October 2015


Posted October 1, 2015. Calendar updated on October 15.

Contents

  • The Arabian Sights Film Festival
  • The Cinema Lounge
  • Adam's Rib Takes a Break from Film to Honor Yogi Berra
  • The New Girlfriend: Q&A with Director Francois Ozon and Actors Romain Duris and Anais Demoustier
  • Time Out of Mind: Q&A with Director Oren Moverman and Actor Richard Gere
  • We Need to Hear From You
  • Calendar of Events

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    Last 12 issues of the Storyboard.



    October 16-25

    The 20th Arabian Sights Film Festival

    The Arabian Sights Film Festival will launch its 20th season with a diverse selection of the newest and most captivating films from today’s Arab world. Films are American and Washington, DC premieres and are screened with English subtitles. This year’s festival line-up includes: Cairo Time from Egypt, Eyes of a Thief from Palestine, Far From Men from France, From A to B from UAE/Jordan, I Am Nojoon, Age 10 and Divorced from Yemen/UAE/France, The Intruder from Netherlands, Les Petits Chats from Egypt, Zinzana from UAE, A Thousand and One Journeys: The Arab Americans from the USA, and The Man from Oran from France. Many are award-winners at other festivals and will have special guests in attendance.

    Guest filmmakers attending include Majid Al Ansar, director of Zinzana; Khadija Al Salami, director of I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced; Abe Kasbo, director of A Thousand and One Journeys: The Arab Americans; Najwa Najjar, director of Eyes of a Thief; and Sherif Nakhla, director of Les Petits Chats.

    A panel of guest film directors and Arab film experts will take part in a panel discussion "The New Arab Cinema" to explore developments in Arab film and new opportunitites for Arab filmmakers. The panelists are filmmakers Majid Al Ansari, Khadija Al Salami, Najwa Najjar and Sheif Nakhla and Colin Brown, former editor in chief of Screen International and Raymond Karam, director of program outreach of The Arab Gulf States in Washington.

    Special events include a party after the Closing Night film From A to B, a reception after each screening of A Thousand And One Journeys: The Arab Americans, a 20th anniversary Happy Hour, and Q&As with filmmakers. New this year is a Jury Award, a competition of selected films that deserve increased recognition.

    The Arabian Sights Film Festival showcases films demonstrating the range and commitment of directors telling engaging stories while exploring issues facing the Arab region. The festival highlights quality cinema from a region often overlooked in mainstream American theaters. It is a constantly dynamic event with select directors present at their screenings to lend insight to the filmmaking process. The Washington, DC International Film Festival is the parent organization of Arabian Sights. This year, Arabian Sights is presented by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, DC.

    Screenings will be held at AMC Mazza Gallerie October 16-25. See the website for tickets and passes.



    The Cinema Lounge

    The Cinema Lounge meets October 19, 2015 at 7:00pm to discuss the topic "A Conversation with Will Harris: In his work with the AV Club, Will has interviewed stars such as Morgan Freeman, Lily Tomlin and Christopher Plummer. He's also talked with countless character actors such as Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, Christopher Lloyd, Elijah Wood and Timothy Hutton. Will will discuss highlights from his career and his favorite interviews."

    The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:00pm at
    Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop). The meeting area is on the second floor, special events area. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.



    Adam's Rib Takes a Break From Film To Honor Yogi Berra

    By Adam Spector, DC Film Society Member

    No movie was ever made about the great Yogi Berra, who died on September 22 at age 90. How could any film capture what this man was as a player, character and font of humor and wisdom? So I hope the DCFS members will indulge me veering away from movies this time to pay tribute to a person who exemplified what baseball should be.
    Check out my tribute. I'll go back to film next time.



    The New Girlfriend: Q&A with Director Francois Ozon and Actors Romain Duris and Anais Demoustier

    By Ron Gordner DC Film Society Member

    A screening of The New Girlfriend (Francois Ozon, 2014) was held in September 2014 at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. A friend of a young woman who just died finds out that her friend’s husband has a secret and she slowly helps him realize his secrets and become good friends. Ozon wrote the screenplay based on Ruth Rendell’s story. The film opened in late September 2015 at DC Metro theatres including Landmark theatres Bethesda Row.


    Director Francois Ozon and actors Anais Demoustier and Romain Duris at the Toronto Film Festival

    TIFF Moderator: Your films have always had feminine performances in a wonderful way, what inspired you tell this particular story?
    Francois Ozon: Actually the screenplay is originated from a short story by Ruth Rendell that I read 20 years ago. I tried to make a short film of it long ago but could not find the money, or the actress or the actor at that time. I looked at it again last year and did a screenplay and wanted to have a key to empathize with the husband. So it was difficult to know how to begin and end this film.

