The Cinema Lounge
On Monday, February 24, 2025 at 8:00pm please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group.
TOPIC: Who Will Win the Oscars?
In January we picked the nominees. Now it's time to pick the winners for Picture, Director, the acting, and the screenplay categories. Will Demi Moore cap her spectacular comeback with a Best Actress win for The Substance? Does Timothée Chalamet continue conquering the movie world with a Best Actor Oscar for A Complete Unknown? Can Emilia Pérez, a Netflix musical about a transgender former drug lord, snag Best Picture or will it be the more traditional Hollowood epic The Brutalist? What will be the biggest surprise? Who are we rooting for, and who should have been nominated instead?
Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.
The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 8:00pm online via Zoom. 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 Examines the “David Lynch” Oscar Nominations
David Lynch died on January 15, 2025, eight days before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the Oscar nominations. The iconoclastic director, who mastered the art of the surreal and the dreamlike, would likely appreciate the strange dichotomy of honoring the best of the film world while the real world is falling apart. In a way, addressing who was nominated and who should have been feels ridiculous considering all that is happening in Los Angeles, America and the world. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? No, but that’s OK. The Oscars offer all of us that care about film some sense of normalcy, a way to have some joy in these dark times. So on to the nominations. The Academy got more right than wrong, and wisely continued to look beyond the U.S. for the excellence the film world had to offer. As always, the Oscars featured some egregious snubs, and some nods that were less deserving. Check out my take on this year’s crop in my new Adam’s Rib column.
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, the Virginia Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, The Nitrate Picture Show, and the Chicago Critics 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 Silver After Dark" is a series of midnight-style movies. The films for February are American Psycho (2000) and Candy Man (1992).
"Stage and Screen" presents filmed performances including stage productions from the National Theatre and concert performances. Two in February: "The Importance of Being Earnest" (NTL) and "Macbeth: David Tennant and Cush Jumbo."
"Anime Expo Cinema Nights" (September 11, 2024-March 16, 2025) presents some of the most influential anime films. The series continues in February with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Shinichiro Watanabe, 2001) from Japan, shown in both dubbed and subtitled versions.
"Special Engagements" for February include Richard Linklater's "Sunrise" trilogy: Before Sunrise (1995); Before Sunset (2004); and Before Midnight (2013); and the award-winning documentary Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (Joe Brewster, 2023) with a filmmaker Q&A.
"James Earl Jones Remembered" (January 31-April 3) is a short series showcasing Jones' versatility. Films in February are Claudine (1974); Dr. Strangelove (1964); and The Sandlot (1993). More in March and April.
"Scores by Quincy Jones" (February 1–April 17) begins with a documentary Quincy (2018) and includes three films by Sidney Lumet for whom he composed his first film score: The Pawnbroker (1964); The Deadly Affair (1967); and The Anderson Tapes (1971). Also The Italian Job (1969); Hot Rock (1972); The Color Purple (1985); In the Heat of the Night (1967) and In Cold Blood (1967). More in March and April.
"Monsieur Delon: The Films of Alain Delon" (Jan. 31–April 24). Films in February include Purple Noon (1960); Rocco and His Brothers (1960); Le Samourai (1967) in a 4K restoration; L'Eclisse (1962); The Leopard (1963); and The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968). More in March and April.
"2024: A Second Look" (January 31-March 12) features critically acclaimed 2024 released. February films are Anora; Blitz; Dune: Part Two; Emilia Perez; Flow; Hundreds of Beavers; Kneecap; Queer; The Order; The Piano Lesson; The Substance and Wicked.
"George Pelecanos Presents: Peckinpah in the ‘70s" (January 31-April 13). Local author, producer and screenwriter George Pelecanos is back with a new series dedicated to the 1970s films celebrating the centennial of writer/director Sam Peckinpah. Films in February are Straw Dogs (1971) in 35mm; The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970); Junior Bonner (1972); and Getaway (1972). Some films have introductions by George Pelecanos--check the website.
"29th Annual Festival of Films from Iran" (February 8-March 10) is co-presented with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. February films are Downpour (1972) in a new 4K restoration; The Sealed Soil (1977) in a new 4K restoration; and There Is No Evil (2020). More in March.
"Capital Irish Film Festival" (February 27–March 2, 2025) is co-presented with Solas Nua. Now in its 19th year, the festival brings the best of contemporary Irish cinema by filmmakers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Opening Night film is Mrs. Robinson (Aoife Kelleher, 2024), a documentary about Ireland's first woman President, Mary Robinson, who will attend and discuss the film. A festival pass is available.
National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art)
On February 12 at 2:00pm is Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953) starring the great Setsuko Hara, part of the "Japanese Classics" series of films.
The 29th Annual Festival of Films from Iran begins continues in February. On February 7 at 7:00pm is 6 in the Morning (Mehran Modiri, 2024); on February 9 at 2:00pm is My Favorite Cake (Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, 2024); on February 21 at 7:00pm is My Stolen Planet (Farahnaz Sharifi, 2024); and on February 23 at 2:00pm is The Stranger and the Fog (Bahram Beyzaie, 1974) in a new 4K restoration.
