June 2016


Posted June 1, 2016.

Contents

  • Coming Attractions: Trailer Program Summer 2016
  • The Cinema Lounge
  • Adam's Rib Previews AFI Docs With Festival Director Michael Lumpkin
  • AFI Docs
  • Weiner: Q&A with Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg
  • We Need to Hear From You
  • Calendar of Events

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    Coming Attractions: Trailer Program Summer 2016

    The spring has been a bit cool like the film landscape so far this year, but summer is just around the corner and with it the movie season will be heating up fast! Preview the trailers on tap at the Washington, DC Film Society’s twice-annual program, “COMING ATTRACTIONS TRAILER NIGHT, SUMMER 2016.” We’ll highlight the summer blockbusters, chock full of sequels and remakes, as well as indie faves designed to explore moviegoers’ range of emotions. We guarantee plenty of action and excitement.

    DC Film Society Director Michael Kyrioglou announced the date for COMING ATTRACTIONS will be Wednesday, June 1, 2016. Join us at Landmark’s E Street Cinema (E Street between 10th and 11th Street, NW) from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. DC Film Critics extraordinaire Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson bring the movie buzz and lead discussion on the trailers. You, the audience, get to vote on the movies you want to see (or escape from); we’ll pass this information on to the studios.

    Some of the 30 trailers we’ll be showing may include Jason Bourne, Central Intelligence, Florence Foster Jenkins with Meryl Streep, Finding Dory, Free State of Jones, PopStar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Warcraft, Colin Firth & Nicole Kidman in Genius, Independence Day: Resurgence, a new Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, The Secret Life of Pets, The Legend of Tarzan, The BFG, Bad Moms, Ben-Hur, Suicide Squad and much more.

    Tickets are only $3.00 for DCFS Basic members, FREE for Gold members and $5.00 for the program. We’ll also have movie promotional items, movie posters, and raffle prizes, including DVDs and movie tickets.



    The Cinema Lounge

    The Cinema Lounge meets June 20, 2016 at 7:00pm. Our topic is "All-Time Favorites." Roger Ebert once said that you considered a film great if you couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing it again. What are the films you want to see over and over again? To put it another way, what movies would you want a desert island (along with food and shelter)?

    New location! The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:00pm at
    Teaism in Penn Quarter, 400 8th St., NW in Washington, DC (closest Metro stop is Archives, also near Metro Center and Gallery Place). NOTE: We will meet in the downstairs 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 Previews AFI Docs With Festival Director Michael Lumpkin

    By Adam Spector, DC Film Society Member

    This year’s AFI Docs, the annual documentary film festival, runs from June 22-26. It features 94 films from 30 countries.
    Tickets are available at the website. While I miss the days where the festival was contained entirely in Silver Spring, I have accepted its shift to a DC focus. I was fortunate to get an interview with Festival Director Michael Lumpkin, who discussed this year’s changes and highlights. Check it out in my new Adam’s Rib column.



    AFI Docs

    From the press release

    AFI DOCS brings new documentaries to the Washington, DC. The Festival has built a reputation for presenting compelling and engaging films that connect with audiences in theaters, and beyond. The Festival will run from June 22 through June 26, 2016, showing 94 films from 30 countries. Panel discussions and other special events are part of the festival.

    Now in its 13th year, the festival has been called the "Pre-eminent US Documentary Fest" by Screen International, the "premier showcase for documentary films" by The Hollywood Reporter, and "Non-fiction Nirvana" by Variety.

    AFI DOCS 2016 screenings will take place in Washington, DC, at the Newseum and the Landmark E Street Cinema, and in Silver Spring, MD, at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

    "The lineup at AFI DOCS 2016 illustrates that everyone has a story, and that those stories are as entertaining, twisted and provocative as fiction," said Michael Lumpkin, Director of AFI DOCS. "While our artists and policy leaders will engage in the urgent realities presented in these films, audiences will experience the best in documentary cinema today throughout the festival."

    The Newseum — this year's Official Gala Screening Sponsor — will host the Opening Night Gala and North American premiere of Zero DaysZero Days (Alex Gibney) and the Closing Night Gala screening of Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady).

