Rooftop Films’ Brooklyn and Queens Drive-Ins Serve as Premiere Venues for the 58th New York Film Festival

PRESS RELEASE

Rooftop Films, a home for independent films in New York for over 24 years, is thrilled to collaborate with the 58th New York Film Festival (NYFF), presented by Film at Lincoln Center, running from September 17-October 11, 2020. As part of this year’s festival, Rooftop Films has worked hand in hand with NYFF, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Brooklyn Army Terminal, New York Hall of Science, and Museum of the Moving Image to offer drive-in screenings at their Brooklyn and Queens Drive-in venues. All outdoor screenings will have extensive health and social distancing procedures in place. 

“Rooftop Films has always been a deeply collaborative organization, and over the last 24 years we have partnered to create events with hundreds of local cultural institutions, parks, museums and other venues, and have co-presented events with many of the major film festivals across NYC, the U.S.A. and beyond,” said Dan Nuxoll, president of Rooftop Films. “Since the beginning we have believed that a core part of our mission is to work with other institutions to collaboratively create memorable events and to bring meaningful cultural moments to areas of the city that might otherwise be under-served by cultural institutions. Film at Lincoln Center’s New York Film Festival has been a vital centerpiece of the city’s cinema culture, and it is an honor that Rooftop and our venue partners can work with their team to bring fantastic films to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and to keep New York’s film festival culture vibrant and alive during this challenging time.” 

The official NYFF films that will be offered at Rooftop Films’ drive-in venues include a mix of Main Slate, Spotlight and Revivals titles, such as Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock; Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk starring Laura Dern; Garrett Bradley’s Sundance award-winning film TIME; Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI; Sofia Coppola’s latest feature film On the Rocks; Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand; Heidi Ewing’s I Carry You With Me; David Byrne’s American Utopia from Spike Lee; and more.

“New Yorkers coming together to celebrate the New York Film Festival in a safe and enjoyable way is a sign of how far the City has come and of our continued recovery,” said James Patchett, president and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. “We’re thrilled that the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal will host screenings and help one of the world’s most iconic film festivals move forward this year.”

“We are proud to partner with our friends at Rooftop Films for the 58th New York Film Festival,” said Lesli Klainberg, FLC Executive Director. “In a unique year for the festival and our great city, it’s so meaningful to join together to safely bring NYFF to new audiences and build community through the art of cinema.” 

In response to the pandemic, Rooftop Films has been able to continue their annual tradition of offering new and independent films to New York audiences this summer, with the help of their partners at Museum of the Moving Image, the New York Hall of Science, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Some of the films that have been shown at the Brooklyn and Queens drive-ins this summer included Dawn Porter’s documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble; Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs; Amy Seimetz’s She Dies Tomorrow; Michael Almereyda’s Tesla; Liz Garbus Copper Raiff’s SXSW-winning debut Shithouse; Sami Khan’s feature-length follow-up to the Oscar-nominated St. Louis Superman, The Last Out; Elizabeth Lo’s Rooftop Films TCS grantee documentary Stray, Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson’s Summer White (Blanco de Verano); Casimir Nozkowski’s The Outside Story; David Osit’s Full Frame-winning documentary Mayor; Natalie Erica James’s horror film Relic; Matt Yoka’s Whirlybird; Alex H Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s comedy Save Yourselves!; and the Ross Brothers’ Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets. 

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