The Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series

Animated short films that bring the still to life.
FREE OPEN BAR AFTER THE SHOW
 
Venue: on the roof of the Open Road Rooftop
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music by Javelin
9:00PM: Films
11:30PM - 1:00AM: Open Bar at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge St), courtesy of Radeberger beer
Tickets: $9-$25

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will go on indoors at the same location . Seating is first come, first served. Physical seats are limited. This means you may not get a chair. You are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic.

MAP | JAVELIN | SOUND FIX

Dark ‘Toons: Optical Illusions
The infirm will walk, the dead will dance, cities will rise up from the earth, and the trees themselves will rebel. Walls will crawl and heads will roll…and then rejoin their host bodies. Anything can happen in a cartoon, and this exhilarating collection of short animated films from all over the world displays all that can be done with the form.

Independent animators have all the freedom that a filmmaker could ever hope for—if an animator has the talent and the time, then she can take any image that dances through her dreams and bring it to life. These films defy expectations and bring us images that have never been seen before--kinetic visions that defy logic yet seem to make sense to some dark corner of our subconscious.

Before the films, Sound Fix presents Javelin. And after the films, everyone in attendance is invited to the Rooftop Films after party at Fontana's where we will be serving complimentary Radeberger Pilsner until 1 AM and hanging out with the filmmakers and the band.

FILMS:

Orgesticulanismus (Mathieu Labaye | Belgium | 9:00)
A tribute to his father, who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis from the age of 29, Mathieu Labaye’s Orgesticulanismus explores the very nature of human motion. Beginning with a study of rudimentary human movement, the film eventually explodes into a kinetic orgy and an existential dance party starring everyone in the world.

Dahlia (Michael Langan | San Francisco | 5:00)
A moving portrait of the bustle and permanence of a city, "Dahlia" juxtaposes the stable forms and patterns of life with the frenetic behavior of humanity, set to a driving score of vocal percussion.

Mandrake (Andy Cahill | 4:00)
A subterranean mineral aficionado is tantalized by a mysterious and alluring rock on a rope.

Varmints (Marc Craste | London | 24:00)
Marc Craste (Jo Jo in the Stars, Rooftop Films 2008) returns to the roof with this Academy Awards short-listed and BAFTA nominated gem. Adapted from an award-winning book of the same name, the Varmints tells the story of one small creature’s struggle to preserve a world in danger of being lost forever through recklessness and indifference.

Forestry (Woodpecker | Japan | 4:00)
A tale of a man and woman tormented by the mischievous spirits of the woods.

Hobo Clown (Allison Schulnik | California | 3:50)
A masterful claymation exploration of blended colors and conflicting emotions.

Undone (Hayley Morris | New York | 6:00)
A drifting man struggles to pull objects from the roiling sea below him and scrambles to keep the objects from slipping through his fingers. A stop-motion animation using textured and tactile materials, as well as personal imagery, that represents the progression of the Alzheimer’s disease in a poetic and visual way.

Kodomo No Keijijogaku (A Children’s Metaphysics) (Koji Yamamura | Japan | 5:00)
Ecology and philosophy of children with sadness and humor.

Western Spaghetti (PES | New York | 2:00)
Everyday objects become delicious ingredients as we learn how to cook spaghetti through stop-motion photography.

Muto (Blu | Brazil | 6:00)
A painstakingly crafted masterpiece created from thousands of pieces of graffiti art drawn upon the walls of Buenos Aires. www.blublu.org/

Naiade (Nadia Micault and Lorenzo Nanni | France | 12:00)
Ava rules over on a swamp filled with fantastical creatures and animated fauna. But a strange boy secretly observes her flourishing kingdom and believes that perhaps she can help him to save the life of his sick twin brother…

The Royal Nightmare (Alex Budovsky | New York | 3:30)
This animated short tells a story of an Evil King whose life is turned into a nightmare by a troublesome pilgrim who constantly reappears by the Royal Tower and totally ignores The King…and the basic rules of physics and biology.

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to our Summer Series – which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer – Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents low-cost equipment to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films. At Rooftop Films, we bring the underground outdoors. For more information and updates please visit our website at www.rooftopfilms.com.