    Werner Herzog will be this year's Charles Guggenheim Symposium honoree at the Newseum on June 24. The Symposium will include a conversation, moderated by Ramin Bahrani, followed by the East Coast premiere of Herzog's latest film Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World.

    The Newseum will also host this year's Spotlight Screenings — Audrie and Daisy (Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk), Check It (Toby Oppenheimer abd Dana Flor), Life, Animated (Roger Ross Williams) and Newtown (Kim A. Snyder) — with panel discussions or extended Q&As with special guests to follow.

    AFI DOCS will offer additional programs for festival filmmakers as a way to connect with film industry and policy leaders. The festival will also include a Filmmaker Forum open to the documentary filmmaking community.

    See the website for tickets and passes.



    Weiner: Q&A with Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg

    By Annette Graham, DC Film Society Member

    A preview screening of Weiner was held May 23 at Landmark's E Street Cinema, followed by a Q&A with the directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg. The discussion was moderated by Matt Bai, national political columnist, Yahoo News.

    Anthony Weiner's campaign for mayor of New York is the subject of this fascinating documentary which started on the first day of Weiner's campaign.

    Matt Bai: Were there days that you thought that he would throw you out?
    Josh Kriegman: I had known Anthony for many years, I worked for him as his district chief of staff when he was in Congress. I got to know him well through that work. When I left politics and moved into filmmaking and started working with Elyse that's when he got caught up in his scandal and resigned from Congress. That's when the conversation started with him about the possibility of making a documentary; it was after he resigned. That was a conversation that went on for a couple of years. We went back and forth for quite a while, contemplating if it would be something he would be comfortable with and how would it work, what would it look like. At some point it seemed like he was intrigued but he wasn't sure and was trying to figure out what was next for his life. It wasn't until the morning that he announced that he was running for mayor. That night this video came out saying he was running for mayor. That morning, I got a text from him early saying, "Ok, I'm in. Do you want to come and film with me and my staff for this documentary with a camera." I said, "I'll be right over." And literally I ran over and started shooting. And as you can see, shooting from the first day of the campaign through the end of the election. That's how it got going.
    Elyse Steinberg: This question about why did he allow us to film is something we wondered about ourselves. We included that question in the film. Anthony at the very end says he wanted to be viewed as the full person he is, instead of a punchline. That was our intention going in, taking somebody who had just been ridiculed and reduced to a caricature and offering a more human and multifaceted look at that person and his story.

    Matt Bai: The movie is about him but the core of it is a movie principally about a marriage and the complicated relationships between people. Were you surprised at how much you learned about that marriage? Did you get insight into what is at the heart of a political marriage like that?
    Elyse Steinberg: Huma [Abedin] is more quiet and reserved than Anthony. She was also ridiculed and reduced to a caricature and you see the judgment that was placed upon her. I think she shared some of the desire of wanting a more fair and complete story told. You get to see a relatable couple going through a world wide media firestorm. You see how they deal with it. You see the human side of it. And one of the striking things is that we saw two stories emerge. There's the public story that played out and the private story. We wanted to show you something that you don't usually get to see.

    Matt Bai: How did you feel about the media when it was all over?
    Josh Kriegman: Mixed feelings. As Elyse is saying, looking at the public and contrasting with the private. You do get a front row seat to just how intense that media throng can be. And it really was an incredible amount of intense media attention. I think Anthony and everyone in the middle of it thought this is big, like an almost presidental level of attention. Anthony is the first to acknowledge and he does in the film, that he doesn't blame the media for what happened to him. As he says, he went into this campaign with his eyes wide open. Ironically he is one of the most media-savvy politicians around. He understands the rhythms of the media and how it works. None of what unfolded surprised him. They were playing their role and he was playing his role and we played our role. We hope it sheds light on how the system works and how much everything is driven by spectacle these days.

    Matt Bai: Have you heard from him since the film debuted?
    Josh Kriegman: He actually doesn't want to see the movie. I offered to show it to him many months ago before it was finished. We wanted to give him a chance to look at it before we premiered at Sundance, before we were totally finished with the movie. He didn't want to see it and he hasn't wanted to see it since. He has said that he is not eager to relive it. He jokes that he knows how it ends. It was a little bit surprising for us at the time that he didn't want to see it, but we respect whatever relationship he wants to have with the film.

