1. You are a vital partof the Rooftop Films community.
2. We are the only festival that shows new undistributed films outdoors.
3. Rooftop shows are not just film screenings–they are unforgettable events.
4. We show many of the best new short films in the world.
5. We get more done with less money than any other film festival.
If you are a film lover, you are going to read a lot of “best of” lists in the next 5 weeks, but none of those lists actually improve film culture. The list below, however, will hopefully remind you that Rooftop Films is a unique and vibrant part of New York’s cultural landscape that can only exist with your support. Even a donation of $25 could ensure that Rooftop can continue to screen new, genuinely independent films against the New York skyline for years to come. For donations of $50 or more we’ll send you 4 tickets to the Summer Series 2007, and for $100 or more and you’ll receive 4 tickets and a limited-edition Rooftop DVD. Donate more and get even more thanks and treats! (details on our website). So here are 5 biggest reasons that you should make a donation to support Rooftop Films:
1. YOU are a vital part of the Rooftop Films community.
You are part of one of the most dynamic film communities in the world. You came to a show, submitted your film, volunteered, took a class, or rented our equipment because Rooftop is not just another festival that puts together film screenings and parties. Rooftop events form the foundation of a community of filmmakers, artists, musicians, film fans, folks from around the city and around the world.If you care about this community, help keep it alive. Without donations from people like you who care about Rooftop, we wouldn’t be able to keep going year after year. If every last one of us contributed just $25 or $50, imagine what we could do.
2. We are the only festival that shows new, undistributed films outdoors.
We’re big film fans and are thrilled to see so many outdoor film screenings popping up these days. But Rooftop is the only festival that uses the appeal of outdoor screenings to build audiences for films that might otherwise never be seen. Some other outdoor screenings also draw big crowds and might have an easier time getting corporate sponsorships, but only Rooftop supports a community of emerging filmmakers and artists. Outdoor classics are great, but until Cary Grant starts appearing in contemporary low-budget films, Rooftop will be the only festival that brings the underground outdoors.
3. Rooftop shows are not just film screenings–they are unforgettable events.
When we screened a film about an extraordinary work of music composed for the organ, we showed it in one of the most beautiful churches in New York, followed by a live organ performance; when we screened a program of short documentaries about Brooklyn, we screened them on a roof in the middle of the Brooklyn Navy Yard with a perfect view of the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges, preceded by a great local jazz band. It is rare to experience moments like these, when our communities have the opportunity to come together in a unique, dramatic and quintessentially urban setting. But when they do happen, they remind us of why we live in New York City–and why no place else is quite like it.
4. Rooftop Films shows great feature films and the best new short films in the world.
We don’t like to brag, but it’s true. Rooftop Films gets more short film submissions than almost any other film festival IN THE WORLD. Last year, Rooftop received over 2,000 short film submissions from 55 different countries–more shorts than Cannes, Toronto, Slamdance, Venice, SXSW and almost every other major festival. With that many films to choose from, we are able to select an amazing array of festival hits and never-before-seen work. Rooftop has some of the best shorts programs in North America partly because only Palm Springs, Sundance and Tribeca receive as many short film submissions as Rooftop does. We don’t mind doing the work necessary to track down and watch all those films, but we need your support to do it, since those other festivals have budgets of many millions of dollars. Which brings us to our final point…
5. We get more done with less money than any other film festival.
Dollar for dollar, Rooftop Films is the most effective festival in the world, so if you make a donation to Rooftop you know that your money will be put to good use. Our tiny staff works personally with every one of our venues, we transport and set up our own equipment, chairs and tents, we teach our own classes, do all of our own publicity, and we will watch all of the 2,500 films that will be submitted this winter. It’s a lot of work, but we love it, and need your donations to allow us to keep working to plan next year’s events. But we can’t keep doing it without your help, so please make a tax deductible donation to Rooftop Films today so that we can continue to keep doing what we do best, and so that you can know that there will be great new movies on rooftops in New York, every weekend, every summer.