'Raise the Roof' Gears up for Second Summer Rooftop Party

The brain behind Denver Film Society’s newest event ‘Raise the Roof’ calls it a labor of love. Director of Denver Film on Colfax, Ryan Oestreich, hatched the idea as a way to not only promote film but also to draw the community together. “We want to let people know we have a year around home for them,” said Oestreich.

His hope is that by throwing a neighborhood block party people also take note of the spiffy theater. There are no excuses to not check out a film either. Anyone who stops by the Denver Film Center booth receives a free pass to see a show that night or return on a different evening. “We show really great films. Whether it’s a documentary or a wonderfully weird French Film. It’s the whole gamete,” said Oestreich.

The hip elevated block party keeps crowds fired up by cranking the music, serving food from local restaurants and even New Belgium brews. The night follows a unique layout. A comedy troop is inserted between the bands. What’s better than jamming and dancing, laughing and jamming some more as you watch the sunset from the top of the Lowenstein Cultural Complex.

The kickoff event June 14th tallied a crowd of more than 700 people. In Oestreich’s highest hope he was hoping for 400. He credits some of the success of the event to its uniqueness. “It’s about rethinking urban space. We transformed a parking structure to a stage.”

If you missed this month’s event keep your day planner open the night of July 12 and August 9. A door open at 5:00, music starts at 6:00 and is turned down at 9:00.

 

Raise The Roof July 12 and Aug. 9

Bands July 12- Tom Hagerman and Band and Fair Children

Bands August 9 ^th– ManCub and Mike Marchant

Denver FilmCenter/Colfax

2510 E. Colfax

5-9 p.m.

*In addition to Raise the Rood, the DFS organizes Film on the Rocks and the the Starz Denver Film Festival in November.