    Audience Question: I understand why Weiner let you film him in all his narcissism. I don't know why Huma didn't shut you down in all her agony.
    Elyse Steinberg: I think she did want a different version of her story being told than the one playing out in the New York Post. You see the judgment that was placed upon her and placed upon women sometimes at the center of these media firestorms. She was criticized for staying in the marriage, criticized for being on the podium. Our hope with this film is to question those judgments and go beyond them. That's some of the reasoning.

    Audience Question: He's obviously funny and brilliant, and yet he let himself get caught up in doing these things. Do you have any sense of why he did it? And secondly did you have a sense that there was going to be a second event during the campaign where he was going to respond again to those questions?
    Josh Kriegman: When we started filming, we had no idea what was going to happen. Everyone watching wondered could he possibly pull this off? It was just a couple of years away from his resignation. A lot of people laughed at him, and didn't think he would get past the scandal. And then as you saw, he quickly rose to the top of the polls. We had no idea of how it would unfold. He were in the middle of it, at first thinking we were going to capture one of the more remarkable comeback stories that we've ever seen. Then of course everything changed and all of a sudden we were capturing a different story. So, no we didn't know what was going to happen. I don't think anyone in the campaign really knew how it was going to unfold.
    Elyse Steinberg: Why did he do what we did? How could such a smart and savvy guy be so blind? I think that attribute of being savvy and then lacking awareness is a very Shakespearean quality and we see it played out. The insight he gives in the film is that some of the same qualities that made him a successful politician may have contributed to his problem. Politicians crave attention and thrive on transactional relationships which can serve you well as a politician but on the flip side as he talks about, he engaged in these online affairs as if he was playing a video game. So there was divorce from emotion, it was hard to have a relationship.

    Audience Question: Why did you break perspective and follow Pineapple separately on election night?
    Josh Kriegman: It's a logistical answer. I was doing most of the shooting by myself; just myself and a camera. There were a few times throughout when it became clear that something else might happen and we might want another camera. Election night was obviously one of those times and when she [Pineapple] emerged it was clear she was going to be part of the story. So we had another camera, our second camera person with Elyse, following her. We recognized we were going to be capturing both sides of this as it unfolded without knowing how it was going to unfold. We were just capturing the scene as best as we could and when we took a step back and looked at what we had we realized we had portrayed it exactly as it unfolded.
    Elyse Steinberg: There were some select moments when we did go outside the campaign to follow the story but we didn't choose to go deep into her story. She has her own story.
    Josh Kriegman: You don't do a documentary expecting to end with a chase scene either.

    Matt Bai: The only sit down you do in the movie is that central sitdown with him. I would imagine that you would love to have a sitdown with Huma.
    Josh Kriegman: The access we had to Huma was during the campaign. We did make a stylistic choice later. We could have gotten any number of talking heads. But we were committed to this idea of the verite experience. So we limited it to that one interview.

    Audience Question: What sort of postproduction did you do? Elyse Steinberg: Josh did the shooting primarily. We had 400 hours. We had about a year of looking through the material. We brought on a team; we have executive producer Julie Goldman and Christopher Clements and Carolyn Hepburn, co-producers who came on. We looked through the material and talked about the story. We brought in an amazingly talented editor Eli Despres. We worked with him for about nine months. And then we submitted it to Sundance.

    Audience Question: Why you didn't go more depth into his ideas and policy proposals?
    Josh Kriegman: We wanted to reflect his experience which was an almost desperate interest and effort in talking about his policy and being totally thwarted in that effort. Our hope is that you get a sense that the policy is there, it is real. He is a bit of a wonk in this way. He was really obsessed with the details of policy and problem solving in that way. But the experience was that no one was able to hear it.
    Matt Bai: That would be a different story. If you went more in depth, it would be a different story and not move particularly well.
    Elyse Steinberg: You see a little bit in that phone call scene in the beginning. You get a sense of the some of the ideas he's talking about, issues related to New York. It was challenging in terms of storytelling.

