FEBRUARY
22nd AnnuAl IrAnIAn FIlm FestIvAl: IrAn InsIde And Out This year’s festival showcases a strong selection of work from Iran-based directors, as well as filmmakers based in Europe. One of the final screenings of the festival is the last work of the late filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, 24 Frames. Freer Gallery of Art. Feb. 9 to Feb. 23. Free. HOlOcAust: tHe untOld stOry The Newseum presents Holocaust: The Untold Story, which details how despite the fact that Nazi death camps were known about as early as December 1942, the American media, especially The New York Times, refused to cover the story and suppressed the information. Newseum. Feb. 10 to Dec. 30. $14.95– $24.95. dc Independent FIlm FestIvAl Screening features, documentaries, narrative shorts, documentary shorts, animations, and high school films, the city’s oldest independent film festival returns. This year’s showcase will include Triumph of the Shill, a reimagining of the original 1935 German propaganda film Triumph of the Will, for the 2017 presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. Naval Heritage Center at the United States Navy Memorial. Feb. 17 to Feb. 19. $60–$170. tHe nIne lIves OF mArIOn BArry From filmmakers Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer, who both grew up in the D.C. area, The Nine Lives of Marion Barry tells the story of the despised and beloved former D.C. mayor who weathered drug and alcohol addiction, jail, cancer, and political ire and controversy to dominate area politics for decades. Suns Cinema. Feb. 20. Free.
24 Frames
French film director Jean-Luc Godard once stated “Film begins with D. W. Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami.” The latter, an Iranian filmmaker, died in 2016, but just before his passing, Kiarostami completed his final work, 24 Frames. An experimental tour de force, the film is composed of an image of a 1565 Pieter Bruegel painting followed by 23 of Kiarostami’s own still photographs, to which he added subtle actions using computer technology. This isn’t a single narrative story; it’s a collection of 24 static shots—each lasting about four-anda-half minutes—of what appeared to Kiarostami before and after the still images. A number of the frames depict animals in snow, waves crashing on the shore, and birds flying about, interrupted on occasion by gunfire or loud vehicles. It’s repetitive at times, but the distinctive painterly arrangements and subtle soundtrack powerfully convey naturalistic and somber life-and-death messages. Feb. 18 at the Freer Gallery of Art. Free. —Steve Kiviat
ArcHItecture & desIgn FIlm FestIvAl See documentaries about inspired community activists, architects, and fashion designers, and urban planning at this festival that celebrates the way design impacts our lives. National Building Museum. Feb. 22 to Feb. 25. $10–$125. OscAr-nOmInAted FIlm sHOwcAse The National Archives hosts its 14th annual showcase of the Academy Award nominees. The screenings feature four categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Live Action Short Film, and Animated Short Film. National Archives McGowan Theater. Feb. 28 to March 4. Free.
MARCH
cApItAl IrIsH FIlm FestIvAl Now in its 12th year, the festival presents the best of new Irish documentaries, shorts and animation, comedies, dramas, and Irish language films. The festival also
hosts visiting directors, producers, and actors available for talkbacks and conversation after screenings. A full list of screenings and schedule details will be released at a later date. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. March 1 to March 4. Prices vary. dc sHOrts wIns See a winning showcase of shorts from the last year of the DC Shorts Film Festival, which includes shorts from across the globe. Miracle Theatre. March 2 to March 4. $15–$25. new AFrIcAn FIlm FestIvAl See a selection of vibrant African filmmaking from all corners of the continent. A full list of screenings and schedule details will be released at a later date. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. March 8 to March 18. Prices vary. dc envIrOnmentAl FIlm FestIvAl Environmental issues continue to be more vital than ever, and this year’s festival honors environmental heroes with “Stories From the Frontlines,” in which speakers will reflect on those risking their lives to save the planet. A full list of screenings and schedule details will be released at a later date. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. March 15 to March 25. Prices vary.
APRIL
FIlmFest dc This 32nd annual film festival returns with highlights including international comedies, thrillers, music-related films, and films with social justice themes, plus discussions with guest filmmakers. A full list of screenings and schedule details will be released at a later date. Various venues. April 19 to April 29. Prices vary. tHe new tHIng The New Thing explores the legendary D.C. institution The New Thing Art & Architecture Center, a cutting-edge Adams Morgan arts and urban planning organization that operated from 1966 to 1973. A panel discussion follows the screening, featuring former staff and students of the center, including founder Topper Carew, in a historic gathering of its alumni. Anacostia Community Museum. April 21. Free.
MAY
wAsHIngtOn JewIsH FIlm FestIvAl Watch a selection of films that tell the stories of Jewish people all over the world at this annual festival, now in its 28th year. A full list of screenings and schedule details will be released at a later date. Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center. May 2 to May 13. Prices vary.
New AfricAN film festivAl
The AFI Silver Theatre’s 14th annual New African Film Festival offers work from over a dozen countries, sampling a rich and thriving industry whose fruits are rarely screened in the United States. Highlights include the Nollywood romantic comedy Royal Hibiscus Hotel, about a Nigerian woman trying to succeed as a chef in London; the magical realist fable I Am Not a Witch, about a 9-year-old Zambian girl exiled from her village after accusations of witchcraft; the South African identity farce High Fantasy, in which a group of friends on a camping trip wake up to find they’ve all swapped bodies; and the documentary Mama Colonel, about Congolese police official Honorine Manyole and her work protecting children against sexual violence. March 8 to 18 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. $13. —Pat Padua
stop making sense
Go looking for an animated GIF from Stop Making Sense, the 1984 Talking Heads concert film by the late Jonathan Demme, and you’re likely to find David Byrne in the Big Suit. Although that iconic wardrobe choice is so readily adaptable to contemporary digital expressions, it’s a bit of a curse, really—it’s the most ’80s thing in an otherwise timeless movie. And so much of the film seems perfect for right now: The stage is full of fragile but energetic bodies, and for every undercurrent of mortality (back then, it was hard to avoid Cold War dread), there’s a wave of funky optimism from the performers. On a big screen in a dark theater, it’s ultimately a reminder that great bands should strive to make great things. May 11 to 12 at Landmark E Street Cinema. $10. —Joe Warminsky 1 September 16, 2011 washingtoncitypaper.com
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. (301) 495-6700. afi.com/silver Anacostia Community Museum 1901 Fort Place SE. (202) 633-4820. anacostia.si.edu Freer Gallery of Art Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW. (202) 633-1000. freersackler.si.edu Landmark E Street Cinema 555 11th St. NW. (202) 783-9494. landmarktheatres.com Miracle Theatre 535 8th St. SE. (202) 400-3210. themiracletheatre.com
National Building Museum 401 F St. NW. (202) 272-2448. nbm.org. Naval Heritage Center at the United States Navy Memorial 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. (202) 380-0710. navymemorial.org Newseum 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. (202) 292-6100. newseum.org Suns Cinema 3107 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. sunscinema.com
National Archives McGowan Theater
Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center
7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. (866) 272-6272. archives.gov/museum
1529 16th St. NW. (202) 518-9400. dcjcc.org
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