfaith relationships among the inmate population and also to encourage self-reflection.
Another idea that we are developing and fundraising for is a video game aimed at pre-teens and teenagers, based on the drug dealing prevention program Hamza, Suliman, and Luqmon have developed. We also hope that we might be able to support the work being done by non-profit organizations that help young people start small legitimate businesses through micro-loans and training.
Also as I was making NEW MUSLIM COOL I also co-produced and co-directed a feature documentary (with Marianne Teleki) called SPECIAL CIRCUMANSTANCES. It's about Marianne's husband Hector -- a Chilean exile searching for the people who killed his friends after the 1973 coup -- and will be out on national PBS in the fall in the Latino series Voces.
And for my next production I'm going to finally have time to make the film I've had rattling around my laptop for a long time, a short musical comedy extravaganza called STOP! WAIT! THAT'S MY TACO TRUCK!
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VOICES FROM EL-SAYED
(Oded Adomi Leshem | Israel | 75 min.) New York Premiere
In this smart and charming documentary, the world's largest community of deaf people is suddenly given a gift that threatens to disrupt local heritage.
In this smart and charming documentary, the world's largest community of deaf people is suddenly given a gift that threatens to disrupt local heritage.
BUY TICKETS.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory
Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Films
11:00PM-12:30AM: Reception in courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi
Tickets: $9-$25 at the door or online
Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Films
11:00PM-12:30AM: Reception in courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi
Tickets: $9-$25 at the door or online
PROGRAM NOTES & TICKETS
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SATURDAY, JUNE 13
PERSONA NON GRATA
(Fabio Wuytack | Belgium & Venezuela | 1:30:00)
U.S. Premiere!
Prosecuted as a rebel. Banned as a priest. Committed as an artist. Loved as a father.
An inspiring and important documentary co-funded by Rooftop Films.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory
Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
5:00PM: Panel discussion: "Message Vs. Craft," outside in courtyard
6:30PM: Panel discussion: "Filmmaking Strategy," outside in courtyard
7:30-9:00PM: Reception in the courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi
8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Film + Filmmaker Q & A
Tickets: $9-$25 at the door or online
Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, IndiePix, Shooting People & XØ Projects.
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Now decades later, Wuytack returns to Venezuela as a working-class and artistic hero in this gorgeous and inspiring film. Featuring exciting material from his days an activist and touching footage from his return, the film has won numerous awards at European film festivals and competitions. Be the first to see it in the US!
Panelists include:
Lina Srivastava (consultant to non profit media companies working for social change) - moderator
Justin Schein (Co-director of No Impact Man)
Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata)
Bilge Ebiri (film critic from New York magazine)
Paola Mendoza (Director of Entre Nos)
Fabio Wuytack will be in attendance on Saturday at Rooftop Films, partaking in a panel discussion before the film and a Q & A afterward. I hung out with Fabio and his family in Belgium, and he's a brilliant speaker and a lot of fun. Watch an interview with him below.
Prosecuted as a rebel. Banned as a priest. Committed as an artist. Loved as a father. An inspiring documentary--co-funded by Rooftop Films--about the filmmaker's father, Franz Wuytack, a radical left-wing Belgian missionary in the slums of Venezuela in the 1960s. With a new liberal movement sweeping Latin America, and people like Wuytack needing to continue the fight for social justice in the US and around the world, this film is crucially relevant today.
Venue: On the roof of the Old American Can Factory
Address: 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. (Gowanus/ Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Directions: F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
5:00PM: Panel discussion: "Message Vs. Craft," outside in courtyard
6:30PM: Panel discussion: "Filmmaking Strategy," outside in courtyard
7:30-9:00PM: Reception in the courtyard including free sangria courtesy of Carlo Rossi
8:30PM: Live music by Nutria NN presented by Sound Fix Records
9:00PM: Film
Tickets: $9-$25 at the door or online
Presented in partnership with: Cinereach, New York magazine, IndiePix, Shooting People & XØ Projects
MAP
5:00-6:00PM
Message vs. Craft: The Art of Effective "Issue" Storytelling
When a filmmaker takes on a topic related to social justice or human rights it is often with the hope of influencing public opinion and inspiring action. To achieve that, a film must reach and engage the right audience, in the right numbers. It must also portray the human impact of the issue or problem persuasively. How does a "social issue" filmmaker balance the need to educate with the public's desire to be entertained? How does he/she move past preaching to the choir and make a film that can become a catalyst for real change? This panel will provide advice on the above from documentary and fiction filmmakers including Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata) and Paola Mendoza (Entre Nos), whose work successfully walks the issue/entertainment line. Leah Sapin of Arts Engine (which specializes in production and outreach for socially relevant films), and New York magazine film critic Bilge Ebiri will join the discussion, to be moderated by Lina Srivastava.
