Since my film festival coverage on the Underground Film Journal keeps its focus on the underground side of the playground, I’m generally reluctant to write about anything “dance” that’s going on this week. However, I did it once and am doing it again: Our fine friends at Rooftop Films, the summertime outdoor film festival that runs in NYC, announces that their Founder and Artistic Director, Mark Elijah Rosenberg, is sitting on the 3-person Sundance Short Film Jury. So, congratulations to Mark, that’s pretty nice!

Rooftop is also pleased to note that several of their film festival “graduates” are also in Park City this year. Over at Slamdance, they’re showing the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund sponsored feature film Long Haul, dir. Erin Hudson, which premiered on a rooftop last September. Slamdance is also showing the short films Fat Cake, dir. Leslie Dector, and Bump, Tick, Scratch, dir. Micah Perta, which also played on rooftops over the summer.

Over at Sundance, they’re showing new work by some Rooftop vets: Induction, dir. Nicolas Provost; Paulina Hollers, dir. Brent Green; and Dad, dir. Daniel Mulloy. One year, you’re screening your film on a hot rooftop in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side, and the next you’re freezing your butt off in Utah. Best of luck to everybody.

Also, over on the Sundance website, they’re allowing for free download a selection of shorts. The only one I can see available out of these three is Dad, which you may want to check out when it’s available either on Jan. 20 or after. I’m going to try to remember to.

Update: Ok, I finally got to watching Dad and it turns out to be one of the most thoroughly disturbing things I’ve sat through, the kind of film I’m kind of glad I sat at home to watch because I’d be too uncomfortable to sit in an audience with. Very interesting and worth watching, though. I can’t embed here — and I don’t know if I would anyway due to it’s graphic nature — but go check it out. Click the film title above to get to it.