    TIFF Moderator: We can all attest to how well you did that. (applause). Can both actors talk about what you found most enjoyable or most challenging in making this film?
    Anais Demoustier: Most interesting to me when I read the script was that my character was very quiet and I had to imagine and create many things on the set. I enjoyed the love story and soul friendship relationship.
    Romain Duris: I am lucky but hair removal was interesting and a challenge for me.

    Audience Question: An enjoyable film with lots of unexpected twists and curves, when can we expect a sequel?
    Francois Ozon: That would be fine if you have a script for me and I think Romain would be willing to do it. (laughter)

    Audience Question: Will the film be distributed?
    Francois Ozon:This is our world premiere in Toronto and we hope to release it later in France, although we do not know how the public will react now since there have been marches and opposition to gay marriage and other issues. This film does not shout any message but shares the intimacy of the character and the complexities of desire. For me this is really a film about freedom.

    Audience Question: I noticed some Canadian references.
    Francois Ozon: Yes it is a French film but we also shot two weeks in Canada so it is really a France/Canada co-production.

    Audience Question: I think you chose a small clip from the film Waterloo Bridge is that right?
    Francois Ozon: Yes, I love that movie. A melodrama and I liked the music also very well.

    Audience Question: The epilogue at the end, do we think he ends up with Claire or what should happen?
    Francois Ozon: What did you feel?
    Audience Question: I think it’s left open for interpretation.
    Francois Ozon: Yes, I see you are a smart audience and saw that Claire was pregnant near the end. How many people think the father is Gilles and how many think it is David?
    Romain Duris: I thought it was me? (laughter)
    Anais Demoustier: I am the only one who really knows. (laughter)

    Audience Question: The choice of songs was great--did you do research on that area?
    Francois Ozon: I liked those songs, but when I asked transvestites who would have been around in the 1980’s they said that many of these songs were too obvious or melodramatic. It works in different situations and she is a very good singer.

    Audience Question: I would like to ask Monsieur Duris, what preparation or research you did for the role, and did you discover something about yourself during that research or doing the role? (laughter)
    Romain Duris: It was a physical training walking in high heels. I also had to get in touch with my feminine side and I worked with a dance choreographer who allowed me to walk a different way. I did that for a month and after that I was comfortable and I had to trust my own femininity inside. The physical was the first step then the make-up and wigs, dresses etc. I worked with Francois. It was a sweet process.

    Audience Question: Romain, do you miss Virginia?
    Romain Duris: Yes, sometimes I miss her a lot. I don’t know how I could do it again.

    Audience Question: Did you keep any of the wardrobe?
    Romain Duris: I only kept the high heels.

    Audience Question: When did you start growing a beard?
    Romain Duris: Two months ago I started growing it for another role.

    TIFF Moderator: Francois you are so prolific, you seem to have a film every year. Last year we had your Young and Beautiful film. What is your process in choosing and doing films?
    Francois Ozon: Making a film is a pleasure for me a game, not work. We have lots of joy with the actors. When it becomes hard I will stop. My films in France give me a great freedom and seem to be enjoyed so far.

    TIFF Moderator: How did both of the actors learn about this project and get involved?
    Anais Demoustier: I had to audition for the role. Francois at first thought I may be too young for the character of Claire. I had to prove to him I was the best one for the role and thanks to Romain working with me, I got it.
    Romain Duris: I received a phone call from Francois.
    Anais Demoustier: Much easier! (laughter)
    Romain Duris: He asked if I would do such a role.
    Francois Ozon: He was very excited to do it especially after getting the wig, etc. he became Virginia. (applause)

    The New Girlfriend is currently showing at Landmark's Bethesda Row Theater.



    Time Out of Mind: Q&A with Director Oren Moverman and Actor Richard Gere

    By Annette Graham, DC Film Society Members

    A preview screening of Time Out of Mind was shown at AMC's Georgetown Theater on September 10. Director Oren Moverman and actor Richard Gere were present after the screening to answer questions. The discussion was moderated by DC Film Society director Michael Kyrioglou.

    Time Out of Mind is a sensitive story of the homeless starring Richard Gere as a homeless man removed from the place he was squatting and adrift on the streets of New York City. He ends up at Bellevue Hospital, a homeless men's shelter where he is befriended by another resident (Ben Vereen).


    Left to right: Oren Moverman, Richard Gere, Michael Kyrioglou. Photo by Adam Spector.

