Rooftop Films Hosts Special Screening of MEDORA Tonight

Rooftop Films and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne present a special sneak preview of the documentary film MEDORA at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on November 6th. Directed by Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart, MEDORA follows the down-but-not-out Medora Hornets varsity high school basketball team over the course of the 2011 season, capturing The Players' stories both on and off the court.

"Rooftop is proud to present the New York City debut of this accomplished documentary," said Dan Nuxoll, Program Director for Rooftop Films. "MEDORA is an expertly crafted, intimate portrait of a community struggling through changes that are well beyond their control. It is a fine film that deserves to be seen, and we are grateful for the support of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne which makes our off-season special screenings possible."

Prior to the screening, Piper-Heidsieck will host a champagne reception in the beautiful hall at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, and following the film, there will be a Q&A with the directors as well as with Executive Producer Steve Buscemi.

"Piper-Heidsieck has a long history of supporting the film industry, including 20 years as official sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival, our recent participation in the Hamptons International Film Festival, and now our collaboration with Rooftop Films," says Romain Pianet of Senior Director of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. "We are delighted to support the filmmakers of MEDORA on this special screening of their extraordinary documentary and to raise a glass to bold and sparkling direction in film."

The event is also supported by The Angel Orensanz Foundation, a non-profit artistic and cultural resource open to artists, writers, thinkers and leaders from all over the world, and to the community around us.

The screening will take place at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street (between Houston and Stanton Streets), NYC tonight, November 6th. Schedule:

6:30PM Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Reception

7:30PM Screening Begins

9:00PM Q&A with Directors Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart, and Executive Producer Steve Buscemi

MEDORA opens at the Village East in New York City and the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Los Angeles on Friday, November 8th. The film opens around the country for a one-night-only engagement on Tuesday, November 12, in conjunction with its release on iTunes and on-demand. For more information on screenings or to stream or download the film directly from the filmmakers go to www.medorafilm.com.

ABOUT THE FILM: Years ago, MEDORA was a booming rural community with prosperous farms, an automotive parts factory, a brick plant, and a thriving middle class. The factories have since closed, crippling Medora's economy and its pride. The population has slowly dwindled to around 500 people. Drug use is common, the school faces consolidation, and as one resident put it, "This town's on the ropes."

MEDORA follows the down-but-not-out Medora Hornets varsity basketball team over the course of the 2011 season, capturing The Players' stories both on and off the court. The Hornets were riding a brutal losing streak when we arrived, and the team's struggle to compete bears an eerie resonance with the town's fight for survival.

MEDORA is an in-depth, deeply personal look at small-town life, a thrilling, underdog basketball story, and an inspiring tale of a community refusing to give up hope despite the brutal odds stacked against them. On a grander scale, it's a film about America, and the thousands of small towns across the country facing the same fight. As one towns-person commented, "Once we lose these small towns, we can't get them back."

ABOUT ROOFTOP FILMS / www.rooftopfilms.com 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, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films.

ABOUT CHAMPAGNE PIPER-HEIDSIECK: In 1785, Florens-Louis Heidsieck created the first cuvée of the Piper-Heidsieck House. Throughout history, the House has been synonymous with quality, culture, boldness and style via partnerships with high-profile creative figures across the design, film and fashion industries.

One of the most awarded champagnes, Piper-Heidsieck benefits from the expertise of celebrated winemaker, Régis Camus. Camus was recently named "Sparkling Winemaker of the Year" at the 2013 International Wine Challenge in London. This marks the eighth time the Cellar Master has received this award, and the seventh consecutive year he has received this honor.

Piper-Heidsieck remains one of the eponymous region's most outstanding wines, and is the only non-vintage champagne to earn a spot on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list of 2012. It is imported by Rémy Cointreau, USA, Inc. For more information visit: http://piper-heidsieck.com and https://www.facebook.com/ChampagnePiperHeidsieck.

ABOUT THE ANGEL ORENSANZ FOUNDATION / www.orensanz.org: The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts was established in 1992 as an artistic and cultural resource open to artists, writers, thinkers and leaders from all over the world, and to the community around us. Over the years they have welcomed and been inspired by Philip Glass and Spike Lee; Arthur Miller, Alexander McQueen, Salman Rushdie, Maya Angelou and Alexander Borovsky; Elie Wiesel and Chuck Close. They work with independent artists from all over the world to develop educational and artistic projects. The Foundation prides itself in maintaining the building at 172 Norfolk St., the former Ansche Chesed Synagogue (1849), in its architectural integrity and in the tradition of the German Reform Movement of the mid 19th century.