    Audience Question: Did you think there was a certain point in the campaign, where it wasn't about winning or continuing but that it was something he felt he had to do? Did your film play a part in that?
    Josh Kriegman: Is part of the reason he goes on and on is because you are watching him? No, I don't think he stayed in the race for us. It is interesting to watch him making the decision not to quit. There was a point when I thought, is he really going to keep going with this? You really see his conviction; I think it was very genuine. He didn't want to step aside because this embarrassing thing was there, because he really cared about what he was fighting for, but understanding he wasn't going to win in the end. But as he says, liberated in a death-row sort of way.
    Matt Bai: I thought one of the most difficult moments in the film was when the consultant says, This is a solo play.
    Elyse Steinberg: When he was told that it's over, it was surprising that he kept on going. There was something admirable about keeping on going despite ridicule and judgment. Right after that scene he goes to City Island where everyone begins to boo and then he turns the whole crowd around when he says "Do you think this is easy?" I think everyone recognized that he is fighting for something.

    Audience Question: It's shocking that he had already resigned from Congress over this exact conduct, and he then comes back again and acts like he can pull through it. Isn't that odd?
    Josh Kriegman: Yes, that's why this story is interesting and why he is an interesting person. There is a complicated mysterious question at the core of his character that we were hoping to explore.

    Audience Question: When you were thinking about the timetime of when this film was going to be released did you think it would have some political implications for the race, and for Huma in the Hillary context?
    Elyse Steinberg: We had no idea. It has been three years to the day when we started shooting. We had no idea what exactly the timing would be, what the release schedule would be. But we were excited about this film being a part of the political conversation and being relevant to our current presidental campaign. The way we see the parallels now, Anthony is very different from Trump, politically and personally. Anthony has real conviction in his beliefs that he was fighting for. I do think that they both understood that in order to have a voice in today's 24 hour news cycle, you need to put on a show. By being brash and making a spectacle, you can get votes and win attention.

    Audience Question: Are there any political documentaries that inspired you?
    Josh Kriegman: We read Matt's book to understand what was going on. Some of the films that inspired me about making documentary films include War Room and Street Fight. The whole canon inspired us and we are honored to be part of that tradition.

    Weiner opened in DC on May 27.



    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
    "AFI Docs" (June 22-26) shows documentary films and includes opening night and closing night events, spotlight screenings, panel discussions and filmmaker workshops. See above.

    "Festival of New Spanish Cinema" (June 16-19) is now in its ninth year, presenting a series of five films which have earned critical acclaim and prizes at film festivals: Nothing in Return, My Big Night, When a Tree Falls, Easy Sex Sad Movies and Happy 140.

    "DC Caribbean FilmFest" (June 10-12), now in its 16th year, presents films in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month. Films include: Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess, the opening night film, a documentary from Jamaica about the 18th century Jamaican national hero Nanny of the Maroons. Producer Alison G. Anderson will take part in a post-screening Q&A. Other titles in the festival are Bazodee from Trinidad/Tobago; The Forbidden Shore, a documentary about contemporary Cuban Music; The Last Colony, a documentary about Puerto Rico; Ninth Floor, a documentary about the Sir George Williams Riot of 1969 in Canada; Sally's Way from Trinidad/Tobago; Thunder in Guyana, a documentary about a Guyanese activist; Vanishing Sail, a documentary about a ship builder in the Grenadines; Vigilante, a thriller from Barbados; and Father Joseph, a documentary about a priest who established a microcredit bank for the poor in Haiti. The film is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and several film subjects.

    "Washington DC Fantastic Film Showcase" (June 2-5) shows fantasy, sci-fi, dark comedy horror and animation films. The opening night film is Hunt for the Wilderpeople and other titles are Evolution from France, The Blackcoat's Daughter, Carnage Park, The Greasy Strangler, Belladonna of Sadness, Batman: The Movie, Gog, Under the Shadow, Antibirth, Phantom of the Paradise, Equals, Trekoff: The Motion Picture, Little Sister and You're F@#k'n Dead!. Some films have directors present for Q&As.