    Michael Kyrioglou: What was the origin of the movie?
    Richard Gere: I got a version of the script in 1988 and it was still incredibly, sadly relevant in 2000. I decided not to make it. It wasn't quite right, it needed a lot of work, I couldn't get it out of my mind, the possibilities of it. I ended up buying it and spending many years trying to think how to mine what was inherent in the script but hadn't been revealed yet. I loved Oren's work; we had worked together on Todd Haynes film I'm Not There (Todd Haynes, 2007). We ran into each other and were talking about what we were doing. "I'm looking for a writer like you, I'll know you'll never want to do this but who do you think could do it?" He said, "Let me read it." So he read it. And it took on this life. I did research before Oren came on. But then we re-mined the whole territory of the homeless shelter world and he wrote this brilliant script and agreed to direct it.
    Michael Kyrioglou: Did the original script focus on a singular person like this?
    Richard Gere: The whole second half was a court case. It was too normal, frankly, too expected in terms of its structure and where it was going. And I wasn't interested in that and neither was Oren. Backstory, we just didn't care. We wanted to explore something that was more mysterious than that.

    Michael Kyrioglou: Other things are revealed like the piano playing in the cafe scene that don't assume anything about anyone and then your perception changes.
    Oren Moverman: That piano piece by the way was a Richard Gere original.
    Richard Gere: We don't always tell people that, but it was an accident. We had been talking about what to do with the piano and did Dixon really play, or is he an imaginary playmate of mine? We were there shooting a scene and we finished the scene and had a little time before lunch and Oren said why don't we do this. Just improvise something. The cameras were set up. I just walked in the shot sat down and played and walked away. It was one take. And that was it. It has spontaneity because it was; it was invented in that one take.
    Oren Moverman: Richard told me he knows how to play the piano but I had no evidence. (audience laughs). So I thought, let him play the piano, prove it and let's see what it is. He sat at the piano. We didn't know what was coming; he didn't know what was coming because it was improvised; it was a 10 minute improvisional piece. The entire crew just stood there. There is something about filming music that is very exciting to begin with. But when it's created in the moment and you see the character create it, not the actor or the musician, but just the character. It was breathtaking for us. I wish we could have used the whole 10 minutes. You really don't know people, what they are capable of and what they bring with them. Part of this movie, part of the impetus for making a movie like this is to bring you to a place where the people you don't look at, one person in this case, becomes the main event and you still don't know that much about him, but you open yourself up to the possibilities of having compassion for this person and through that you hopefully discover something about yourself.

    Michael Kyrioglou: How did you envision this film? It has a fascinating unexpected perspective.
    Oren Moverman: From the beginning we talked about making a movie that is not going to be a movie of the week or an expected story of a homeless to Harvard triumph. But it wasn't going to be that singular exceptional story.
    Richard Gere: Or that there was a great reveal, with a Rosebud moment.
    Oren Moverman: We wanted it to be a negotiation, a relationship between the viewer and the movie and trusting the intelligence of the audience, because audiences are intelligent as opposed to what a certain town on the west coast thinks. (everyone laughs). We wanted it to be a movie that is experiential, you experience the process from the day a person leaves an apartment and can't get back in and doesn't have anywhere to go. And it had to reflect the point of view of the city, our point of view when we look up from our phones in our busy schedules. When we look through the window of a cafe or an apartment window, from a rooftop, from a different perspective. For a movie about character, you have to make an effort to notice. The movie is shot in a way where the perspective is that of making an effort to notice this person. You are outside when he's inside, you're inside when he's outside, the city's moving around him really fast, he's moving at his own pace. There are some shots in it that we jokingly refer to as the Where's Waldo shot, because you have to make an effort to find him in the shot. There are a lot of real people moving around. That was the visual approach. The sonic approach, the sound was really just a reflection of sounds in New York City which if you really truly listen to it--we live in New York and are trained to block out this assault of sounds--but when you close your eyes and listen to it, it's insane, it's the sound of insanity, it's too loud, it's too much, there's too much stimulation, there's too much going on. Let's reflect the sound of the city, but also let's reflect from the point of view of the character where he's just too sensitive; he can hear it all, it's disorienting, there's so much drama going around his life. We are aware of other people, and the fact that everyone has a story, everyone has a reason for the way they behave. We don't judge anyone, we just want to take a look. That's what the film is about.

    Audience Question: What sort of research did you do?
    Oren Moverman: Richard did a lot of the work; he's been at it for years and years. When we ran into each other at the party, it was less than 3 years ago. He told me he was already in the process of researching and thinking, being an activist in New York. He brought me into the process by going to shelters and talking to people in shelters on all sides of the issue, giving me access to clients but also administrators. I talked to everyone and heard a lot of stories and a lot of them were rolled in to what this movie is, there are many scenes in this that we witnessed, or fragments of conversations we heard that made it into the narrative of the movie.
    Richard Gere: Actually the research itself ended up being the movie. It was things that I had remembered when I was doing my research. We both work very organically. We don't push anything. We work from dreams, we allow ourselves to slowly evolve. When it happens it happens. These kinds of things can't be pushed. The process of this slow burn really informed the structure of the piece. Just following a guy. What happens when someone is thrown out of the last apartment that he's able to talk some woman into letting him be in? What happens then? That is really the process. Process became character; process became movie; process became narrative.

