We’ve all been there. Sucked into a never-ending Netflix loop while sinking into a couch or bed, at times Netflix feebly prodding, “Are you still watching?” The ease and convenience of online streaming sites has been revolutionary in spreading film and TV shows to audiences across the globe. Still, however, I prefer, and often still long for the more traditional movie magic: the feeling of sitting in darkness as lights flicker off of stranger’s faces as we all experience the same film together. But as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu grow more and more, movie theaters must find unique ways to tempt audiences out of the comfort of their own homes. New York City, and Brooklyn in particular, is a hotbed of uncommon theatrical experiences, ranging from boozy movies to outdoor film festivals with screenings in the cemetery Jean-Michel Basquiat and Leonard Bernstein are buried in. With New York summer is in full swing, do yourself a favor and head out to the exciting summer cinema Brooklyn has to offer. Netflix can wait.
Rooftop Films
“What’s going on at the cemetery?”
A confused man tapped me on the shoulder as I snapped photos of a small crowd gathered outside the Greenwood Cemetery as the setting sun glinted off of passing cars.
The queue of people outside the graveyard seemed to be puzzling a number of bystanders. As the line outside the wrought iron gates of the cemetery grew, people on the street began to take note, pausing with mild curiosity.
The line forming was, in fact, film fans waiting for the opening night and kickoff of the Rooftop Films 2018 Summer Series, an annual seasonal event that showcases independent filmmakers over the course of a few months at several outdoor locations.
Rooftop Films’ philosophy is to engage and inspire diverse communities by bringing underground films outdoors and since its humble inception on an East Village apartment rooftop in 1997, it has slowly grown to become a New York summer classic. With a variety of feature length and short films throughout the summer at over fifteen different locations, Rooftop Films gives New Yorkers the opportunity to expose themselves to indie films while also enjoying the many outdoor areas that the city has to offer, including the Greenwood Cemetery, Coney Island, Pioneer Works, and The Old American Can Factory. The site-specific screenings for this summer are all sponsored by Lays, Corona, and Ketel One, and after parties following the screenings allow for patrons to mingle and enjoy cocktails on-site.
Opening night of Rooftop Films this year kicked off with musical guests L’Rain, a hauntingly ambient experimental band that oozed spirituality. Taja Cheek opened their set by ritualistically cleansing the stage with a smudge stick before diving into a set that explored looping Cheek’s vocals and, in one song, her triumphant laughter.
As is tradition, Rooftop Films opened with a series of independent shorts that ranged from an avant-garde exploration of a scorpion bite to the quirky tale of a young woman who accidentally finds herself tied to the Italian mob in her neighborhood through a series of drunken misunderstandings. After the screenings, a handful of the filmmakers were able to participate in a short Q&A about their work and then join attendees at the after-party, a surreal display of lights and music amidst the historic buildings.
The beauty of Rooftop Films is its ability to engage patrons through both the films and the location of the screening. Rooftop Films can be viewed as a tour of some of New York’s most beautiful outdoor spaces, and screenings and their subsequent after parties are a lovely way to get New Yorkers outside to appreciate their city’s many landmarks.
Nitehawk Cinema
Located in Williamsburg and, by the end of this summer, in Prospect Park, Nitehawk Cinema offers much more than the traditional theater experience. With tableside food and beverage service, Nitehawk enhances the traditional theatrical experience by presenting specialty menus inspired by what they are currently showing.
Nitehawk’s unique claim to fame is its decidedly grown-up take on what a movie theater can be. Nitehawk Cinemas was responsible for overturning the liquor law in the state of New York that made serving alcohol in motion picture theaters illegal. Three months after Nitehawk opened its Brooklyn doors in 2011, moviegoers were able to enjoy boozy beverages while watching a new film.
Nitehawk’s location in Williamsburg has been hugely popular, and by late summer, another location will be opening in Prospect Park! Nitehawk has taken over Park Slope’s historic Pavilion Theater, which first opened its doors in 1928 as a single-screen theater called The Sanders. The renovations, which began in 2016, will refurbish the space to include seven screens, 650 seats, a double kitchen, two bar areas, and a restored atrium overlooking the park. Like Nitehawk’s original campus, patrons can expect a diverse mix of programming that includes harder to find indie films but can also anticipate a few more Hollywood blockbuster movies in the repertoire due to the larger size of the new theater. And for those who are diehard film fans, Nitehawk will continue to show a range of print formats, with four of the seven screens having 35mm reel to reel capabilities.
Alamo Drafthouse
Like Nitehawk Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse gives audiences the chance to experience new films paired with food and drink. Alamo Drafthouse’s calling card is its commitment to serving beer from a variety of local breweries, serving over thirty beers on tap. Additionally the drinks list at Alamo Drafthouse is also extensive in regards to liquor and cocktails. Classic cocktails on the menu are presented Rated G through Rated R, Rated G typically being a bit lighter and Rated R being, well, more alcoholic.
Alamo Drafthouse is a proponent of new independent films and is a partner with NEON (‘Ingrid Goes West’, ‘I, Tonya’) as well as the American Genre Film Archive, a non-profit that “exists to preserve the legacy of genre movies through the collection, conservation, and distribution”. Alamo Drafthouse also spotlights films through its distribution company, Drafthouse Films, with the motto of “sharing the films we love with widest audience possible”. Drafthouse Films include movies such as “A Band Called Death”, “Mood Indigo”, and “The Look of Silence”. Alamo Drafthouse is a much more widely appreciated venue throughout the United States, with 24 different locations from New York to Los Angeles to Kansas City.
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music offers programming that ranges across the spectrum of the arts. The multi-arts center is also the home of BAMcinématek, four screening rooms that showcase independent films, classic films, and other special programming. Every summer BAM also celebrates new, independent films through the BAMcinemaFest. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the indie festival and in that short time it has become “an indispensable annual moviegoing tradition” according to The Village Voice. With filmmaker Q&A’s every evening, BAMcinemaFest introduces audience members to new films while simultaneously educating them on what happened behind the scenes. This year the festival runs from June 20 to July 1 and showcases more than twenty-eight new works from independent filmmakers.
Sarah Inocencio-Miller
Sarah Inocencio-Miller is a writer and actress originally from Los Angeles and now living in Brooklyn. She loves empty theaters at the movies, live music in dive bars with disgusting bathrooms, and The Oxford Comma.