For the last three years, Hell Gate has been teaming up with the folks behind the Rockaway Film Festival to show some of the best, and often unheralded, films set in New York City to packed crowds underneath the stars in the Rockaways.
Sunday night's sold-out presentation of 1994's "Rhythm Thief" was no exception—over 150 people showed up and spread out in beach chairs, a night after the screening was originally supposed to take place (the stormy weather right around showtime on Saturday demonstrated that the RFF team not only has great taste in film, but is also very good at predicting the weather).
Postponing the screening for a day also made it possible for one of the film's stars, local New York City character actor and legend Kevin Corrigan, to show up and say a few words before the show. He described "Rhythm Thief" as "a fun film—it's bleak, and it's kind of depressing."
Many in the audience would agree with all of that! Food was once again provided by the fantastic Brothers, who slung incredible tofu and shrimp sandwiches on fresh ciabatta (but the real star, if you polled the crowd, was the kimchi potato salad).
And Hell Gate's Adlan Jackson made the big announcement—Hell Gate is a media sponsor this year for the Rockaway Film Festival.
That means you'll see us talking a lot about the films at the festival this year, hanging out at screenings, and getting the word out that the place to be this summer is the Rockaways. And specifically? At the movies!
Stay tuned for announcements on this year's festival dates and upcoming screenings!
If you want free tickets and an early heads up to events like the screening of "Rhythm Thief," you've got to become a Hell Gate Believer- or Supporter-level subscriber. One hundred of these subscribers got free tickets to Sunday's movie, and the chance to tell all their nonsubscriber friends to buy tickets before the general public found out. Join the club!
And did you know that we'll be back in the Rockaways soon? That's right: On Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, Hell Gate will be at Rippers, copresenting an incredible slate of bands with Shea Stadium (look out for the announcement soon). Think this summer couldn't get any hotter? Well, it JUST DID.