    Michael Kyrioglou: Was there anything that you found surprising?
    Oren Moverman: Everything was a surprise. Everything was set up to develop into something we didn't expect.
    Richard Gere: Sometimes I didn't even know where the camera was. The camera was very far away. You can tell it was hugely long lenses, rooftops. I didn't know where he was. I usually have one young assistant director who had a FBI-type walkie-talkie and he was talking into his wrist. And he would say "Action." And I would say "Where?" I don't know. (audience laughs) And then I'd be doing something and I'd see him walking by me and he's say "Turn around and go the other way." I'd turn around, and do something else. The film was a lot of catch it as something was happening, things that couldn't be repeated and very happy accidents. Even in interiors we were shooting with very shallow focal lengths. We had to be so in tune with each other in a kind of mysterious wave length. The operator, the focus puller and I had to know preternaturally where we were going to be at any moment.

    Audience Question: What do you think would be some of the solutions and policies for housing?
    Richard Gere: You are going to know more than we do. We flew in this morning and we've been doing press to talk about your issue. We talked to senators and congressmen and administration, secretary of HUD. We're trying to gather more information ourselves. It really does comes down to housing, maybe the most important part of that puzzle. You have a community here. Community is really the core. We are social beings. We need to see faces, we need eye contact, we need to touch and hear. Without community we fall apart. As I was playing the character on the street, this sense of isolation and disconnect quickly leads to mental, psychological and spiritual issues. It happens so quickly to any of us, we would fall apart. A wholistic approach has to begin with housing. Creating community, possibilities of strategies of how to function in the world that can become the new habit of how we can relate, all of us. You have a community already, you're making films, thinking of the future, have programs, you guys are in motion.

    Audience Question: There seems to be a trend of the smaller producers. Broadgreen and Relativity are taking on some advocacy in topics. Is there a website to direct people to services and things they can support, sign a petition, giving money?
    Richard Gere: There are organizations. We are trying to figure out how to use this film properly. We spoke at The National Alliance for the Homeless, there were thousands of people there, local groups, serious people who had been working for a long time. We showed the film to them, they had a similar response: Yes that's the way it is, that's what it feels like, sounds like, smells like. We offered the film to them, use it, it's the truth as we know it. Use it if you can. We are in the process of helping them use the film to open a dialogue in communities across the country. I work with the Coalition for the Homeless which is in the movie. We actually shot in their offices. That was a real place. Eventually we will have a call to action of what one can do.

    Audience Question: There are number of big name actors in the film. Why did they take small roles?
    Richard Gere: This is hard to believe but Oren is a really respected writer-director. (audience laughs) They responded to this. Many of them were friends doing me a favor and him a favor, doing a film, but they believed in it. They believed that this was something important. Actors want to do something important also. No one made any money on this. My driver made more money than I did. It was clearly that sense of responsibility coming out, that people could use their art to do something of value in the world.

    Audience Question: Were those real tenants in the Bellevue facility?
    Richard Gere: Some were, some from the Coalition for the Homeless, former clients, some were still on the street. We had such amazing extras in those scenes. They were so real and so full. I couldn't see the difference between our people and the extras. They were incredible.

    Audience Question: Why did you have the daughter come out of the bar run after him if you didn't want to have a rags to Harvard ending?
    Oren Moverman: They didn't want the ending to be too depressing.
    Richard Gere: He wrote an ending that he thought was doing that. We discussed it. We have to go further, at least there is a possibility that there's a beginning point for something to happen. Nothing in life happens that quick. She's not going to come out and say all is forgiven, hug, kiss. Life doesn't work that way. But it's a moment of possibility. You can ask yourself did he get to the next step of forgiveness or not? It's not our job to tell you what happened.

    Audience Question: What kind of acting preparation did you do?
    Richard Gere: I can see the movie the same way you do. I can disassociate from having been the guy. I think there is something about how long this gestated with me, how long I've been thinking about it. It was deep enough inside me that it wasn't something I had to crank up every day. It was sitting there. It was a different kind of acting preparation. It wasn't about inventing a backstory and a history for the guy. I didn't do it that way. I was much more intuitive about him. I was looking for something else. In a sense it was clearing myself into more of an open space and just allowing the moment to reveal itself. Which works well with the way he (Oren) likes to make movies. Because of that, I was flowing in and out of him very easily. I wasn't torturing myself when we weren't shooting. I was actively producing the movie. I was being an adult and producing the movie and and then clicking into being George. It wasn't a problem.

    Time Out of Mind was shown at Landmark's West End Theater September 18-24.



    We Need to Hear From YOU

    We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.



