Rooftop Films: Rooftop Shots August 20, 2010

VENUE
THE OLD AMERICAN CAN FACTORY
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
GOWANUS/ PARK SLOPE
232 THIRD ST. AT 3RD AVE., BROOKLYN, NY 11215
F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Live Music
9:00 Films begin
11:00 After Party in the courtyard with free drinks

The official Closing Night of Rooftop Films 2010 Summer Series includes short films all about endings. Films so sharp we call them shots, fired from the roof one last time this year.

There's nothing sadder than saying goodbye to something you cherish. Nothing more painful than the loss of something personal, or the death of a loved one. Rooftop Films isn't dying (or even leaving for long; we'll have special shows starting in September), but on the official Closing Night of our 14th Annual Summer Series, we finish an amazing summer of cinema with a powerful, poignant program of films about transitions, departures and disappearances.

This year Rooftop hosted 44 screenings in 13 different outdoor locations, showing 22 feature-length films and over 120 short films. But we've saved some of the best for last, as the spectacular films in our grand finale remind us that sometimes you don't know a great thing till it's gone. Come out to Rooftop and come celebrate the conclusion with us.
- Mark Elijah Rosenberg
THE FILMS

CENTIPEDE SUN (Mihai Grecu | France | 10 min.)
An artist of visual wonder, Grecu returns to Rooftop with a film about the mysteriously barren Altiplano region of Chile, finding mythical creatures who might once have filled the now desolate landscape, a haunting metaphor for a desperate future world.

OLD FANGS (Adrien Merigeau | Ireland | 11 min.)
After years away from the ruthless natural world of the woods, a young wolf confronts his savage father (and his own transition from child to adult), in this dark, enveloping animation.

12 NOTES DOWN (Andreas Koefoed | Denmark | 26 min.)
How do you decide when it's time to let go? For young Jorgis, the star voice of the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir, the moment is upon him. Just a few weeks before an important concert, his voice has suddenly begun to break, forcing the fourteen-year-old into a state of transition he is not prepared for. He must choose between damaging his vocal cords trying to hit the high notes or dashing his hopes by walking away. This tender documentary is a portrayal of a universal, yet intensely personal, rite of passage that resonates with viewers of any age.

THE POODLE TRAINER (Vance Malone | Culver City, CA | 7 min.)
In this intimate portrait of destiny, passion, and loss, Irina Markova, a solitary Russian poodle trainer, reveals her transcendent relationship with her dogs, the childhood tragedy that sparked a lifetime of working with animals, and the welcome isolation behind the red velvet curtains of the circus.

KISS (KUS) (Joost van Ginkel | The Netherlands | 10 min.)
Eight-year-old Bruno finds it interesting that his father, Daan, routinely wants to shave his beard and head before he leaves on a dangerous military mission in a desert country far away. This time, Daan lets Bruno shave him. Along with this intimate way of saying goodbye, we see what happens to Daan on his mission through Bruno's visions playing with his toy soldiers.

CHAINSAW FOUND JESUS (Spencer Parsons | Austin, TX | 21 min.)
Rooftop Filmmakers' Fund Grantee! A melancholy comedy about two fathers, two sons, and the cocaine sale that brings them all together for an everyday adventure. Far from your standard drug movie, this sad but hilariously bizarre film is about the moment before making a change, and maybe worrying that change just means trading up one sorry addiction for another.

I WITHOUT END (Laleh Khorramian | New York, NY | 7 min.)
Two uniquely discarded lovers live out lives of sensual decay, in a literally bittersweet animated film.

Official Website: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/34-rooftop-shots