The Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series

Funny films about anxiety, awkwardness and existential emotions, featuring the animations of internet sensation Lev. Plus a live reading from Lev's new book.
 
Venue: on the roof of the Brooklyn Tech
Address: 29 Fort Greene Place (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) MAP
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music
9:00PM: Films
Tickets: $9-$25
Presented in partnership with: Crunch, Cinereach, New York magazine & Brooklyn Technical High School

No refunds. In the event of rain, the show will be indoors at the same locations. 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 | SOUND FIX

The first film by Lev Yilmaz to screen at Rooftop Films was Richard’s Cash Register, way back in 2004. We were hooked immediately, and hardly a year has passed since that we haven’t shown at least one of his films. Given that, this Rooftop retrospective of Lev’s painfully intimate yet universally hilarious work is long overdue.

Lev began the ultra low-budget comic/animation series "Tales Of Mere Existence" in 2003, based on gleefully embarrassing thoughts and stories from his own life. He self published 3 Comic/Animation sets and had already gathered a substantial cult audience when his YouTube channel exploded in 2007, and has accumulated 11.5 million video views as of May 2009. His first graphic novel, "Sunny Side Down," was published by Simon & Schuster in 2009.

Our “Tales of Mere Existence” program includes 13 very short works by Lev, as well as a live performance by the filmmaker. We will also be screening 6 additional works by other filmmakers who also divine that humor and insight hidden deep within the tangled strands of their lives.

Films:
Richard’s Cash Register (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 1:00)
Hello, how are you today?

Good Looking (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 1:00)
I guess we can assume that Lev does not think that he is very good-looking.

How I found Out Bout Girls (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:51)
Lev concludes that girls are a mysterious and all-consuming obsession.

My Darling? (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:28)
Lev falls in and out of love in 2 minutes and 28 seconds.

Lost Turtle (Dustin Guy Defa | New York | 15:00)
If humans had cartilaginous shells, life might not be quite so painful. A short film about heartache.

Field Notes From Dimension X: Oasis (Carson Mell | Los Angeles | 5:00)
Captain Fred T. Rogard muses in isolation on planet Oasis

My Friends (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:34)
All of Lev’s friends have very successful careers... but he swears he isn’t envious.

A Typical Conversation With My Mom (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 4:00)
Lev just doesn’t like fish.

Theories and Observations about Youth and Aging (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:34)
Would youth have been as much fun if you had realized then how everything was going to turn out?

The Sound Of People (Simon Fitzmaurice | Ireland | 7:00)
An 18-year-old boy stands on a diving board, pondering what will happen if he plunges to his death.

A Live Performance by Lev Yilmaz

Operator (Matthew Walker | U.K. | 1:50)
Maybe God made it that way for a reason.

Things I Have Worried About (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:20)
Lev’s fears, from childhood till the present.

How to Cope With Depression (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 1:59)
Lev passes along some advice he has been given over the years.

The Times I Smoked Pot (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:28)
An animated biography of a kid who smoked a little marijuana in his life.

Sunday Morning (Jannicke Laaker | Norway | 9:00)
A woman's slow progress from the front door to the bedroom

Birth (Signe Baumane | NYC/Latvia | 12:00)
A young woman is pregnant and afraid to give birth. For a consolation and advice she goes to older women but their stories scare her even more.

Conversation (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:00)
“So, what do you want to watch?” I don’t know. What do YOU want to watch?

How to Break Up With Your Girlfriend (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 2:00)
The king of illustrated heartbreak and frustration explicates on his processes.

How We Managed to Not Really Date Each Other (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 6:00)
Lev teams up with someone who is not his ex-girlfriend to explain how they didn’t have a relationship.

I’m Not Going to Think About Her (Lev Yilmaz | San Francisco | 1:30)
For a long time it really seemed like it was going to work out.

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.