    Calendar of Events

    FILMS

    American Film Institute Silver Theater
    "Noir City DC" returns for its 2015 edition. Titles include Caught (1949), Woman on the Run (1950) in a new 35mm print, Crime of Passion (1957), The Reckless Moment (1949), Diabolique (1955), Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948), The Guilty (1947), Ossessione (1943), Scarlet Street (1945), a double feature of Don't Open That Door (1952) shown with If I Should Die Before I Wake (1952), Street of Chance (1942), The Underworld Story (1950) in a new 35mm print, Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Phantom Lady (1942), Black Angel (1946), No Man of Her Own (1950), Circle of Danger (1951), Detour (1945), Leave Her to Heaven (1945), The Bigamist (1953), The Suspect (1944), and Shockproof (1949).

    The "Silent Cinema Showcase" begins October 30 and continues through November 21. On October 30 and 31 the Silent Orchestra will accompany Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (F.W. Murnau, 1922). More in November.

    The Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival takes place October 8-17. Titles include The Final Girls, Crush the Skull, Night of the Living Deb, Nina Forever, The Invitation, He Never Died, The Hallow, Bite, Valley of the Sasquatch, Killer Rack, Luciferous, Circus of the Dead, They Look Like People, German Angst and lots of short films.

    A tribute to Christopher Lee includes The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Creeping Flesh and The Wicker Man, all shown October 10-15.

    Count Gore De Vol presents two double features for Halloween Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein shown with The Wolf Man (1941) on October 31 at 3:30pm and Frankenstein (1931) shown with Dracula (1931).

    The 26th AFI Latin American Film Festival begins September 17 and ends October 7. Films from Latin American countries plus Spain and Portugal are represented. The Closing Night film is Trash from Brazil. Films include numerous international film festival favorites, award winners, local box office hits and debut works by promising new talents. See the website for schedule, tickets and passes.

    Other special events in October include George Romero's Day of the Dead shown on October 24 at 10:00pm, the day of the Silver Spring Zombie Walk; the trilogy of The Decline of Western Civilization with director Penelope Spheeris present for Q&A, and Lucio Fulci's The Beyond on October 31 at 11:00pm.

    Freer Gallery of Art
    "Action, Anarchy, and Audacity: A Seijun Suzuki Retrospective" takes place October 9-December 20. On October 9 at 7:00pm is Branded to Kill (1967); on October 11 at 1:00pm is Tokyo Drifter (1966); on October 11 at 3:00pm is Youth of the Beast (1963); on October 16 at 7:00pm is Gate of Flesh (1964); on October 18 at 2:00pm is Tattooed Life (1965); on October 23 at 7:00pm is Kanto Wanderer (1963); on October 25 at 1:00pm is Story of a Prostitute (1965); on October 25 at 3:00pm is Fighting Elegy (1966); and on October 30 at 7:00pm is The Call of Blood (1964). More in November and December.

    National Gallery of Art
    "Agnès Varda: Ciné-Portraiture" (October 2-November 22) is a series of films by and about Agnes Varda who received the Palme d'honneur in May 2015. Note that not all films are shown at the Gallery. On October 2 at 7:00pm is The Beaches of Agnes (2008) shown at American University's McKinley Building; on October 18 at 4:00pm is The Gleaners and I (2000) preceded by the short film Ô saisons, Ô châteaux (1958); On October 23 at 7:00pm is Cleo from 5 to 7 (1961) shown at AU's McKinley Building; on October 31 at 12:30pm is "Varda: Actualités," a program of short films. More in November.

    "Personal Space: Films by Aurand and Beavers" is a short series of films by Robert Beavers and Ute Aurand. On October 10 at 2:00pm is "Portraits of Place and Familiars," a collection of six short films; on October 10 at 3:30pm is a program of three films by Robert Beavers; and on October 11 at 2:00pm is a program of three films by Ute Aurand. The filmmakers will both be present for all films.

    "The Faraway Worlds of Wojciech Jerzy Has" is a program of three films by Polish director Wojciech Has. On October 11 at 4:30pm is How to Be Loved (1963); on October 24 at 2:00pm is The Saragossa Manuscript (1965); and on October 25 at 4:00pm is The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973).

    "Maya Deren: Rhythm, Ritual, Repetition" is a short series of films by and about Maya Deren. On October 17 at 12:30pm is the documentary In the Mirror of Maya Deren (Martina Kudlá?ek, 2003). On October 17 at 2:30pm is a program of short films by Maya Deren and on October 17 at 4:00pm is a second program of short films by Maya Deren.

    Special events in October include The Summer of Flying Fish (Marcela Said, 2013) from Chile. On October 31 at 3:00pm is Jon Imber's Left Hand (Richard Kane, 2014), a documentary about artist and art professor Jon Imber. Filmmaker Richard Kane will be present. On October 3 at 2:00pm is the Washington premiere The Creation of Meaning (Simone Rapisarda Casanova, 2014) with the filmmaker in person.

    National Museum of the American Indian
    Two films by Kent Garrett Black Cop and Black GI are shown with the filmmaker taking part in a discussion following the films.

