Summer might be winding down, but Rooftop Films is rockin’ and rollin’ in August. New York City’s beloved outdoor screening series is closing out its 2019 season with some kick-ass events. We’re talking Sundance Film Festival darlings, legendary musicians, and timely documentaries. Film and music lovers should absolutely take note. Rooftop’s official closing night is next Friday, August 23, 2019.

Now in its 23rd year, Rooftop Films has mastered the outdoor screening experience. A typical Rooftop event comprises a musical performance, film screening, Q&A, and after-party (with free sponsor-supplied booze) at a magical outdoor location in the city. The William Vale rooftop, Industry City and Green-Wood Cemetery have all hosted rooftop events this summer.

Highlights of the 2019 season have included a screening of Brandon Vedder’s documentary Strange Negotiations followed by a performance by the film’s subject, musician David Bazan; an evening devoted to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with free food, drinks, 1950s-centric games, and fireworks; and Ron Howard’s 1984 classic Splash that saw Rooftop partnering with MoMA PopRally for a party at Snug Harbor Cultural Center that featured a mermaid procession, trivia contests and prizes.

As for film standouts, among our favorites so far have been David Modigliani’s Running with Beto; Petra Costa’s urgent Netflix documentary about the political situation in Brazil, The Edge of Democracy; and Jeffrey McHale’s Tribeca Film Festival entry You Don’t Nomi, which peels back the layers on Paul Verhoeven’s misunderstood 1985 film Showgirls. You Don’t Nomi screened at a new Rooftop venue for 2019, Liberty Park at the World Trade Center site.

Rooftop also hosted two screening events that featured live scores. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Redux, Remix & Requiem took place at Fort Greene Park in June with Melvin Van Peebles in person and music performed by Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber. And, documentary The Pine Barrens screened at Green-Wood Cemetery with a live score by The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra.

Now that we’ve reviewed on what’s been, let’s dig in on what’s coming up.

Desolation Center and Sonic Youth: NYC and Beyond

Fans of Sonic Youth and the 80s underground rock scene will love what Rooftop is serving up this week. On Thursday, August 15, Green-Wood Cemetery plays host to a screening of Desolation Center with a live suspended guitar performance by Sonic Youth co-founder Lee Ranaldo. Desolation Center, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival, is a documentary about a series of Reagan-era guerrilla music and art performance happenings in the Southern California desert. Directed by Stuart Swezey, the film features interviews and performance footage of Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Swans, Redd Kross, Einstürzende Neubauten and more. Swezey, Ranaldo, and Bob Bert will take questions after the screening.

Then, on Saturday, August 17, Rooftop partners with Murmrr Theatre for an indoor event celebrating Sonic Youth. The evening features New York-specific films and videos from the band’s private archive. Following the screening, Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, archivist Aaron Mullan, and more take part in a panel discussion. Tickets for this rare screening event start at $20 are available here.

Three Films from Sundance: Premature, Brittany Runs a Marathon and Greener Grass

During its final two weeks, Rooftop presents three narrative features that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. On Friday, August 16, the series spotlights Rashaad Ernesto Green’s Premature, which screened in our favorite Sundance section NEXT. Set in Harlem, the coming-of-age tale centers on a young aspiring poet named Ayanna (Zora Howard) who unexpectedly falls for a slightly older Isaiah during the summer before her freshman year of college. Premature screens on the roof at New Design High School.

Paul Downs Colaizzo’s directorial debut Brittany Runs a Marathon screens on Saturday, August 17 at Solar One. The Sundance Audience Award-winning comedy stars Jillian Bell as Brittany Forgler, a 27-year-old with an unhealthy lifestyle. When a doctor delivers her a wake-up call, Brittany decides to put on some sneakers and start running. An inspiring story about one woman’s struggle to take control of her life, the Amazon Studios release also stars Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michaela Watkins and Lil Rel Howery. An optional three-mile fun run with New York Road Runner coaches precedes the screening and live music and a karaoke-themed after-party follow.

Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe’s suburban satire Greener Grass, which premiered in the Midnight section at Sundance, screens on Wednesday, August 21 at the William Vale. The filmmakers star along with Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live), Neil Casey (Inside Amy Schumer), Mary Holland (Veep) and D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place). Greener Grass is an IFC Films release.

Timely Documentaries: The Hottest August and Anbessa

In the series’ final weeks, Rooftop pulls out two timely documentaries. The Hottest August is a film about climate change that masquerades as a portrait of summer in New York City. It screens at Liberty Park on Tuesday, August 20. And, for Anbessa, Mo Scarpelli examines the effects of modernization by focusing his camera on the life of an Ethiopian boy. Anbessa screens at Industry City on Thursday, August 22. Both screenings are free with RSVP.

Closing Night: Short Films

The Rooftop Films 2019 season ends as it began with a program of short films at Green-Wood Cemetery. The films unite under the theme of “the end is nigh.” In the mix are documentaries and narratives, both live-action and animation. The series celebrates its official end on Friday, August 23. Tickets for this screening are available here.