    "Dalton Trumbo: Radical Writer" (April 29-July 7) is a series of films written by Trumbo (one of the "Hollywood Ten") and inspired by the recent film "Trumbo." Titles in June include Our Vines Have Tender Grapes, Tender Comrade, The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell, Cowboy, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Terror in a Texas Town, Johnny Got His Gun (1971) and Papillon. One more in July.

    "Dylan in the Movies" (May 14-June 22) celebrates Bob Dylan's 75th birthday this month. One more title left in June: Masked and Anonymous.

    Gregory Peck would be 100 this year and the "Gregory Peck Centennial" (April 30-July 3) looks at some of his films from his long and distinguished career. Titles in June are Pork Chop Hill, 12 O'Clock High, Designing Woman, On the Beach, Gentleman's Agreement, Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, Arabesque and Mirage.

    The "Korean Film Festival DC" (May 19-June 15) takes place at the AFI, Cinema Arts Theater and The National Museum of American History. Titles in June are Fourth Place, Veteran, and The Throne. See the Freer below for more films in June at other locations.

    This year marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death and the AFI, along with the Freer, National Gallery of Art and the Folger Shakespeare Library are taking part. The AFI presents "Shakespeare Cinema, Part III" (May 8-July 7). Films in June are Forbidden Planet, All Night Long, Jubal, A Double Life (1947) and Macbeth (2015) with more in July.

    "Wagner on Screen" (May 20-July 6) presents a series of films that incorporate Richard Wagner's music in memorable ways. One title in June: Excalibur with more in July.

    Special engagements in June include a 4k DCP of Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985), a documentary about Kurosawa on the set of "Ran" A.K. (Chris Marker, 1985), Lady Snowblood (Toshiya Fujita, 1973-74) in two parts, City of Women (Federico Fellini, 1980), Pierrot le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard) and the International Cat Video Festival.

    "Stage and Screen" in June includes operas on film and other events: the concert "Iggy Pop Live in Basel 2015," and operas "Tosca" (l'Opera Royal de Wallonie); "Boris Godunov" (Royal Opera House, London); "La Damnation de Faust" (l'Opera de Paris); "Il Trovatore" (Salzberg Festival); "Ballets Russes" (l'opera National de Paris); "Millepied/Robbins/Balanchine" (l'Opera National de Paris); and "Matthew Bourne's The Car Man" (Sadler's Wells, London).

    "Takoma Park JazzFest Films" include Space is the Place and Jazz on a Summer's Day.

    Freer Gallery of Art
    The Freer is closed for renovations. Films will be shown at varying locations.

    The Korean Film Festival DC 2016 takes place at the AFI, Cinema Arts Theater and the National Museum of American History. Titles in June are Fourth Place (Jung Ji-Woo, 2015) on June 1 at 7:00pm (AFI) and June 12 at 7:00pm (Cinema Arts); Veteran (Ryoo Seung-wan, 2015) on June 2 at 7:00pm (Cinema Arts) and June 15 at 7:00pm (AFI); The Royal Tailor (Lee Won-Suk, 2014) on June 4 at 2:00pm (National Museum of American History) with director Lee Won-Suk and producer Yun Chang-Suk in person along with Textile Museum curator Lee Talbot. Lee Won-Suk and Yun Chang-Suk will also be present for How to Use Guys with Secret Tips (Lee Won-Suk, 2013) on June 5 at 2:00pm (National Museum of American History. The Throne (Lee Joon-Ik, 2015) is shown June 8 at 7:00pm (AFI) and June 9 at 7:00pm (Cinema Arts); Eyelids (O Muel, 2015) on June 18 at 1:00pm (National Museum of American History); The Battle of Gwangju (Yi Ji-Sang, 2015) on June 18 at 3:00pm (National Museum of American History).

    National Gallery of Art
    "The Vision of Ousmane Sembene" (May 8-June 5) ends this month with a restored version of Black Girl (1966) shown with the short film Borom Sarret (1963) on June 5 at 4:00pm.

    "Chantal Akerman: A Traveler's Tale" begins with the Washington premiere of the documentary I Don't Belong Anywhere--The Cinema of Chantal Akerman (Marianne Lambert, 2015) on June 4 at 2:00pm. On June 5 at 3:30pm is News From Home (1977); on June 11 at 2:00pm is Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1980 Bursselles (1975) and on June 12 at 4:00pm is No Home Movie (2015).