Message vs. Craft: The Art of Effective "Issue" Storytelling
When a filmmaker takes on a topic related to social justice or human rights it is often with the hope of influencing public opinion and inspiring action. To achieve that, a film must reach and engage the right audience, in the right numbers. It must also portray the human impact of the issue or problem persuasively. How does a "social issue" filmmaker balance the need to educate with the public's desire to be entertained? How does he/she move past preaching to the choir and make a film that can become a catalyst for real change? This panel will provide advice on the above from documentary and fiction filmmakers including Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata) and Paola Mendoza (Entre Nos), whose work successfully walks the issue/entertainment line. Leah Sapin of Arts Engine (which specializes in production and outreach for socially relevant films), and New York magazine film critic Bilge Ebiri will join the discussion, to be moderated by Lina Srivastava.
Panelists include:
Lina Srivastava (consultant to non profit media companies working for social change) - moderator
Justin Schein (Co-director of No Impact Man)
Fabio Wuytack (Director of Persona Non Grata)
Bilge Ebiri (film critic from New York magazine)
Paola Mendoza (Director of Entre Nos)
Tony Gerber (Co-Director of Full Battle Rattle)
6:30-7:30pm
Filmmaking Strategy:
Tips, Tools and Wisdom to Help You Make the Right Decisions For Your Film
Filmmakers have to be both artists and strategists to get their films made and seen and this is the case now more than ever as changes in funding and distribution force filmmakers to shoulder more of the crucial decisions on their own. This panel will help you learn how to be the best advocate for your film by asking all the tough questions that you will have to ask along the way. For example: How much work (and what work) do you need to achieve on your own before approaching a funder? And how can you tailor your pitch to communicate your vision to a foundation vs. an equity investor? What other funding options are there? How do you balance traditional outreach to festivals, sales agents, broadcasters, and distributors with the need to also create your own fan base? Which distribution deals do you accept? How do know when a deal is a good deal? How do you hope for the best but plan for the worst?
6:30-7:30pm
Filmmaking Strategy:
Tips, Tools and Wisdom to Help You Make the Right Decisions For Your Film
Filmmakers have to be both artists and strategists to get their films made and seen and this is the case now more than ever as changes in funding and distribution force filmmakers to shoulder more of the crucial decisions on their own. This panel will help you learn how to be the best advocate for your film by asking all the tough questions that you will have to ask along the way. For example: How much work (and what work) do you need to achieve on your own before approaching a funder? And how can you tailor your pitch to communicate your vision to a foundation vs. an equity investor? What other funding options are there? How do you balance traditional outreach to festivals, sales agents, broadcasters, and distributors with the need to also create your own fan base? Which distribution deals do you accept? How do know when a deal is a good deal? How do you hope for the best but plan for the worst?
Panelists include:
Ingrid Kopp (Shooting People) - moderator
Adella Ladjevardi (Cinereach)
Janet Brown (Cinetic)
Liz Ogilvie (B-Side)
Simon Kilmurry (POV)
Tia Lessin (Co-Director of Trouble the Water)
Andy Bichlbaum (Co-Director of The Yes Men Fix the World)
___________________________________________________________________________
Ingrid Kopp (Shooting People) - moderator
Adella Ladjevardi (Cinereach)
Janet Brown (Cinetic)
Liz Ogilvie (B-Side)
Simon Kilmurry (POV)
Tia Lessin (Co-Director of Trouble the Water)
Andy Bichlbaum (Co-Director of The Yes Men Fix the World)
___________________________________________________________________________
On Thursday, June 11, Rooftop Films and The Fledgling Fund will present the fascinating documentary No Impact Man. The film is a local family drama with global implications, as the inspirational (and controversial) No Impact Man (and family) challenge themselves to make no environmental impact for one year. As part of Rooftop Films core goal to engage audiences in unique and interesting ways, Rooftop and The Fledgling Fund invite you to join the challenge.
THE SCREENING WILL GO ON RAIN OR SHINE, EITHER INDOORS OR OUT, SO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.
All in attendance will be welcome at the after-party at Matchless Bar, with free drinks courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner.
THE SCREENING WILL GO ON RAIN OR SHINE, EITHER INDOORS OR OUT, SO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW.
All in attendance will be welcome at the after-party at Matchless Bar, with free drinks courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner.
Before and after the screening--rain or shine--the lawn (or auditorium) of Automotive High School will host a celebration of environmentally-friendly activities, as Rooftop Films and The Fledgling Fund utilize the screening of No Impact Man to engage audience members in making environmentally-friendly lifestyle commitments.
Just Food will get people involved in their "make bee keeping legal in NY campaign", the Greenmarket will do a local foods cooking demonstration, The NY Office of Recycling will do a "what can you recycle/what can you not recycle" game, the LES Ecology Center will demonstrate how to use a compost kit, Artistic Evolution will bring their "bike blender" to make environmentally friendly lemonade, and the students of Automotive High School will demonstrate their bio-diesel cars and distribute organic produce grown on school grounds. Audience members who make personal pledges to change aspects of their lifestyles will be entered into a raffle to win various prizes.
The Hungry March Band, New York's legendary political street brass march band, will help create a festive atmosphere as they perform in the anarchic style that has become their trademark.
This promises to be one of the most crucial Rooftop events ever, so come on by!
The pledges Rooftop, Fledgling and No Impact Man himself are asking you to make are:
1. Save the world by improving your diet. Really! All you have to do is stop eating beef. Worldwide, beef production contributes more substantially to climate change than the entire transportation sector. Plus, a diet with no or less beef is better for you. The carbon footprint of the average meat eater is about 1.5 tons of CO2 larger than that of a vegetarian. Cutting beef out of your diet will reduce your CO2 emissions by 2,400 pounds annually.
2. Get your drinking water for free. You can save money and your environment by giving up bottled water. The production of plastic water bottles together with the privatization of our drinking water is an environmental and social catastrophe. Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline. Plus, the health consequences of drinking water from plastic are not clear.
3. Observe an eco-sabbath. For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life. Every hour per week that you live no impact cuts your carbon emissions by .6% annually, commit to four hours per week that's 2.4%, do it for a whole day each week to cut your impact by 14.4% a year.
4. Tithe a fixed percentage of your income. Currently, many of our societal health and welfare services are tied to consumer spending which, in turn, depends upon planetary resource use. But the idea of buying stuff to help people is crazy, especially when you consider that our consumption is harming the habitat that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security. If you want to help, don't go shopping. Just help. Commit to tithing part of your income to the non-profits of your choice. If an average family contributes 1% ($502.33) of their annual income ($50,233) to an environmental non-profit, they could offset 40.7 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
5. Get there under your own steam. Commit to getting around by bike or by foot a certain number of days a month. Not only does this mean using fewer fossil fuels and creating less greenhouse gasses, it means you'll get good, healthy exercise and we'll all breathe fewer fumes. A city with pedestrian and bike traffic is a lot more pleasant to live in than a city filled with vehicles. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year.
6. Commit to not wasting. Wasting resources costs the planet and your wallet. Don't overheat or overcool your home--a few degrees make a huge difference. Let your clothes hang dry instead of using the dryer. If your old cell phone works, consider not getting another. The list goes on and on. In the summer, for every degree above 72 F you set your thermostat, you save 120 pounds of CO2 emissions per year and if you wash your clothes with cold water you can cut your laundry energy use by up to 90%.
7. Build a community. Play charades. Have dinners with friends. Sing together. Enjoying each other costs the planet much less than enjoying its resources. Let's relearn to joke around and play in ways that cost nothing to our pocketbooks or our planet. It's hard to put an exact number to this but the benefits are priceless.
