Rooftop Films and Arts Brookfield Present Three Free Screenings Along the Hudson River at Brookfield Place

Rooftop Films and Arts Brookfield Present three free screenings
Along the Hudson River at Brookfield Place

Screenings include opening night of Animation Block Party, a collection of New York Short Films, and a special sneak preview of The Case of the Three Sided Dream.

Rooftop Films and Arts Brookfield are proud to co-present three free screenings of new independent films on the waterfront of Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center). The screenings will take place July 24th through 26th, with live musical performances preceding each of the films. Additionally, filmmakers will be in attendance for all of the events.

On Thursday, July 24th, Animation Block Party kicks off their 11th annual festival with a collection of short films. Animation Block Party is the premier animation festival of the East Coast, and their screenings draw huge crowds to see the world’s best new animated films. Each year the opening night of the festival is presented outdoors in partnership with Rooftop Films, and this year’s screening will feature world-renowned short films along with special clips from MTV (other) and Nickelodeon. Prior to the films, the Dominican pop band Franny and Zooey will perform live.

On Friday, July 25th, Rooftop Films will present NY Shorts, a collection of some of the best new short films by New York-based filmmakers. No city in the world produces more independent films than New York City, with more being made each year. This short film program showcases the energetic diversity of work being produced here in the capital of the indie film world, including Luke Meyer’s short documentary Unlocking the Truth, about the 8th-grade metal band that just made headlines with a $1.7 million deal with Sony Records. Prior to the films, sample-based electronic hip-hop band Pool Cosby will perform live.

The series will wrap up on Saturday, July 26th, with a special sneak preview of Adam Kahan’s fascinating documentary portrait The Case of the Three-Sided Dream. A multi-instrumentalist, civil rights activist, and worshipper at the church of dreams, Rahsaan Roland Kirk overcame blindness, paralysis, and social injustice to fundamentally alter the landscape of jazz. Prior to the film, the world-renowned Aukua Dixon Quartet will perform live.

“Rooftop Films is thrilled to be partnering with Arts Brookfield once again to present large-scale screenings of new independent films,” says Dan Nuxoll, Program Director of Rooftop Films. “Brookfield Place is a spectacular location for film screenings and music performances, and we are excited to be able to produce these fantastic and fun events against such a majestic and iconic backdrop.”

Film Details

Venue: Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center), 220 Vesey Street (between West Street and the Hudson River), Financial District

All shows are free and open to the public.

Thursday, July 24th
Animation Block Party (Short Films)

6:30PM: Doors open
7:30PM: Live Music by Franny and Zooey
8:30PM: Animation Block Party short films begin
10:00PM: Q and A with Casey Safron of Animation Block Party and filmmakers

Animation Block Party is the premier animation festival of the East Coast, and their screenings draw huge crowds to see the world’s best new animated films. Each year the opening night of the festival is presented outdoors in partnership with Rooftop Films, and this year’s screening will feature sneak previews of exclusive new animated short films from MTV (other).

THE FILMS

ABP INTRO/STREET JUSTICE (Ben Li | 1 min.)
SANJAY AND CRAIG/FART BABY (Jim Dirschberger and Jay Howell | 10 min.)
FLUFFY MCCLOUD (Connor Finnegan | 3 min.)
WORLDWORD (Peter Glantz and Becky Stark | 1 min.)
IN THE BEGINNING (Arthur Metcalf | 3 min.)
BLANKFILLERS (Celeste Lai and Peyton Skyler | 3 min.)
LOVE BALL: BALL ON FIRE (Dana Sink | 3 min.)
AMASIA (Guillaume Renier, Fabien Kretschmer, Gaëlle Séguillon et Adrien Bisiou | 7 min.)
GOODBYE RABBIT, HOP HOP (Caleb Wood | 4 min.)
WIND (Robert Löbel | 4 min.)
PEST (NUISIBLE) (Tom Haugomat, Bruno Mangyoku | 12 min.)
PAYADA PA’ SATAN (Antonio Balseiro and Carlos Balseiro | 7 min.)
MOMENTUM (Kameron Gates | 1 min.)
THE DIVIDE (Brent Sievers | 3 min.)
LE SENS DU TOUCHER (Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo | 14 min.)
PAPA (Natalie LaBarre | 6 min.)
ABP OUTRO/BEWITCHED BARRY (Chelsea Manifold | 1 min.)

More info: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/animation-block-party-short-films-1/

Friday, July 25th

New York Shorts (Short Films)

6:30PM: Doors open
7:30PM: Live Music by Pool Cosby
8:30PM: New York short films begin
10:00PM: Q and A with filmmakers

With stories as diverse as its inhabitants, this program of short films features stranger-than-fiction documentaries and wholly original visions of life in the city, highlighting what it means to be a New Yorker.

THE FILMS

More info: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/ny-shorts/

Saturday, July 25th

The Case of the Three Sided Dream (Documentary Feature Film)

6:30PM: Doors open
7:30PM: Live Music by The Akua Dixon Quartet
8:30PM: The Case of the Three Sided Dream
10:00PM: Q and A with director Adam Kahan

The Case of the Three-Sided Dream (Adam Kahan | 87min.)
A multi-instrumentalist whose music was shaped as much by intense reverie as political zeal, Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s innate virtuosity completely altered the way jazz was perceived, while simultaneously forcing a generation of musicians to rethink their entire approach to playing. Weaving seamlessly between interviews with those who knew Kirk and footage of his stunningly visceral live performances, Adam Kahan’s meticulously crafted documentary explores the legacy of this relentlessly innovative performer.
Blind from infancy, Kirk’s reality was underpinned by an understanding of the world around him, which was rooted primarily in sound. Through communicating sonically with his surroundings, Kirk developed a unique ability to see in music, as everyday items were re-imagined as instruments and each seemingly insignificant noise revealed its own rhythm and cadence. It was in dreams that Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s most brilliant visions—such as playing multiple horns at once—would often be realized. Often described as belonging to the ‘Religion of Dreams’, Kirk’s playing, while somehow otherworldly in its inimitable dexterity, at the same time came to embody those dreams, in the same way as his instruments became extensions of his own body.

Interspersed with interpretive animation sequences which mirror the quixotic ethereality of Kirk’s music, Three Sided Dream provides a poignantly realized account of a musician who despite being blind and paralyzed from the age of forty, remained unwavering in his commitment to exploring the contours of the sonic landscape until the day he died.

Whether or not you are familiar with the music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Three Sided Dream is a fascinating documentary which deftly encapsulates his music in all its raucous dynamism, attesting to the energy which emanated from every note.

More info: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/the-case-of-the-three-sided-dream/

There will be a limited number of chairs available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic blankets and chairs.

In the event of rain, screenings will take place indoors in the Winter Garden at the same location.

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About Arts Brookfield:

Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to hundreds of thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier office properties in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art.

Through December 2014, Arts Brookfield celebrates its 25th Anniversary through an interactive initiative, Art Set Free. The public is invited to submit original artworks of all kinds for digital display at Brookfield’s office properties around the globe and on www.ArtsBrookfield25.com.

Americans for the Arts has named Brookfield and Arts Brookfield a BCA 10 2014 honoree, Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America.