Purple Rain - Stop Making SenseDouble features pair Prince's Purple Rain with Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, Powell & Pressburger’s The Red Shoes with Pablo Larrain’s Ema, a psychedelic Light Show with Koyaanisqatsi, David Lynch’s Lost Highway with new release Black Bear, and more

New York, N.Y. — In November, the Queens Drive-In—a partnership between Museum of the Moving Image, Rooftop Films, and New York Hall of Science—will present a series of music movies, eclectic double features, new nonfiction films, and free community screenings.

Music Film Series
Nov. 5: Purple Rain + Stop Making Sense
Nov. 6: Miss Americana (free)
Nov. 7: Psychedelic Light Show + Koyaanisqatsi
Nov. 8: School of Rock (free)
Nov. 12: Ema + The Red Shoes

Free community screenings continue with support from NYC Council Member Francisco Moya (School of Rock on Nov. 8 and The Nightmare Before Christmas). Additional free screenings are presented courtesy of Netflix (Miss Americana on Nov. 6, Athlete A on Nov. 11, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado on Nov. 14, and Giving Voice on Nov. 19). See below for the announced schedule; additional programs will be added as they are confirmed.

The Queens Drive-In was co-created by Rooftop Films, New York Hall of Science, and Museum of the Moving Image to present safe, communal moviegoing in New York City during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, while sustaining jobs, and supporting New York and the larger filmmaking community. Since August, it has been presenting an exciting mix of new and classic movies on a 62-ft.-wide screen featuring bright 4K projection in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science. A portion of every ticket sale is donated to the non-profit organization Elmcor, which serves one of the hardest-hit communities in our borough. The Queens Drive-In has also served as a venue for major film festivals, allowing for in-person events for the New York Film Festival and NewFest.
SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 2020 AT THE QUEENS DRIVE-IN
Co-presented by Rooftop Films, Museum of the Moving Image, and New York Hall of Science. Address: New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111 St, Corona, NY.

Tickets: Free; $35 (single feature) or $45 (double feature); members of the presenting organizations receive a 15% discount. For tickets, visit rooftopfilms.com/drivein/queens/. Sign up for email updates at QueensDriveIn.com.

DOUBLE FEATURE PRESENTATION
Purple Rain + Stop Making Sense
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 6:30 P.M.
Purple Rain. Dir. Albert Magnoli. 1984, 111 mins. With Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III. The Grammy and Oscar-winning Purple Rain marks the electrifying movie debut of Prince as the Kid, a Minneapolis club musician as alienated as he is talented. Struggling with a tumultuous home life, The Kid takes refuge in his music and his love for aspiring singer Apollonia. The incredible soundtrack includes the title song, “When Doves Cry,” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” Stop Making Sense. Dir. Jonathan Demme. 1984, 88 mins. Big-white-suited Talking Heads leader David Byrne is on the verge of something: a nervous breakdown or transcendence. “Don’t touch me I’m a real live wire,” he warns, which serves as the description for the entire film. In the hands of Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme and a team of ace cinematographers led by Jordan Cronenweth this is probably the greatest concert movie ever made. More info.

Miss Americana
Free screening with director Lana Wilson in person
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Lana Wilson. 2020, 86 mins. With Taylor Swift. Miss Americana is a raw and emotionally revealing look at Taylor Swift, one of the most iconic artists of our time, during a transformational period in her life as she learns to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice. Courtesy of Netflix. Free with RSVP. More info.

Psychedelic Evening: Light Show + Koyaanisqatsi
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 6:30 P.M.
Light Show. Dirs. Elsa Garmire, Ivan Dryer, Thomas Wilfred, and Joshua White. 1928–2015, 30 mins. This rare showcase of films connects to the origins of the popular laser light show Laserium, the longest running theatrical attraction in Los Angeles. The program will feature the original, proof-of-concept video Laserimage (1972), created by physicist Elsa Garmire and filmmaker Ivan Dryer; Joshua White’s Joshua Light Show, which used techniques like colored oil and water dye to accompany live music; and Luminar #52 (1928) by Danish light art pioneer Thomas Wilfred, who inspired these filmmakers, captured beautifully on screen by AJ Epstein. Koyaanisqatsi. Dir. Godfrey Reggio. U.S., 1982, 86 mins. Koyaanisqatsi is a ravishing visual symphony that explores the reaches of modern decay. Unprecedented in its style and approach at the time of its release in 1982, director Godfrey Reggio’s kaleidoscopic synthesis of images is just as remarkable nearly 40 years later. Commercialization, pollution, congestion, and demolition echo throughout an array of incredible scenes far too numerous and nuanced to list, set to an original score by Philip Glass, without a single word of dialogue or narration. More Info.

School of Rock
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 6:00 P.M.
Recommended for ages 11+
Dir. Richard Linklater. 2003, 108 mins. With Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Mike White. Rock along with Richard Linklater’s charming comedy starring Jack Black as a broke guitarist who impersonates a teacher to pay the rent and ends up starting an all-kid band. Part of a free screening series presented by NYC Council Member Francisco Moya. Free with RSVP. More info.

Athlete A
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 7:00 P.M.
Dirs. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk. 2020, 103 mins. Athlete A is about the search for truth in one of the greatest scandals in the history of sports. The film follows a team of reporters investigating claims of abuse in USA Gymnastics. Brave survivors step up to expose Larry Nassar’s crimes and fight back against a system of oppression and cruelty. Courtesy of Netflix. Free with RSVP. More info.

