Summer Guide 2009: Film

92ytribeca welcome to summer at manhattan's bustling new center of adventurous cinema and events for young movie lovers. on may 30, the y hosts the world premiere of the awkward kings of comedy. every month, audiences flock to the iron mule short comedy festival, while the g.i. joe stop-motion film festival shows up in late july. summer plans also include sing-alongs and screenings of susan seidelman's films with the director in person. closed in august. (200 hudson st. at canal st., 212-601-1000, 92ytribeca.org)

anthology film archives still a haven for classic alternative cinema, anthology's summer program includes several tantalizing looks at the past. these include a retrospective of worldly film diarist robert kramer running july 17 through 23, with a fresh print of his 1975 epic, milestones, which focuses on radical veterans of civil rights campaigns and vietnam protests. "overlooked seventies films," running aug. 7 to 13, contains selections by blue underground dvd label head william lustig. (32 2nd ave. at 2nd st., 212-505-5181, www.anthologyfilmarchives.org) tina, a 2-year-old lab-terrier mix, likes to cool off watching a movie during the summer months. photo by christopher appoldt; photo illustration by mitchell hoffman bamcinemafest new york's newest independent film festival is a welcome one, bringing several independent hits on the festival circuit to brooklyn (much in the tradition of bam's annual collaboration with the sundance institute). the inaugural lineup includes andrew bujalski's perplexingly low-key beeswax and brock enright: good times will never be the same, a divisive portrait of the boundary-pushing new york performance artist. other noteworthy titles include the heartbreaking children of invention and reporter, a documentary about nicholas kristof in darfur. (june 17 to july 2, 30 lafayette ave. at ashland pl., brooklyn, 718-636-4100, www.bam.org)

bryant park summer film fest the ever-popular outdoor film series that's more of an excuse for picnicking under the stars every monday begins june 15 with the sting and includes the proto-cougar flick harold and maude. it all ends with the spielberg alien classic, close encounters of the third kind. get ready for some summer epiphanies. (bryant park, fifth ave. betw. 40th and 42nd sts., www.bryantpark.org)

brooklyn international film festival heading into its 12th year, the brooklyn international film festival continues to maintain its local flavor by showcasing young, upcoming filmmakers working outside the mainstream. (june 5 to 14, brooklyn heights cinema, 70 henry st. at orange st., brooklyn, 718-596-7070, www.wbff.org.)

celebrate brooklyn!'s music and movies series perhaps one of the most experimental outdoor film series this summer takes place in prospect park. first string quartet ethel and gutbucket present a new score for the science fiction classic, la nave de los monstruos, june 20 at 7:30 p.m. then dean and britta present their score for 13 most beautiful?songs for andy warhol's screen tests on aug. 1 (with crystal stilts providing pre-game entertainment). it's impossible not to want to join in the purple rain sing-along aug. 6. there will be lyric subtitles onscreen, and joy dragland, lead singer of disco orchestra escort, will lead the sing-a-long to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album. (june 8 to aug. 15, prospect park bandshell, 9th st. and prospect park west, brooklyn, www.briconline.org)

central park film festival does it really matter what you're going to see? probably not, since you'll probably be too busy yapping with your pals under the stars. but, just in case, this outdoor flick fest starts aug. 18 with sex and the city and ends five days later with the viewers' choice: you get a chance to vote (visit www.7online.com between july 21 and aug. 21) on desperately seeking susan, men in black and goldfinger. make the right decision. (aug. 18 to 22, central park, rumsey playfield, enter park at 69th and fifth ave., www.centralparknyc.org.)

cine fest petrobras brazil modern brazilian cinema gets a detailed showcase in this annual series, which begins on aug. 5 in central park with a free screening of sergio rezende's zuzu angel and a show by afroreggae. it continues with competition screenings at tribeca cinemas throughout the week. the closing night event takes place at the new school's tishman auditorium on aug. 12. (aug. 5 to 12, central park, rumsey playfield, enter park at 69th and fifth ave., and the tribeca cinemas, 54 varick st. at laight st., www.brazilianfilmfestival.com)

cinéma tuesdays at french institute alliance français get your fill of french imports at this east side cultural institute. film series this summer include "the radiance of a grand acteur: michel piccoli," featuring both godard's contempt (june 2) and buñuel's belle de jour (july 7). (tuesdays, florence gould hall, 55 e. 59th st. near madison ave., 212-307-4100, www.fiaf.org)

