Rooftop Films to Present Short Films About Big Adventures on June 12

On Thursday, June 12 at 8pm, Rooftop Films will present short films about big adventures, including Benh Zeitlin’s award-winning post-Katrina shipwreck epic Glory At Sea co-funded by the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund. I can tell you that Glory At Sea is a truly amazing film. I saw it recently at a fundraiser held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater. Here’s what I wrote about it back then. And below is the announcement from Rooftop Films about next Thursday’s program.

(New York, NY) June 3, 2008 – “Glory at Sea!” (co-funded by the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund) is a film about a group of people in post-Katrina New Orleans who build an elaborate make-shift raft that will sink at sea so they can join their lost loved ones. Working on a shoe-string budget, director Benh Zeitlin knew that in order to make this movie, he’d have to actually build an elaborate make-shift raft and sink it at sea. Zeitlin and Court 13 Pictures banded together a cast and crew willing to risk their very lives not simply for this film, but for what this film represented—that spirit of camaraderie and community in which the journey itself provides an irrational and necessary hope.

In the guidelines to the Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund, we say "We are more likely to fund films that make the most of their resources and community." We don't have the means to fund big-budget films, so we want to support filmmakers who are clever and collaborative, and uphold the collective ideals of Rooftop Films.

This entire program is full of films that know that taking a risk is sometimes just as important as the thing you’re risking. This show is all about explorations of the high seas and Hades, of outer space and ex-urbia, of imaginary lands and the minds of over-educated New Yorkers. It’s about dancing your way out of prison and about saving the Dodo bird. It’s about making the mission.

THE FILMS

L’Evasion (Breakout) (Arnaud Demuynck Roubaix, France 9:00) A man is in prison. His cellmate is tortured to death. When the guards come for him, he escapes and performs a final dance of death.

Force 1 TD (Randy Krallman New York, NY 11:00)With prom just a few days away, Carmine needs a very special pair of sneakers. Three teenagers and a seeing-eye horse embark on a seemingly simple quest.

The Tale of How (The Blackheart Gang Cape Town, South Africa 4:00) A dazzling animated opera about an octopus island that’s eating all the dodo birds. You’ll want to check out the Dr. Seussian lyrics later: http://theblackheartgang.com/2007/12/07/tale-of-how-lyrics/

Glory At Sea (Benh Zeitlin Brooklyn & New Orleans 25:00) “Glory at Sea celebrates hope and community and love in a world that is cruel and indifferent. To survive we must all stick together, we must love one another, we must believe. Without those grand human forces at work, we’ll never make it to the bottom of the sea to hug our loved ones once again.” — Michael Tully, IndieWire & Hammer To Nail.

The Sound of People (Simon Fitzmaurice Bray, Ireland 10:00) In the time and space of a single moment, 18-year-old Stephen makes contact with his past and his future. Staring into the face of his own death, he dives headfirst into life.

Joshua Tree Launch Series (William Lamson Brooklyn & Nevada 4:00) Lamson is known for performing actions that shock delicate objects with inventive violence. In this lovely and playful series, he casts monumental versions of a child’s toy into the imposing Nevada desert.

The Mean Time (Zachary Treitz New York, NY 17:34) Somewhere in the nearby future-past, an astronaut returns home from space and gets reacquainted. What was it like? How has he changed? Was he even there at all? This subtle and strange post-adventure narrative is all about the way extraordinary exploits can have extreme effects on the ordinary life and mind.

The New Yorkist (Dana O'Keefe New York, NY 6:00) A troubled artist is paralyzed by the disparity between the possibilities he imagines for himself and the reality he inhabits. He resolves to undertake an enterprise of monumental importance, but this abstract notion quickly evolves into grandiose delusion involving The Gulag Archipelago, an infestation of ants, and a doomed plan to invade Kyrgyzstan.

Details: Thursday, June 12 Venue: on the lawn of Automotive High School (50 Bedford Ave @ North 13th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn) 8:00PM: Doors open 8:30PM: Live music presented by Sound Fix 9:00PM: Films 11:30PM - 1:00AM: After Party: Open Bar at Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave @ Driggs) courtesy of Radeberger beer Tickets: $9 at the door or online at www.rooftopfilms.com