What: Rooftop Films
When: Fri July 17th, Doors at 8, Music 8:30, Films at 9p.m.
Where: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Why: Now that the humidity has made an official cameo this summer, what better reason to enjoy the outdoors than a rooftop screening that hails all the way from Rotterdam? Yes, that city in the Netherlands making a name for itself as it experiences its own urban renaissance. This weekend, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) partners with Rooftop Films in a first-ever film screening collaboration that begins with a dark comedy set in Indonesia.
Rooftop Films plays host to the premiere of two entries from the IFFR’s 2009 festival. One entry is just a short trip off the island to Gowanus, Brooklyn. Screening tonight is the dark comedy “The Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly,” which took the award for best film. It’s about a series of political, lustful sketches that interweave a Stevie Wonder-singing dentist, a firecracker-eating woman, and a pig. Its Indonesian director, Edwin, has flown to the states and will be on the roof of The Old American Can factory to participate in a Q&A session.
“The goal is to expose new audiences to films they wouldn’t otherwise see, and to get people to personally connect with these foreign filmmakers,” said Rooftop Films artistic director Mark Elijah Rosenberg.
True to Rooftop screening tradition, there will be live music before the screenings and an after-party with free drinks courtesy of Carlo Rossia Sangria. These screenings “are a more communal, intimate experience, and our programming reflects that ethos,” said Rosenberg. “We always seek out films that explore larger political issues through personal stories and intimate filmmaking.” So, although you’ll be sharing your beads of sweat with a couple hundred folks, at least you’ll have a conversation piece to talk the night away.
Cost: $9, $6 in advance for select shows
How to get there: Gowanus Screening: To the Old American Can Factory, take the F from Manhattan to Carroll Street. Exit at the 2nd Place (south) side of the station. Cross Smith Street and turn left to walk downhill on 3rd Street for 3 blocks (you will cross the Gowanus Canal). You will arrive at a huge corner building, whose orange Rooftop signage will confirm you’re there. (Old American Can Factory, 232 Third St., Brooklyn, rooftopfilms.com)
Photo: Courtesy of basibanget
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram