Friends Of The High Line Presents High Line Movies: 80s New York September 6, 2012

New York, NY ( August 29, 2012 ) – Friends of the High Line presents High Line Movies: 80s New York, a free fall film series celebrating a time when the High Line was overtaken by nature, and hip-hop, shoulder pads, and graffiti could be found on every corner in New York City. The series begins at 7:00 PM on Thursday, September 6 with a free screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan, and continues on Thursday, September 13 with Wild Style and Thursday, September 20 with Working Girl. Director Charlie Ahearn will take questions from the audience following the Wild Style screening on Thursday, September 13. All film screenings are free and take place in the 14th Street Passage, the semi-enclosed passageway on the High Line at West 14th Street. No RSVP is required, but seating is limited. To complete the full viewing experience, tacos, hot dogs, salads, gelato, and other delicious snacks and beverages will be available for purchase from the High Line’s seasonal food vendors, located on the High Line between West 15th and West 16th Streets.

High Line Movies: 80s New York takes its cue from the High Line’s connection to the decade. The last freight train ran on the High Line in 1980, carrying three carloads of frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving. By the middle of the decade, property owners were lobbying for demolition of the elevated rail structure. The demolition order was later challenged and ultimately opposed, yet the High Line sat abandoned for decades before big dreams and innovative measures led to its transformation into an urban park and neighborhood gathering place. Just as today’s High Line is a story of resourcefulness and creativity, so are the stories of the movie characters in this film series: the notorious Muppets, the young wild style graffiti artists, and Tess McGill, the secretary struggling to make it in the big city.

High Line Movies: 80s New York is presented by Friends of the High Line as part of High Line Public Programs, a series of free and low-cost events and activities that take place year-round at the park and seek to build a vibrant, inclusive community around the High Line. High Line Movies: 80s New York is the second film series in 2012; it follows High Line Teen Picks, a free summer film series curated by local teens and centered around the theme of underdog characters who overcome challenges and obstacles to realize their dreams.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Everyone’s favorite muppets bring their musical to Broadway. Rated G

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Wild Style
Legendary graffiti artist Lee Quinones stars in this look at New York hip-hop music and street culture of the 1980s. A Q&A with director Charlie Ahearn will follow the film screening. Rated R

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Working Girl
Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford star in this story of a New York City secretary fighting for her dream. Rated R

About the High Line and Friends of the High Line
The High Line is an elevated freight rail line transformed into a public park on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded in 1999 by two community residents named Joshua David and Robert Hammond, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. It is now the non-profit conservancy working with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to make sure the High Line is maintained as an extraordinary public space for all visitors to enjoy. In addition to overseeing maintenance, operations, and public programming for the park, Friends of the High Line works to raise the essential private funds to support more than 90 percent of the park’s annual operating budget, and to advocate for the transformation of the High Line at the rail yards, the third and final section of the historic structure, which runs between West 30th and West 34th Streets.

Visit www.thehighline.org to learn more information about High Line Movies: 80s New York and other High Line Public Programs. Stay connected with the High Line by signing up for the High Line Email Newsletter, liking the High Line on Facebook, and following @highlinenyc on Twitter.

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Media Contact
Kate Lindquist, Friends of the High Line
kate.lindquist@thehighline.org
(212) 206-9922