8. Take your principles to work. The old adage "the cost of doing business" can no longer hold true. We must act as though we care about the world at work as much as we do at home. A company CEO or a product designer has the power to make a gigantic difference through their business, and so do the rest of us. In commercial buildings lighting accounts for more than 40% of electrical energy use, a huge cause of greenhouse gas production. Ask your employer to consider installing motion and occupancy sensors, which can cut this use by 10%.
9. Dedicate a day's worth of TV viewing to eco-service each week. The average American watches four and a half hours of TV a day. Take one day off from the tube each week and joining with others to improve our planet. Voluntary eco-service is a great way to find community who support your values and a great way to learn about environmental issues and the quality of life issues that go along with them. Spend three fewer hours each day sitting in front of your plasma television and you will reduce your carbon emissions by 550 pounds each year.
10. Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference to all of us. We are all interconnected. We make a difference to each other on many different levels. Every step towards living a conscious life where we consider the consequences of our actions provides support to everyone else--whether you know it or not--who is trying to do the same thing. We are the masters of our destinies. Let's act as though it is so.
COME SEE NO IMPACT MAN AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND WORLD, WHILE HAVING FUN DOING IT.
Just Food will get people involved in their "make bee keeping legal in NY campaign", the Greenmarket will do a local foods cooking demonstration, The NY Office of Recycling will do a "what can you recycle/what can you not recycle" game, the LES Ecology Center will demonstrate how to use a compost kit, Artistic Evolution will bring their "bike blender" to make environmentally friendly lemonade, and the students of Automotive High School will demonstrate their bio-diesel cars and distribute organic produce grown on school grounds. Audience members who make personal pledges to change aspects of their lifestyles will be entered into a raffle to win various prizes.
The Hungry March Band, New York's legendary political street brass march band, will help create a festive atmosphere as they perform in the anarchic style that has become their trademark.
This promises to be one of the most crucial Rooftop events ever, so come on by!
The pledges Rooftop, Fledgling and No Impact Man himself are asking you to make are:
1. Save the world by improving your diet. Really! All you have to do is stop eating beef. Worldwide, beef production contributes more substantially to climate change than the entire transportation sector. Plus, a diet with no or less beef is better for you. The carbon footprint of the average meat eater is about 1.5 tons of CO2 larger than that of a vegetarian. Cutting beef out of your diet will reduce your CO2 emissions by 2,400 pounds annually.
2. Get your drinking water for free. You can save money and your environment by giving up bottled water. The production of plastic water bottles together with the privatization of our drinking water is an environmental and social catastrophe. Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline. Plus, the health consequences of drinking water from plastic are not clear.
3. Observe an eco-sabbath. For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life. Every hour per week that you live no impact cuts your carbon emissions by .6% annually, commit to four hours per week that's 2.4%, do it for a whole day each week to cut your impact by 14.4% a year.
4. Tithe a fixed percentage of your income. Currently, many of our societal health and welfare services are tied to consumer spending which, in turn, depends upon planetary resource use. But the idea of buying stuff to help people is crazy, especially when you consider that our consumption is harming the habitat that we depend upon for our health, happiness and security. If you want to help, don't go shopping. Just help. Commit to tithing part of your income to the non-profits of your choice. If an average family contributes 1% ($502.33) of their annual income ($50,233) to an environmental non-profit, they could offset 40.7 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
5. Get there under your own steam. Commit to getting around by bike or by foot a certain number of days a month. Not only does this mean using fewer fossil fuels and creating less greenhouse gasses, it means you'll get good, healthy exercise and we'll all breathe fewer fumes. A city with pedestrian and bike traffic is a lot more pleasant to live in than a city filled with vehicles. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year.
6. Commit to not wasting. Wasting resources costs the planet and your wallet. Don't overheat or overcool your home--a few degrees make a huge difference. Let your clothes hang dry instead of using the dryer. If your old cell phone works, consider not getting another. The list goes on and on. In the summer, for every degree above 72 F you set your thermostat, you save 120 pounds of CO2 emissions per year and if you wash your clothes with cold water you can cut your laundry energy use by up to 90%.
