Mind-Bending Shorts, OBVIOUS CHILD Preview and COLD IN JULY Set for Rooftop Films, 5/16-21

The 18th Annual Rooftop Films Summer Series will kick off this Friday, May 16th, with a special short films program, followed by a sneak preview screening of OBVIOUS CHILD, starring Jenny Slate, on Saturday, May 17th. Details below!

Friday, May 16th
This Is What We Mean By Short Films

To launch our 18th annual Rooftop Films Summer Series, we set out to prove once again that the short film is the medium best suited to showcase the power of a freewheeling imagination.

The Rooftop Films Summer Series is nothing if not wild, and this selection of dynamic short films encapsulates the adventurous spirit of our organization. This is a short film program that will inspire you to pump iron, smack your friends' butts, launch yourself into space, question the concepts of time and life, and then go home to share an egg sandwich and recharge. Sound fun? It will be.

Venue: At the "Secret Party Cove" at Industry City, 39th Street & First Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Subway: Take the D, N, or R trains to 36th Street.

8:00PM Doors Open
8:30PM Live Music by Alsarah and the Nubatones
9:00PM Films Begin
11:30PM After Party with live DJs
Ticket Price: $13

Tickets and more info at: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/this-is-what-we-mean-by-short-films-5/

THE FILMS:
BUNDA PANDEIRO (Carlo Sampietro | 3 min.) RHINO FULL THROTTLE (NASHOM IM GALOPP) (Erik Schmitt | 15 min.) SYMPHONY NO. 42 (Réka Bucsi | 10 min.) AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON (QUELQU'UN D'EXTRAORDINAIRE) (Monia Chokri | Québec City | 28 min.) DON'T HUG ME I'M SCARED II: TIME (Becky Sloan & Joe Pelling | 4 min.) AFRONAUTS (Frances Bodomo | Ghana | 13 min.) MASTER MUSCLES (Efren Hernandez | 13 min.) PERSON TO PERSON (Dustin Guy Defa | USA | 18 min.) I AM ALONE AND MY HEAD IS ON FIRE (David O'Reilly | 1 min.)

MUSIC
ALSARAH AND THE NUBATONES
"Hazy retro African pop from DJ Nickodemus' Wonderwheel Recordings. The label brings us the debut album from Sudanese singer Alsarah and her band the Nubatones, Silt. Alsarah describes the sound of the album as "East African Retro Pop," music that draws on the hazy sounds of 1960s and 70s Nubian music. Composed of percussionist Rami El Aasser, master Oud player and Luthier Haig Manoukian and bass player Mawuena Kodjovi, the Nubatones weave the perfect fabric for Alsarah's vocals. The sound draws on the musical fusion happening in 1970s Khartoum, along with Arabic and North African influences appearing in the mix." - Turntable Lab

Saturday, May 17th
Obvious Child
Gillian Robespierre | Brooklyn, NY | 90 min.)

Obvious Child (recipient of the Rooftop Films and Eastern Effects Equipment Grant) stars Jenny Slate as Donna Stern, an uninhibited and refreshingly blunt 20-something aspiring comedian. On stage, Donna is unapologetically herself, joking about topics as intimate as her sex life and as crude as her day-old underwear. After one of her more successful sets, her heartless boyfriend breaks up with her in a public bathroom. If heartache wasn't enough, Donna has also just found out that she is about to be laid off from her long time job. What's a woman to do? Get inebriated, perform an embarrassingly personal set, and fall into bed with a nice guy named Max (Jack Lacy), who has awful taste in shoes.

Donna's drunken hookup - and epic lapse in prophylactic judgment - turns out to be the beginning of a hilarious and totally unplanned journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Faced with a difficult decision, she decides to go on a Valentine's Day date with Planned Parenthood. With her appointment quickly approaching, she finds herself and her opinionated, but supportive best friends Joey (Gabe Liedman) and Nellie (Gaby Hoffmann) doing anything to avoid talking about the elephant in the belly. This, coupled with the fact that Donna can't seem to avoid having adorable, accidental meet cutes with Max, drives her to confront her doubts and fears like never before.

Anchored by a star-making performance from Jenny Slate, Obvious Child is a heartfelt discovery packed tight with raw, energetic comedy and moments of poignant honesty and vulnerability. Writer/Director Gillian Robespierre handles the topic of Donna's unwanted pregnancy with a refreshing matter-of-factness rarely seen onscreen. And with Donna, Slate and Robespierre have crafted a character for the ages - a female that audiences will recognize, cheer for, and love. It is a rare film, but with any luck, there will be many more like it in the years to come.

Venue: At the "Secret Party Cove" at Industry City, 39th Street & First Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Subway: Take the D, N, or R trains to 36th Street.

8:00PM Doors Open
8:30PM Live Music by Rumors
9:00PM Film Begins
10:30PM Q&A with filmmaker Gillian Robespierre
11:30PM Opening Weekend After-Party
Ticket Price: $13

Tickets and more info at: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/obvious-child/

MUSIC
RUMORS
New York natives John Paul Frank, Liz Ryan, Chris Bordeaux and Will Whatley began Rumors in 2013. Their music leans on catchy melodies, shimmering synths and dreamy harmonies to round out their rock band approach. They've recently played with Sky Ferreira, The Neighbourhood, and Tesla Boy.

Wednesday, May 21st
Cold In July
(Jim Mickle | 109 min.)

How can a split-second decision change your life? While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar, Freddy Russell. Although he's hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family's safety when Freddy's ex-con father, Ben, rolls into town; hell-bent on revenge. However, not all is as it seems. Shortly after Dane kills the home intruder, his life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence. Twists and turns continue to pile up as the film reaches its inevitable destination: a gore-soaked dead end.

Michael C. Hall brings a shell-shocked vulnerability to his portrayal of Dane that contrasts perfectly with the grizzled "badasses" portrayed by Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. Directed with an excellent eye for the visual poetry of noir, this pulpy, southern-fried mystery is a throwback to an older breed of action films; one where every punch and shotgun blast opens up both physical and spiritual wounds. Cold in July is hard to shake as an east Texas summer.

Venue: On the pier at Solar One, 2420 FDR Drive (E. 23rd Street and the East River) New York, NY 10010 Subway: R/6 to 23rd Street, walk all the way east.

8:00PM Doors Open
8:30PM Live Music
9:00PM Film Begins
10:30PM Q&A with filmmaker Jim Mickle and actors Michael C. Hall & Don Johnson
11:30PM After Party Reception

RSVP info and more here: http://rooftopfilms.com/2014/schedule/cold-in-july/.