    "The Cinema I: Mangolte Film" is a three-part program of films by Babette Mangolte. On June 18 at 1:00pm is "Portraiture," a collection of short films preceding The Camera: Je (1977); on June 18 at 3:30pm is "Performance," two short documentaries about dance preceding Four Pieces by Morris (1993) and on June 25 at 1:15pm is "Space," a short film Edward Krasinski's Studio (2012) followed by Sky in Location (1982).

    Special events at the Gallery during June include the Washington premiere of the documentary Don't Blink--Robert Frank (Laura Israel, 2015) shown as part of AFI Docs on June 19 at 4:00pm and two films by or about Yvonne Rainer. On June 25 at 4:00pm is Film About a Woman Who... (Yvonne Rainer, 1974) and on June 26 at 4:00pm Feelings Are Facts: Yvonne Rainer (Jack Walsh, 2015).

    Museum of American History
    Korean films are shown as part of the Korean Film Festival DC 2016. On June 18 at 1:00pm is Eyelids (O Muel, 2015) shown with The Battle of Gwangju (Yi Ji-Sang, 2015) at 3:00pm. For more Korean films, see the Freer above.

    National Portrait Gallery
    On June 26 at 3:00pm is a baseball double feature: The Sandlot and Major League Legends: Babe Ruth at 5:00pm.

    Smithsonian American Art Museum
    On June 4 at 3:00pm is Tim's Vermeer (Raymond Teller, 2013), a documentary about Tim Jenison and his experiments to discover Johannes Vermeer's perspective. On June 18 at 3:00pm is Basquiat (Julian Schnabel, 1996).

    Washington Jewish Community Center
    On June 7 at 7:00pm is a concert documentary "Every Word Has Power: The Poetry of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel" (David Vinik, 2015) about musician Basya Schechter's adaptation of ten of Rabbi Heschel's poems into song. Following the film, Basya Schechter will perform and participate in a Q&A with the film's director David Vinik and producer Debra Gonsher Vinik.

    On June 21 at 7:30pm is Those People (Joey Jun, 2015), a coming-of-age tale set in New York's Upper East Side.

    On June 28 at 7:30pm is Lamb (Yared Zeleke, 2015), about an Ethiopian boy sent to live with distant relatives.

    National Air and Space Museum
    "Sci-Fi Sundays" is a series of sci-fi films in June. On June 5 is Star Trek; on June 12 is Star Trek Into Darkness; on June 19 is Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan; and on June 26 is Inception. Films are shown at 4:15pm each day.

    The Japan Information and Culture Center
    On June 15 at 6:30pm is the great classic film Gate of Hell (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1953). On June 24 at 6:30pm is an anime film TBA.

    The Textile Museum at GWU
    On June 9 at noon is Faith Ringgold Paints Crown Heights (David Irving, 2009), a short film about an African American woman artist. On June 16 at noon is Through the Eye of a Needle: Stories from an Indian Desert (2005), a short film about embroidery craftswomen. On June 23 at noon is First Person Plural (Deann Borshay Liem, 2000), a documentary about a Korean adopted by an American family who discovers her Korean mother was still alive.

    National Archives
    On June 10 at noon is Jeremiah (2016), a documentary about Jeremiah Denton who was a prison of war in the Hanoi Hilton and later became a U.S. Senator from Alabama. Filmmakers Mark Fastoso and Luis Blandon along with James Denton will discuss the film and answer questions.

    The Avalon
    On June 1 at 8:00pm is City of Gold (Laura Gabbert, 2015), a documentary about Los Angeles restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, part of the "Avalon Docs" series.

    On June 8 at 8:00pm is Chasing 50 (Vojtech Kotek, 2015), a comedy set in the world of cross-country skiing, part of the "Czech Lions" film series.

    On June 15 at 8:00pm is Marguerite (Xavier Giannoli, 2015) shown as the "French Cinematheque" film for June.

    The "Reel Israel" film for June is Afterthought (Elad Keidan, 2015) on June 22 at 8:00pm.