7. Build a community. Play charades. Have dinners with friends. Sing together. Enjoying each other costs the planet much less than enjoying its resources. Let's relearn to joke around and play in ways that cost nothing to our pocketbooks or our planet. It's hard to put an exact number to this but the benefits are priceless.
8. Take your principles to work. The old adage "the cost of doing business" can no longer hold true. We must act as though we care about the world at work as much as we do at home. A company CEO or a product designer has the power to make a gigantic difference through their business, and so do the rest of us. In commercial buildings lighting accounts for more than 40% of electrical energy use, a huge cause of greenhouse gas production. Ask your employer to consider installing motion and occupancy sensors, which can cut this use by 10%.
9. Dedicate a day's worth of TV viewing to eco-service each week. The average American watches four and a half hours of TV a day. Take one day off from the tube each week and joining with others to improve our planet. Voluntary eco-service is a great way to find community who support your values and a great way to learn about environmental issues and the quality of life issues that go along with them. Spend three fewer hours each day sitting in front of your plasma television and you will reduce your carbon emissions by 550 pounds each year.
10. Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference to all of us. We are all interconnected. We make a difference to each other on many different levels. Every step towards living a conscious life where we consider the consequences of our actions provides support to everyone else--whether you know it or not--who is trying to do the same thing. We are the masters of our destinies. Let's act as though it is so.
COME SEE NO IMPACT MAN AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND WORLD, WHILE HAVING FUN DOING IT.
Venue: On the lawn of Automotive High School
Address: 50 Bedford Ave. @ North 13th St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Directions: L to Bedford Ave. or G to Nassau Ave.
7:30: Eco Carnival: A celebration of environmentally-friendly activities, including bike blenders, raffles, prizes.
Address: 50 Bedford Ave. @ North 13th St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Directions: L to Bedford Ave. or G to Nassau Ave.
7:30: Eco Carnival: A celebration of environmentally-friendly activities, including bike blenders, raffles, prizes.
8:00: Sound Fix presents live music by The Hungry March Band.
9:00: Film
11:30-1:00: After-party: Free Radeberger Pilsner at Matchless
Tickets: $9 at the door or online at going.com
Presented in partnership with: The Fledgling Fund, Cinereach, New York magazine, IndiePix, Shooting People, Council Member David Yassky & Automotive High School
BUY TICKETS | PROGRAM NOTES | MAP | SOUND FIX | THE HUNGRY MARCH BAND | NO IMPACT MAN BLOG
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9:00: Film
11:30-1:00: After-party: Free Radeberger Pilsner at Matchless
Tickets: $9 at the door or online at going.com
Presented in partnership with: The Fledgling Fund, Cinereach, New York magazine, IndiePix, Shooting People, Council Member David Yassky & Automotive High School
BUY TICKETS | PROGRAM NOTES | MAP | SOUND FIX | THE HUNGRY MARCH BAND | NO IMPACT MAN BLOG
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Saturday, June 6, Rooftop Films will be screening Cory McAbee's new film Stingray Sam on the roof Brooklyn Tech High School. Get tickets now before it sells out.
Before the show, Rooftop's Danielle Kourtesis and Julia Friedman discussed the film with Cory. Here's the scoop:
ROOFTOP FILMS: Give a brief description of your film for those who haven't seen it yet.
CORY MCABEE: Stingray Sam is a musical sci-fi western. It's written and designed for screens of all sizes.
RF: The film references the classic good guy/bad guy dichotomy. What about this dynamic interests you?
CM: I was using classic Americana themes while drawing on today's modern American environment as a landscape. It's obvious who the heroes are and who the villain is, but at the same time my good guys are violent thieves and ex-convicts while my bad guy is sheltered and immature.
RF: The film has an underlying feminist commentary. With the future of genetic engineering and cloning, is it possible that we'll encounter "powerful, upper-class" men who will simply want to reproduce themselves? Just how sexist is our society?