film forum the quintessential repertory theater's summer offerings run the gamut of film history. a retrospective of seminal american filmmaker nicholas ray (seminal to the french, anyway) runs july 23 to aug. 6, preceded by a week-long run of his 1950 humphrey bogart noir in a lonely place. no less thrilling but certainly a lot louder, ridley scott's alien screens for one week, july 10 to 16. aug. 3 brings a silent treat: the lost 1930 foreign version of all quiet on the western front. (209 w. houston st., betw. 6th ave. and varick st., 212-727-8110, www.filmforum.org.)

the film society of lincoln center break out the tie-dye shirt and love beads for the director's cut of woodstock (june 3). michael wadleigh and concert producer michael lang are scheduled to attend this 40th anniversary screening, along with "special guests." in the spirit of hippiedom, partake in free popcorn and soda. a marathon of classics runs july 3 to 5 with "fifty years of movie musicals." catch top hat, viva las vegas, gentlemen prefer blondes and hair, as well as midnight screenings of purple rain and rocky horror picture show. (walter reade theater, 165 w. 65th st., upper level betw. broadway and amsterdam ave., 212-875-5601, www.filmlinc.com)

ifc center in addition to the packed new york asian film festival, the venue also continues its waverly midnights program through july 4, with screenings of classic stanley kubrick movies such as 2001: a space odyssey (june 12 through 13) and the killing (june 26 through 27). there are also revival screenings of the lost boys on may 29 and 30, the impressively curated stranger than fiction documentary series through june 5, and various classics shown at 11 a.m. every friday and saturday. (323 6th ave., at 3rd st., 212-924-7771, www.ifccenter.com)

movies with a view so long as it doesn't rain, these outdoor screenings under the brooklyn bridge in the heart of dumbo provide one of the most beautiful backdrops for movie watching in all of new york. this year offers a diverse range of classics, kicking off with raising arizona and concluding with edward scissorhands. other highlights include the return of the pink panther and peter bogdonavich's paper moon. (july 9 to aug. 27, brooklyn bridge park, brooklyn, enter park at main and plymouth sts., www.brooklynbridgepark.org)

movies under the stars this year's theme is "nieuw york/new york," films that span centuries, in honor of the hudson river quadricentennial. the schedule includes scorsese's take on edith wharton's the age of innocence (july 8); a trip back to 80s excess in wall street (july 15) and neil simon's comedy the out-of-towners (july 29). movies begin at 8:30 p.m. films are free, thanks to riverside south properties. (wednesdays, july 8 to aug. 12, riverside park south, pier i, hudson river at 70th st., 212-408-0219, www.riversideparkfund.org)

newfest if you haven't yet made it to the new sva theatre, formerly the crappy clearview on west 23rd street, newfest is taking up residence this summer. one of many lgbt-themed fests, this one does have its fair share of scantily clad boys and girls in feature-length films and the ever-popular shorts to titillate the folks who don't get enough of that online already. (june 4 to 11, sva theater, 260 w. 23rd st., betw. 7th and 8th aves., www.newfest.org)

new york asian film festival subway cinema programs this always-fascinating glimpse at the several noteworthy accomplishments in contemporary asian cinema. this year, the summer's most popular new york film festival includes a retrospective of japanese pink films (essentially far-out porn) and the totally crazy-sounding four-hour epic love exposure. (june 19 to july 2, ifc center, 323 6th ave. at 3rd st., 212-924-7771, www.subwaycinema.com)

river flicks it's last year's summer blockbusters (since you want to remember how great you had it last summer), beginning with iron man, you'll want to relive the dark knight, and we can't wait to see how the pier turns out for stoner flick pineapple express on the final eve. movies begin at dusk (generally around 8:30 p.m.), and there's free popcorn. (july 8 to aug. 19, hudson river park, pier 54 at w.14th st., www.hudsonriverpark.org)

sunshine midnight movies always a great place to catch the latest art-house releases, sunshine's midnight program offers gen-x classics that always bring out the crowd. upcoming movies include the great muppet caper on june 5 and 6, followed by indiana jones and the last crusade on june 12 and 13. (143 e. houston st. betw. forsythe and eldridge sts., 212-358-7709, www.landmarktheatres.com)