National Gallery of Art
The series "Art Films and Special Screenings" presents the documentary Jacob Kainen: The Last Expression (Mark Covino) on February 22 at 12:00 noon. A discussion follows the film with the director, producer and others.
The series "Celebrate Black Art & History on Screen" continues in February with AI: African Intelligence (Manthia Diawara, 2023) on February 1 at 2:00pm. On February 2 at 2:00pm is the documentary Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? (Soraya Sélène and Billy Miossi, 2024), followed by a discussion with the directors. On February 8 at 2:00pm is Color (John Campbell, 2024), followed by a discussion with the director and others. On February 9 at 2:00pm is I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Dick Fontaine and Pat Hartley, 1982), recently restored in honor of James Baldwin's centennial. On February 15 at 2:00pm is the documentary Dahomey (Mati Diop, 2024), followed by the short film Statues Also Die (Alain Resnais, Chris Marker and Ghislain Cloquet, 1953).
Museum of American History
On February 20 at 7:00pm is Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP (Michelle Smawley, 2025) presented by the History Film Forum. Followed by a panel discussion. Location: The Warner Bros. Theater.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
On February 22 at 2:00pm is Will (Jessie Maple, 1981), followed by a panel discussion. Location: The Oprah Winfrey Theater.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On February 6 at 7:30pm is the documentary Against All Enemies (Charlie Sadoff, 2024).
On February 16 at 6:00pm is the documentary La Lucha (Violeta Ayala, 2023), part of the "Reelabilities Film Festival."
National Geographic Society
The 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour has a slate of awarding-winning films showing February 1 at 1:00pm and 7:00pm (two separate programs). Location: National Theater.
Cinema Arts Bethesda
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series held at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. On February 2 at 10:00am is There's Still Tomorrow (Paola Cortellesi, 2023) from Italy.
Breakfast is at 9:30am, the film is at 10:00am and discussion follows, moderated by Adam Spector, host of the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge and author of the column "Adam's Rib." A season pass is available.
The Avalon
On February 1 and 2 at 10:30am is Wild Robot (Chris Sanders, 2024), on February 15, 16 and 17 at 10:30am is Flow (Gints Zilbalodis, 2024) and on February 22 at 10:30am is March of the Penguins (Luc Jaquot, 2005) all for "Weekday Family Matinees."
On February 5 at 8:00pm is Soundtrack for a Coup (Johan Grimanprez, 2024) part of the "Avalon Docs" series.
The "French Cinematheque" film for this month is Emilia Perez (Jacques Audiard, 2024) on February 19 at 8:00pm.
"Science on Screen" is a series pairing classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with presents by notable experts from the world of science and technology. On February 12 at 7:30pm is Human Nature (Adam Bolt, 2019), about the gene editing revolution, with speakers Cynthia Dunbar and Jason Dick.
The National Theater Live presents "The Importance of Being Earnest" on February 23 and 25 at 10:30am.
Anacostia Community Museum
On February 15 at 1:00pm is Great Migrations: A People on The Move, about black migration and its impact on American culture and society. Followed by a discussion.
Kennedy Center
On February 2 at 3:00pm is Bob Marley: One Love (Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2024). On February 9 at 3:00pm is The Outrun (Nora Fingscheidt, 2024). On February 16 at 3:00pm is Conclave (Edward Berger, 2024). On February 23 at 3:00pm is Sing Sing (Greg Kwedar, 2023). Location: The Justice Forum.
On February 18 at 7:30pm is a series of short films from Arc'terya's Winter Film Tour. Location: Terrace Theater.
Old Greenbelt Theater
On February 3 at 1:00pm and February 6 at 8:00pm is The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg, 1985), part of the "Cinema Classics" series, shown on the first Monday and first Thursday of the month.
On February 10 at 8:00pm and February 15 at 1:00pm is The End of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki, 1997), part of the "Cinema Pop!" series.
On February 20 at 8:00pm is The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Chris Weitz, 2009) part of the "Cult Classics" series shown on the third Thursday of the month.
Alden Theater
The foreign film for February is The Intouchables (Olivier Nakache, 2011) from France on February 6 at 1:00pm and February 12 at 6:30pm. The performing arts film this month is How It Feels to Be Free (Yoruba Richen, 2021) for Black History Month, on February 13 at 1:00pm.
Angelika Film Center Mosaic
The "Angelika Classics" series shows classic films on the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm. On February 3 at 7:00pm is Moonstruck (Norman Jewison, 1987).
"Sunday Epics" is a new series shown on the second Sunday of the month at 2:00pm. On February 9 at 2:00pm is Gone With the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939).
On February 24 at 7:00pm is West Side Story (Robert Wise, 1961) for the series "Musical Mondays."
"Classics in Black and White" features a classic B&W film on the third Monday of each month at 4:00pm and 7:00pm. On February 17 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm is The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940).
On February 2 at 11:00am is Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993).
Korean Cultural Center
Two classic Korean romance films from very different eras celebrates Valentine's Day. On February 12 at 5:30pm is My Sassy Girl (Kwak Jae-yong, 2001) and on February 26 at 5:30pm is Love Reset (Nam Dae Jung, 2023). Check
the website for RSVP information.
FILM FESTIVALS