CM: The upper-class has always wanted to reproduce itself. That's why it's a strict tradition in some countries to marry within ones own class. In the US we are much more sly when it comes to drawing such lines, but we do draw them. As to how sexist our society is that would depend on what you would use as a gauge. If you compare us to some countries we're doing pretty good. If you try to figure it out by looking at the publicized issues of modern American feminists, then you're looking at the upper class again. The focus is usually on female executives competing for money with male executives. You never hear about the single mothers working in diners without any benefits or struggling on welfare so they can raise their own kids. Looking at how we treat poor women is the best way to gauge how sexist our society is.
RF: In the late 1940's, 50's, and 60's, the genres of musical and western existed simultaneously, then both faded out. Why revive both, and why, using both a historical and cinematic perspective, combine the genres into one movie?
CM: I like musicals, with the exception of most of them. I think it's a genre that can still be explored. Westerns tend to reflect the styles and ideas of when they are made. The trend of the singing cowboy was huge in its day. There were a lot of them, but it's not part of today's collective conscious. It was the product of what we now view as a naïve America. The whole idea of a singing cowboy fits perfectly into what I was trying to do.
RF: Like other science-fiction comedies, Stingray Sam uses humor to examine current social and scientific topics and comments on what society might look like if the technology ran amok. Do you feel that technology such as cloning and genetic engineering represent a threat to future society?
CM: I'm pretty sure that some of their uses will.
RF: Are you a full-time filmmaker? If not, what else are you up to?
CM: Right now I'm scheduling Stingray Sam at festivals and accompanying it whenever I can. We're also setting up an online store for all of our past film and music releases. We have a lot of new music that we plan to release as well.
RF: What is your next project?
CM: I'm hoping my next film will be one that I've written and storyboarded called Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest. I also have a couple other screenplays. I'll have to wait and see what happens.
CORY MCABEE: Stingray Sam is a musical sci-fi western. It's written and designed for screens of all sizes.
RF: The film references the classic good guy/bad guy dichotomy. What about this dynamic interests you?
CM: I was using classic Americana themes while drawing on today's modern American environment as a landscape. It's obvious who the heroes are and who the villain is, but at the same time my good guys are violent thieves and ex-convicts while my bad guy is sheltered and immature.
RF: The film has an underlying feminist commentary. With the future of genetic engineering and cloning, is it possible that we'll encounter "powerful, upper-class" men who will simply want to reproduce themselves? Just how sexist is our society?
CM: The upper-class has always wanted to reproduce itself. That's why it's a strict tradition in some countries to marry within ones own class. In the US we are much more sly when it comes to drawing such lines, but we do draw them. As to how sexist our society is that would depend on what you would use as a gauge. If you compare us to some countries we're doing pretty good. If you try to figure it out by looking at the publicized issues of modern American feminists, then you're looking at the upper class again. The focus is usually on female executives competing for money with male executives. You never hear about the single mothers working in diners without any benefits or struggling on welfare so they can raise their own kids. Looking at how we treat poor women is the best way to gauge how sexist our society is.
RF: In the late 1940's, 50's, and 60's, the genres of musical and western existed simultaneously, then both faded out. Why revive both, and why, using both a historical and cinematic perspective, combine the genres into one movie?
CM: I like musicals, with the exception of most of them. I think it's a genre that can still be explored. Westerns tend to reflect the styles and ideas of when they are made. The trend of the singing cowboy was huge in its day. There were a lot of them, but it's not part of today's collective conscious. It was the product of what we now view as a naïve America. The whole idea of a singing cowboy fits perfectly into what I was trying to do.
RF: Like other science-fiction comedies, Stingray Sam uses humor to examine current social and scientific topics and comments on what society might look like if the technology ran amok. Do you feel that technology such as cloning and genetic engineering represent a threat to future society?
CM: I'm pretty sure that some of their uses will.
RF: Are you a full-time filmmaker? If not, what else are you up to?
CM: Right now I'm scheduling Stingray Sam at festivals and accompanying it whenever I can. We're also setting up an online store for all of our past film and music releases. We have a lot of new music that we plan to release as well.
RF: What is your next project?
CM: I'm hoping my next film will be one that I've written and storyboarded called Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest. I also have a couple other screenplays. I'll have to wait and see what happens.
See the entire Stingray Sam series at Rooftop Films on June 6. Tickets are going fast, so buy them online here.
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