    Library of Congress
    The Mary Pickford Theater at the Library of Congress will start a new series of films showcasing the Library's collection and including newly preserved films. On June 16, 2016 at 7:00pm is We Still Kill the Old Way (Elio Petri, 1967), a crime thriller set in Sicily and based on a real-life murder of a local police chief.

    Anacostia Community Museum
    On June 1 at 11:00am is Paraiso for Sale (2011), a documentary about the effects of migration of American retirees to Bocas del Toro in Panama.

    Alden Theater
    On June 7 at 7:30pm is Buster Keaton's The Cameraman (1928) with piano accompaniment by Ben Model and introduction by Bruce Lawton who will show the 16mm print that was used by Warners to complete the film restoration for their 35mm master.

    Reel Affirmations XTra
    On June 17 at 8:00pm is Wilhemina's War (June Cross, 2015), a documentary about Wilhemina Dixon, about her family members with HIV. A panel discussion follows the film.

    Busboys and Poets
    On June 29 at 6:30pm is the documentary In Defense of Food, in which Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, looks at food in America and the Western diet.

    The Jerusalem Fund
    A summer film series begins June 1 at 6:00pm with On the Bride's Side (Antonio Augugliaro, Gabriele Del Grande and Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry, 2014) about five Syrian and Palestinian refugees fleeing the war in Syria while traveling as a fake wedding party. On June 8 at 6:00pm is the documentary Roshmia (Salim Abu Jabal, 2014), about an elderly couple trying to keep their home in Haifa. On June 10 at 6:00pm is Degrade (Arab and Tarzan Nasser, 2015) set in a women's hair salon in Gaza. On June 15 at 6:00pm is Recollection (Kamal Aljafari, 2015) constructed from footage from fiction features. On June 17 at 6:00pm is Cinema Palestine (Tim Schwab, 2013), a documentary about Palestinian cinema.



    FILM FESTIVALS

    AFI DOCS
    The AFI DOCS Documentary film festival June 22-26 at the AFI's Silver Theater and other locations. See above.

    Festival of New Spanish Cinema
    Now in its ninth year, the Festival of New Spanish Cinema (June 16-19) presents a series of five films at the AFI which have earned critical acclaim and prizes at film festivals: Nothing in Return, My Big Night, When a Tree Falls, Easy Sex Sad Movies and Happy 140.

    Washington DC Fantastic Film Showcase
    At the AFI from June 2-5 is the first editional of the Washington DC Fantastic Film Showcase. Fantasy, sci-fi, dark comedy horror and animation films will be shown. The opening night film is Hunt for the Wilderpeople and other titles are Evolution from France, The Blackcoat's Daughter, Carnage Park, The Greasy Strangler, Belladonna of Sadness, Batman: The Movie, Gog, Under the Shadow, Antibirth, Phantom of the Paradise, Equals, Trekoff: The Motion Picture, Little Sister and You're F@#k'n Dead!. Some films have directors present for Q&As.

    The 16th Annual DC Caribbean Film Festival
    This festival takes place at the AFI Silver Theater June 10-12. The Opening Night film is Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess, a documentary from Jamaica about the 18th century Jamaican national hero Nanny of the Maroons. Producer Alison G. Anderson will take part in a post-screening Q&A. Other titles in the festival are Bazodee from Trinidad/Tobago; The Forbidden Shore, a documentary about contemporary Cuban Music; The Last Colony, a documentary about Puerto Rico; Ninth Floor, a documentary about the Sir George Williams Riot of 1969 in Canada; Sally's Way from Trinidad/Tobago; Thunder in Guyana, a documentary about a Guyanese activist; Vanishing Sail, a documentary about a ship builder in the Grenadines; Vigilante, a thriller from Barbados; and Father Joseph, a documentary about a priest who established a microcredit bank for the poor in Haiti. The film is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and several film subjects.

