Drive-In Theaters Return to Brooklyn & Queens

Details: Parent Category: Film Festivals; Category: Previews; Published on Wednesday, 22 July 2020 17:13; Written by Brad Balfour

The Brooklyn Drive-In at sunset (photo by Lou Aguilar, courtesy of Rooftop Films).

2020 has certainly brought some unexpected events, and the resurgence of drive in theaters is joining the list. Rooftop Films, in partnership with the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), announced the opening of two drive-in festival locations in New York City. The Queens Drive-In will open in partnership with MoMI and NYSCI on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The Brooklyn Drive-In is located at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (80 58th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220), in partnership with NYCEDC. Both venues will present films throughout the summer and fall of 2020.

The Brooklyn Drive-In screenings feature the NY premieres of The Fight, directed by Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres, on Thursday, July 23, 2020. The Flight follows a scrappy team of heroic ACLU lawyers in an electrifying battle over abortion rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights and voting rights. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Topic. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross, screens July 24th. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a mosaic of disparate lives, teetering between dignity and debauchery set at the wee hours of a Las Vegas dive bar. IFC Midnight’s Relic, in which first-time writer/director Natalie Erika James crafts a new spin on the haunted-house movie, starring Emily Mortimer, and screens July 25th.

Rooftop Films provided a safety FAQ here and ask you follow these guidelines to ensure safety:

You must attend in a car. We would love to see you all there, but it really is essential you arrive in a car and stay in your car (except when going to the restrooms).
The passenger side window must stay rolled up so that there is a safe barrier between you and the next car.
You must make sure you're wearing a mask during check-in, to protect our lovely employees, and keep it on whenever you are outside of your car.

Programming for the Queens Drive-In will be curated by Museum of the Moving Image and Rooftop Films, with Rooftop Films handling curation of films for the Brooklyn Drive-In. Both venues will include films from the Rooftop Films’ 2020 Summer Series, which will showcase many of the best new independent and foreign films from 2020. Drive-In guests can expect entertaining pre-show experiences, live demonstrations, talks and videos, as well as an ongoing showcase of local and emerging artists. Do-it-yourself science tips and tricks, as well as conversations with subject matter experts, will connect the nights' themes—from horror to climate change—to the moviegoers' everyday lives.

Programming will include:

Premiere events and sneak preview screenings of new independent and foreign films programmed by Rooftop Films that reflect the diverse communities of Brooklyn and Queens.
Classic repertory and thematic programming by the New York Hall of Science and Museum of the Moving Image, with series including Science on Screen, sci-fi showcase See It Big!: The Future Is Now, Queens on Film, Jim Henson’s World, and a special presentation of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Free programs for local communities, including new and classic family films
Special events of all types, understanding that certain events will be restricted depending on New York’s re-opening phase.

To learn more or RSVP. go to: https://rooftopfilms.com/ or https://www.queensdrivein.com/