    Washington Jewish Community Center
    On October 13 at 7:30pm is The Art Dealer (Francois Margolin, 2014); on October 15 at 7:30pm is Welcome to Leith (Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker, 2015), a documentary about the attempted takeover of a small town in North Dakota by notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb. On October 24 at 7:30pm is the mockumentary I Am Bialik (Aviv Talmor, 2014). On October 29 at 7:30pm is Rock in the Red Zone (Laura Bialis, 2014), a documentary about music in the city of Sderot. Filmmaker Laura Bialis will take part in Q&A after the film.

    Goethe Institute
    "Picturing America" is a short series of three films which demonstrate how the German picture of America has changed over time. On October 5 at 6:30pm is Chingachgook, The Great Snake (Richard Grosschopp, 1967); on October 19 at 6:30pm is Bagdad Cafe (Percy Adlon, 1987); and on October 26 at 6:30pm is Friendship! (Markus Goller, 2010).

    A film and discussion about immigration takes place October 22 at 6:30pm. The film is Guten Tag, Ramon (2014) with director Jorge Ramirez Suarez present for Q&A after the film.

    French Embassy
    On October 13 at 7:00pm is Poupoupidou (Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, 2011).

    The Japan Information and Culture Center
    On October 21 at 6:30pm is Key of Life (Kenji Uchida, 2012), winner of numerous awards at international film festivals. On October 28 at 6:30pm is the anime film Brave Story (2006), a nominee for the Japan Academy Award Best Animated Film.

    The Textile Museum at GWU
    On October 15 at noon is Through the Consul's Eye (1999), a documentary about Auguste François, a French consul in China from 1896-1905.

    National Archives
    On October 2 at 7:00pm is the documentary Uniquely Nasty: The U.S. Government's War on Gays, followed by a discussion with Michael Isikoff, journalist and narrator of the film and Charles Francis, president of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C.

    On October 14 at 7:00pm is Projections of America (2014), about the series of documentaries made toward the end of WWII targeted at the newly liberated populations. Filmmaker Peter Miller and Victoria Riskin, daughter of writer Robert Riskin and actress Fay Wray, will take part in a discussion after the film.

    On October 17 at 2:00pm is the legendary comedy Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.

    Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema
    "Movie Rewind" is a new series of classic films on Wednesdays. October 7 at 7:00pm and 9:30pm is Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974). On October 14 at 4:00pm and 7:30pm is West Side Story (Robert Wise, 1961); on October 21 at 7:00pm and 9:30pm is Gremlins (Joe Dante) and on October 28 at 7:00pm and 9:30pm is Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004).

    National Museum of Natural History
    On October 28 at 6:15pm is A Weaver's Journey, a documentary about Delores Churchill who found an ancient spruce hat in a retreating glacier. Filmmaker Ellen Frankenstein will join Delores Churchill in a discussion after the film and a weaving demonstration with Delores Churchill will follow.

    Interamerican Development Bank
    On October 22 at 6:30pm is Ixcanul (Jayro Bustamante, 2015) from Guatemala.

    The Avalon
    On October 7 at 8:00pm is She's Beautiful When She's Angry (Mary Dore, 2014), about the founding of NOW, as part of the "Avalon Docs" series.

    There are two Film Studies programs for October. The first looks at director Billy Wilder in a screening and discussion. On October 8 at 10:30am is Part I, a History and Analysis of Billy Wilder's Career. On October 15 at 10:30am is Part II, a screening and discussion of The Apartment (1960). The program curator is Oliver Gaycken, Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and Film Studies at the University of Maryland College Park.

    The second Film Studies program is "The Language of Film – Poetry & Politics in Post-Soviet Cinema." On October 21 at 10:30am is Part I, Introduction and Analysis of Poetic Cinema. On October 22 at 10:30am is Part II, a screening and discussion of Leviathan (Andry Zvyagintsev, 2014). The program curator is Elizabeth A. Papazian, Associate Professor of Russian and Film Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.

    On October 15 at 7:00pm is part I of the "Kickstarter Film Festival," a program of short and feature films funded on Kickstarter. Films in this session include the short film Afronauts and the feature What We Do in the Shadows. On October 15 at 9:20pm is part II with the short films World of Tomorrow and Submarine Sandwich shown with T-Rex.

    For the "Czech Lions" series on October 14 at 8:00pm is the award-winning The Way Out (Petr Václav, 2014), about a Romani couple trying to live in a prejudiced community.

    The "French Cinematheque" film for October is 24 Days (Alexandre Arcady, 2014) on October 21 at 8:00pm.

    The "Reel Israel" film this month on October 28 at 8:00pm is My Australia (Ami Drozd, 2010), set in 1960s Poland and is based on the filmmaker’s own experiences.