DOUBLE-FEATURE PRESENTATION
Ema + The Red Shoes
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 6:30 P.M.
Ema. Dir. Pablo Larraín. Chile, 2020. 102 mins. With Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael García Bernal, Paola Giannini, Santiago Cabrera. Centering on the sinuous, electrifying art of reggaeton dance, Ema is an incendiary portrait of a lady on fire, the story of an artistic temperament forced to contend with societal pressure and the urge to conform. Courtesy of Music Box Films. The Red Shoes. Dirs. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. UK, 1948, 134 mins. Starring Anton Walbrook, Moira Shearer. Powell and Pressburger’s influential backstage drama masterpiece is the story of a rising star ballerina (Shearer) who comes undone by her own perfectionism for her craft, while also becoming embroiled in a love triangle. Meticulously directed, with eye-popping Technicolor cinematography by Jack Cardiff, The Red Shoes features an unforgettable extended fantasy ballet, Oscar-winning art direction and musical score, and a memorable climax that tragically expresses about how art can completely consume a life. More info.

DOUBLE-FEATURE PRESENTATION
Black Bear + Lost Highway
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 6:30 P.M.
Black Bear. Dir. Lawrence Michael Levine. 2020, 104 mins. With Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro, Grantham Coleman. At a remote lake house, a filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in the pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention. Watch with Levine's hand-picked film: Lost Highway. Dir. David Lynch. 1997, 134 mins. With Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake. In legendary director David Lynch’s scariest film—his closest to a genuine horror—a saxophonist and his wife are haunted by a mysterious stalker. Just when the viewer gets their footing in this moody, nighttime world, the film morphs into a violent gangland noir. Lost Highway takes viewers down some of the most disturbing rabbit holes in any American mainstream film, and features unforgettably chilling images and atmospheric low-light photography by Peter Deming that envelops the viewer like a shroud. More info.

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado
Featuring a Virtual Q&A with directors Cristina Costantini, Kareem Tabsch, and producer Alex Fumero
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 7:00 P.M.
Dirs. Cristina Costantini, Kareem Tabsch. 2020, 96 mins. Every day for decades, Walter Mercado — the iconic, gender non-conforming astrologer — mesmerized 120 million Latino viewers with his extravagance and positivity. Then he vanished from the public eye. Award-winning documentarians Cristina Costantini (Science Fair) and Kareem Tabsch (The Last Resort) direct Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, produced by Alex Fumero (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson). Courtesy of Netflix. Free with RSVP. More info.

Giving Voice
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 7:00 P.M.
Recommended for ages 7+ (Rated PG)
Dirs. James D. Stern, Fernando Villena. 2020, 87 mins. The words of August Wilson are brought to life by a new generation in Giving Voice, following students in an annual monologue competition inspired by America’s preeminent playwright. Appearances by Viola Davis and Denzel Washington. Courtesy of Netflix. Free with RSVP. More info.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Date to be announced.
Recommended for ages 7+ (Rated PG)
Dir. Henry Selick. 1993, 76 mins. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, longs for something more in life, and thinks he has found it when he stumbles upon the brilliant twinkling lights of Christmastown. He then becomes determined to have it all for himself. Conceived and produced by Tim Burton and directed by stop-motion animation whiz Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a meticulously crafted fantasy, featuring Oscar-nominated special effects and a dazzling score by the great composer Danny Elfman, and has become a staple of both Christmas and Halloween. Part of a free screening series presented by NYC Council Member Francisco Moya. Free with RSVP.

# # #

Top image: Purple Rain (1984) (Courtesy of WB Classics) / Stop Making Sense (1984) (Courtesy of Palm Pictures)

Press contact: Tomoko Kawamoto, tkawamoto@movingimage.us
PRESS IMAGES (USER: press / PW: images).

ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
The Museum's mission is to advance the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the building closed since March 14, the Museum continues to fulfill its mission online through live conversations with artists, filmmakers, scholars, media educators, and other industry professionals; articles published in MoMI's online film magazine Reverse Shot and science and film resource Sloan Science & Film; access to the Museum's collection of more than 130,000 objects; and the online presentation of a range of films—including acclaimed new release features and award-winning science shorts, plus archived video of Museum events, and more. In August 2020, the Museum co-created the Queens Drive-In, in partnership with Rooftop Films and New York Hall of Science, to revive communal moviegoing in a safe environment. For more information, visit movingimage.us. Follow MoMI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

ABOUT ROOFTOP FILMS
Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to their annual Summer Series –which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer–Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and fellow non-profits, and supports screenings citywide with the Rooftop Films Community Fund. At Rooftop Films, we bring underground movies outdoors. For more information and updates, please visit their website at rooftopfilms.com.

ABOUT NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE
The mission of the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is to nurture generations of passionate learners, critical thinkers and active citizens through an approach called Design, Make, Play. Design, Make, Play emphasizes open-ended exploration, imaginative learning and personal relevance, resulting in deep engagement and delight in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World’s Fair and has evolved into New York’s center for interactive science. For more information, visit nysci.org or call 718-699-0005. Follow NYSCI on Twitter and Instagram: @nysci, and on Facebook.

Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation).