The Cinema Lounge
On Monday, November 17, 2025 at 8:00pm please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group.
TOPIC: Remembering Robert Redford
We recently lost star, filmmaker and activist Robert Redford at the age of 89. In Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Candidate, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, All the President’s Men, The Great Waldo Pepper, Brubaker, The Natural, Sneakers, and many more, Redford made being a movie star seem easy. So easy that as Richard Linklater recently said, we took Redford for granted. Much of what he did was on screen was internal, absorbing what was going on around him and reacting.
Redford seamlessly moved to directing with critically acclaimed films such as Ordinary People, Quiz Show and The River Runs Through It. Off screen, he created the Sundance Film Lab and Festival, providing guidance and opportunities to many independent filmmakers who otherwise may have been overlooked.
What did Redford represent, why did he make such a large impact, and what is his legacy?
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
The annual "Silent Cinema Showcase" (October 24-November 15) is back with a slate of restored classics, rare gems, and other goodies from the silent era, most of which have live music accompaniment by the Anvil Orchestra, Donald Sosin, Andrew Simpson, Makia Matsumura, and Ben Model. Some are introduced by film historians and most are celebrating their 100th anniversary. Titles are The Gold Rush (1925); The Phantom of the Opera (1925); Battleship Potemkin (1925); Sally, Irene and Mary (1925); Saxophone Susie (1928); The Plastic Age (1925); Song (1928); The Garden of Eden (1928); Smouldering Fires (1925); The Freshman (1925); Body and Soul (1925); a double feature Go West (1925) shown with Seven Chances (1925); a program of Sherlock Holmes shorts including Sherlock: A Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock: The Golden Pince-Nez and Sherlock: The Final Problem; and finally, "Nasty Women: Breaking Plates and Smashing the Patriarchy," a program of ten short films. A festival pass is available.
The "Classic Film Weekend" has been moved to November and includes both sound and silent films (some doing double duty in the "Silent Cinema Showcase"). All are introduced by film historians. Titles include The Love Parade (1929); Follow Thru (1930); The Mind Reader (1933); Female (1933); The Wild Party (1929); Okay, America (1932); This Day and Age (1933); False Faces (1932); Kick In (1931); a double feature of Outside the Law (1930) shown with Young Desire (1930); The Rains Came (1939); a program of "Pre-Code Cartoons" from the early 1930s; and a program of "Lost and Found Cartoons." The silent films which are also part of the "Silent Cinema" are Saxophone Susie; Song; The Plastic Age and Smouldering Fires. A series pass is available.
The "Lee Grant Centennial" includes Detective Story (1951); In the Heat of the Night (1967); The Landlord (1970); Shampoo (1975); Tell Me a Riddle (1980); plus a double feature of films directed by Lee Grant: Down and Out in America (1986) which was a winner of an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, preceded by The Stronger (1976).
"Akira Kurosawa: A Retrospective" (October 17-December 3) is a series of 10 of Kurosawa's best films, most in 4K restorations. Titles are Stray Dog (1952); Seven Samurai (1954); Throne of Blood (1957); Yojimbo (1961); The Hidden Fortress (1958); Sanjuro (1962); High and Low (1963); and Rashomon (1950).
"Hong Kong Cinema Classics" (November 1-27) features new 4K restorations of seven great classics from the mid-1980s to early 1990s: Hard Boiled (1992); City on Fire (1987); A Better Tomorrow (1986); Peking Opera Blues (1986); The Killer (1989); A Chinese Ghost Story (1987); and Bullet in the Head (1990).
"AFI Silver After Dark" is a series of midnight-style movies. The film for November is Showgirls (1995).
The "Special Engagements" films for November include The Wizard of Oz (1939); Sunset Boulevard (1950); Goodfellas (1990); Tampopo (1985); Cinderella (1950); A Goofy Movie (1995); All About Eve (1950); One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975); Dog Day Afternoon (1975); Barry Lyndon (1975); The Sound of Music (1965); Showgirls (1995); and Three Days of the Condor (1975) with an introduction by James Grady, author of the book "Three Days of the Condor." Some films are repeated in early December.