    Hasna
    On October 27 at 8:00pm is the Turkish film Team (Emre Sahin), about a neighborhood trying to save a soccer field from developers. The film's producer Tamer Uner will be present for Q&A after the film. The film is shown at the Avalon but ticket sales are through Hasna; see the website.

    Italian Cultural Institute
    On October 1 at 6:30pm is the re-scheduled screening of Stay Away From Me (Alessio Maria Federici, 2013).

    Anacostia Community Museum
    On October 7 at 1:00pm is The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry (2006), a PBS American Experience documentary with discussion following the screening.

    On October 21 at 2:00pm is A Great Day in Harlem (2006), an Oscar-nominated documentary about the lives of 57 jazz musicians who posed for a picture in 1958. Discussion follows.

    Embassy of Austria
    Two films are shown in conjunction with the new exhibit "Austrian Traditional Costumes Through the Ages." On October 15 at 7:30pm is The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965), celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and on October 21 at 7:30pm is the documentary Fabric of Home (Othmar Schmiderer), about Tracht, the traditional Austrian folk costume in all its diversity and from earliest times to the present.

    Arlington Arts
    On October 9 at 8:00pm is the classic film Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932) with live music accompaniment by the Not So Silent Orchestra. Shown at the Spectrum Theater; see the website for reservations.

    Hill Center
    "A New Golden Age of Documentaries" is a program of four rarely seen film documentaries, discussion and Q&A with Mike Canning, film reviewer for the Hill Rag and film professor Tom Zaniello. On October 9 at 7:00pm is Mad Hot Ballroom (Marilyn Agrelo, 2005) about a New York City fifth grade public school ballroom competition. On October 16 at 7:00pm is The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, 1988) about an investigation of the murder of a policeman in Texas. On October 22 at 7:00pm is Manufactured Landscapes (Jennifer Baichwal, 2006), about Chinese industrial sites. On October 29 at 7:00pm is Dark Days (Marc Singer, 2000) about the homeless Mole People who live in the tunnels of New York City.

    "Tough Dames in Satin Slips: Films from Pre-Code Hollywood" is a program of four Pre-Code films hosted by New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot and film critic Nell Minow. In the early 1930s Hollywood's moral codes were flouted until stricter enforcement of the Hays Code in July of 1934. On October 4 at 4:00pm is Madam Satan (Cecil B. DeMille, 1930) in a shortened version. On October 11 at 4:00pm is Night Nurse (William Wellman, 1931) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable. On October 18 at 4:00pm is Murder at the Vanities (Mitchell Leisen, 1934), a musical with Duke Ellington and his orchestra. On October 25 at 4:00pm is Gabriel Over the White House (Gregory La Cava, 1933) with Walter Huston as a politician transformed after emerging from a coma.

    Alden Theater
    On October 31 at 2:00pm is The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni, 1928) starring Conrad Veidt. Film historian Bruce Lawton will introduce the film and Ben Model provides music accompaniment.

    Angelika Film Center Mosaic
    October is "Hitchcocktober" with films by Alfred Hitchcock every week. On October 1 at 7:00pm is Frenzy; on October 8 at 7:00pm is The Man Who Knew Too Much; on October 15 at 7:00pm is Dial M For Murder in 3D; on October 22 at 7:00pm is Rope and on October 29 at 7:00pm is Psycho.

    Angelika Popup
    October is "Hitchcocktober" with films by Alfred Hitchcock every week. On October 1 at 7:00pm is Frenzy; on October 8 at 7:00pm is The Man Who Knew Too Much; on October 15 at 7:00pm is Dial M For Murder in 3D; on October 22 at 7:00pm is Rope and on October 29 at 7:00pm is Psycho.

    Smithsonian Associates
    On October 17 at 5:00pm is "The Shadowy History of Film Noir," a discussion and book signing held at the AFI as part of its annual Film Noir series. Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation will present this special program on the history, aesthetics, and lasting legacy of this Hollywood-grown cinematic movement. He will illustrate his talk with clips from classic favorites and hidden gems. Afterwards he will be signing copies of his book The Art of Noir.

    Reel Affirmations XTra
    On October 23 at 7:00pm and 9:15pm is Lyle (Stewart Thorndike, 2014) preceded by the short film The Night Is Ours.

    Busboys and Poets
    On October 11 at 6:00pm is Through Chinatown's Eyes: April 1968, a documentary about how Chinatown found itself caught up in the riots of 1968. Discussion follows the film. At the V Street location.

    George Mason University
    On October 15 at 4:30pm is the award-winning documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis with filmmaker Cheryl Furjanic participating in discussion afterward. The film follows Louganis' evolution from childhood diving prodigy to Olympic champion and from gay athlete with HIV to almost forgotten sports icon.



    FILM FESTIVALS

    Arabian Sights
    The 20th Annual Arabian Sights Film Festival takes place October 16-25. A diverse selection of new innovative and engaging films centered on today’s Arab world will be shown. See above.