    The EuroAsia Shorts Film Festival
    The 11th annual EuroAsia Shorts film festival is held June 6-10. Each year a variety of short films connected by a single theme is presented with post-film discussions. This year's theme is "What Is Home?" All programs start at 6:30pm and reservations are required. Short films from Germany and China are shown June 6 including Iron and Mitfahrer from Germany, and Farewell My Friend and Father from China. On June 7 short films from Spain and the Philippines include The Goodbye and Namnala from Spain and Creative License and Waivers from the Philippines. On June 8 are shorts from France and Japan: The Lobster's Cry and Nadira et la Mauve from France and Born With It, A Place to Name and The Lsting Persimmon from Japan. On June 9 is About Next Horizon and Mer Rouge from Italy and TBA from Korea. On June 10 are miscellaneous films including Twist and Turn from China, In the Distance from Germany, The Dreamweaver from the Philippines, Les Pieds Verts from France, Grown Ups from Spain, Irregulars from Italy, and Adults Who Live in Treehouses from the USA. Locations, vary--check the website.

    The Eighth Annual Frederick Film Festival
    On June 25 is the eighth annual Frederick Film Festival. Titles are TBA. See the website for more information.



    OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVALS

    Every summer, numerous locations around the DC show films outdoors. You can find a comprehensive list here. Below, we list a few locations.

    NoMa Summer Screen
    This 13-week outdoor film series takes place every Wednesday from June 1 to August 24. Movies begin at sunset and are screened with subtitles. Location: NoMa Junction at Storey Park (1005 First Street, NE. Bring your own chair. Films in June are Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark on June 1; The Princess Bride on June 8; Guardians of the Galaxy on June 15; Jumanji on June 22; and Fast Five on June 29. There is a special screening of Purple Rain on June 7 and a family film night on June 21. More in July and August.

    Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival
    This outdoor film festival is held at Gateway Park near Key Bridge at 1300 Lee Highway. All films begin at dusk (between 8:30pm and 9:00pm); bring a blanket. This year's theme is "Incredible Journeys." On June 3 is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; on June 10 is Beethoven 2; on June 17 is Eat, Pray, Love; and on June 24 is Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. More in July and August.

    Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Movies
    Movies with captions are shown at Canal Park, 200 M SE at sundown. On June 2 is Ocean's Eleven; on June 9 is Inside Out; on June 23 is Hitch and on June 30 is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. More in July and August.

    National Harbor Movies on the Potomac
    Movies are shown at 165 Waterfront Street. "Date Night" movies are on Thursdays at 7:00pm and "Family Movies" are on Sundays at 6:00pm. In June the family movies are Meet the Robinsons on June 5; Toy Story 3 on June 12; Maleficent on June 19 and Minions on June 26. The date night movies are Crazy Stupid Love on June 2, Interstellar on June 9, Hitch on June 16; Dirty Dancing on June 23 and TBA on June 30. More in July, August and September.

    Other locations are Adams Morgan, Chinatown, Columbia Heights, Farragut Park, Georgetown, and more.



    FILM-RELATED TALKS

    Smithsonian Associates
    The Hollywood Musical: Four Decades of Magic! Part II: The 1940s
    On June 16 at 6:45pm is a lecture with musical recordings and film clips hosted by American music specialist Robert Wyatt. The 1940s was a decade preparing for or fighting in WWII. Eight major Hollywood studios produced more than 500 musicals during the 1940s. Many of the decade's most popular songs were introduced on screen.

    The Avalon Theater
    "Adventures in Space: Exploring the Cosmos in Sci-Fi Cinema"
    On June 7, 14 and 21 is a 3-part series about sci-fi films. All sessions start at 10:30am. University of Maryland professor Oliver Gaycken will survey the history of science fiction and consider how it has been expressed in cinema, focusing on two stellar examples of the genre: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Ridley Scott’s The Martian (2015). Session I on June 7 is a multi-media lecture providing an overview of the science fiction genre with an emphasis on films that attempt to incorporate scientific accuracy in human space exploration. Session II on June 14 is a screening and discussion of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Session II on June 21 is a screening and discussion of The Martian. See the website for information about tickets and a series pass.



    FILM-RELATED EXHIBITS

    National Portrait Gallery
    "Hollywood and Time" is an exhibit of Time Magazine covers featuring Hollywood celebrities from the 1920s to the present. The exhibit ends September 11.



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