    AFI Latin American Film Festival
    The 26th AFI Latin American Film Festival begins September 17 and ends October 7. Films from Latin American countries plus Spain and Portugal are represented. The Closing Night film is Trash from Brazil. Films include numerous international film festival favorites, award winners, local box office hits and debut works by promising new talents. See the website for schedule, tickets and passes.

    Kids Euro Festival
    The Kids Euro Festival takes place October 24-November 8. Films and performing arts events are part of the festival. Locations vary; see the website for more information. Some film titles for October include Lily the Witch: The Journey to Mandolan from Austria, Justin and the Knights of Valor from Spain, and Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit from the UK. More in November.

    Spooky Movie 2015 Film Festival
    The Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival takes place October 8-17. Titles include The Final Girls, Crush the Skull, Night of the Living Deb, Nina Forever, The Invitation, He Never Died, The Hallow, Bite, Valley of the Sasquatch, Killer Rack, Luciferous, Circus of the Dead, They Look Like People, German Angst and lots of short films.

    The Fifth Annual DC Palestine Film and Arts Festival
    Documentary, short and feature films are shown October 1-4 at the Goethe Institute and other locations. Some titles: The Wanted 18 (Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan) with a filmmaker Q&A afterward; Giraffada (Rani Massalha) about a veterinarian in the West Bank; Roshmia (Salim Abu Jabal); Mars at Sunrise (Jessica Habie); and Villa Touma (Suha Arraf). See the website for more information. Passes are available.

    Utopia Film Festival
    The 11th annual Utopia Film Festival takes place October 23-25 in Greenbelt, Maryland. Festival passes are available. A few titles: Buen Dia, Ramon (Jorge Ramirez Suarez) from Germany; The Z-Nail Gang (Anton Steel) from New Zealand; American Road (Kurt Jacobsen and Warren Leming) from the US; Art Bastard (Victor Kanefsky) from the US; Broken Hearts and Butterflies (Kimberley Williams) from the US; Brookeville: Capital for a Day (Mark Hildebrand) from the US; Graveyard of the Great Lakes (Eric Seals) from the US; Lesson Plan: The Story of the Third Wave (Phillip Neel and David Jeffery) from the US; and One River, Many Relations (Stephane Mclachlan and Michael Tyas) from Canada. Locations are the Greenbelt Arts Center and the Greenbelt Theater. See the website for more information.

    The Investigative Film Festival
    The first Investigative Film Festival is held September 30-October 2 at the National Portrait Gallery and Woolly Mammoth Theater. Titles include Spotlight, The True Cost, Cartel Land, Deep Web, The Storm Makers, Drone, (T)error, and 1971. Post-film discussions and other activities are part of the festival. Passes are available, see the website for more information.

    The Greater Washington Immigration Film Festival
    Immigrant-themed films are shown October 22-25 at 16 area venues. Titles include Harvest of Empire, Documented, The List, Climate Refugees, 120 Days, Underwater Dreams, Unlikely Heroes and short films. See the website for information about passes and tickets.

    Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
    The Fifth Annual Reel Independent Film Festival takes place October 9-15 at Angelika Popup. A "Docs and Discussion" series is at the Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 7th Street, NE on October 10 and 11. See the website for the film schedule. Passes are available.



    FILM-RELATED LECTURES AND SEMINARS

    Smithsonian Associates
    On October 17 at 5:00pm is "The Shadowy History of Film Noir," a discussion and book signing held at the AFI as part of its annual Film Noir series. Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation will present this special program on the history, aesthetics, and lasting legacy of this Hollywood-grown cinematic movement. He will illustrate his talk with clips from classic favorites and hidden gems. Afterwards he will be signing copies of his book The Art of Noir.

    Avalon Theater
    There are two Film Studies programs for October. The first looks at director Billy Wilder in a screening and discussion. On October 8 at 10:30am is Part I, a History and Analysis of Billy Wilder's Career. On October 15 at 10:30am is Part II, a screening and discussion of The Apartment (1960). The program curator is Oliver Gaycken, Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and Film Studies at the University of Maryland College Park.

    Avalon Theater
    The second Film Studies program is "The Language of Film – Poetry & Politics in Post-Soviet Cinema." On October 21 at 10:30am is Part I, Introduction and Analysis of Poetic Cinema. On October 22 at 10:30am is Part II, a screening and discussion of Leviathan (Andry Zvyagintsev, 2014). The program curator is Elizabeth A. Papazian, Associate Professor of Russian and Film Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.

    Goethe Institute
    On October 1 at 12:30pm is a lecture, "Memory Contests: How to Tell Good Stories of 'Bad History' in German Film." Michael Braun, author of publications dealing with memory and German culture will present films dealing with Germany's past and challenge of an ambivalent heritage.



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