National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art)
On November 12 at 2:00pm is The Wandering Princess (Kinuya Tanaka, 1960) from Japan, part of the "Japanese Classics" series.
National Gallery of Art
"Film Legacies of the Black Arts Movement" accompanies the exhibit Photography and the Black Arts Movement: 1955-1985. On November 15 at 2:00pm is Compensation (Zeinabu Davis, 1999) with the director taking part in a post-screening discussion.
The series "Star-like Cinema: Films by Indigenous Australians" looks at film and video work by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. On November 23 at 2:00pm is BeDevil (Tracey Moffatt, 1993). On November 30 at 2:00pm is Emily: I Am Kam (Danielle MacLean, 2025), about the artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, with Nici Cumpston, director of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum, in person for discussion.
Museum of American History
On November 5 at 7:00pm the History Film Forum presents The Big Parade (1925) with a score composed and conducted by Andrew Simpson leading a 7-piece orchestra. Screening on the 100th anniversary of its US premiere, this influential WWI drama stars John Gilbert. Location: The Warner Bros. Theater.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On November 6 at 7:00pm is The Floaters (Rachel Israel, 2025) with the co-producers present for discussion. On November 13 at 7:00pm is the documentary The Lavender Scare (Josh Howard, 2025).
Cinema Arts Theater
"Montage Mondays" is a series of classic films starting at 4:15pm and 7:15pm. On November 10 is Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953). On November 24 is Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988).
"Exhibition on Screen" will show films on Thursdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 4:30pm. On November 20 at 7:00pm and November 23 at 4:30pm is Caravaggio (Phil Grabsky and David Bickerstaff, 2025).
"JxJ Best of Fest" is a monthly film featuring a hit from the Jewish Film Festival. On November 16 at 7:00pm is Blind at Heart (Barbara Albert, 2023).
"The Best of Robert Redford" is a series shown on Mondays at 4:30pm and 7:15pm. On November 3 at 4:30pm and 7:15pm is All the President's Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976); on November 17 at 4:30pm and 7:15pm is Barefoot in the Park (Gene Saks, 1967); on November 24 at 4:30pm and 7:15pm is The Way We Were (Sydney Pollack, 1973).
Strathmore
November 1 at 7:30pm is the silent classic Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (1922) with the Strathmore's AIR musicians providing music accompaniment.
French Embassy
On November 5 at 7:00pm is Second Wind (Masha Kondakova, 2025), a documentary about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On November 13 at 6:30pm is the anime film A Silent Voice (Naoko Yamada, 2016).
Cinema Arts Bethesda
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series held at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. On November 2 at 10:00am is Becoming a Guinea Fowl (2024) from the UK.
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.
Landmark Bethesda Row
"Filmmaker Focus" John Hughes" is the theme of retro movies in November. On November 4 at 7:00pm is Sixteen Candles (1984); on November 11 at 7:00pm is Weird Science (1985); and on November 18 at 7:00pm is Uncle Buck(1989).
The Avalon
For the "Cinema Polska" series is the comedy Off We Go (Mariusz Kuczewski, 2024) on November 5 at 8:00pm.
On November 12 at 8:00pm is Waves (Jiri Madl, 2024), winner of 6 Czech Lion awards, about resistance during the Prague Spring. Part of the "Czech Lions" series, and the country's Oscar pick.
The "French Cinematheque" film for this month is The Musicians (Gregory Magne, 2024) on November 19 at 8:00pm.
Caravaggio ((Phil Grabsky and David Bickerstaff, 2025) is shown as part of the "Exhibition on Screen" series on November 16 and 18 at 10:30am.
The National Theater Live presents "Mrs. Warren's Profession" on November 9 and 11 at 10:30am.
Italian Cultural Institute
On November 5 at 6:00pm is Il Mecenate (Massimiliano Finazzer Flory, 2024), a documentary about Galeazzo Arconati, the first patron of art in modern times.
Kennedy Center
On November 9 at 3:00pm is Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (2024), based on Alexandra Fuller's memoir of growing up in Rhodesia. On November 23 at 3:00pm is East of Wall (2025) about a horse rancher in South Dakota. Location: The Justice Forum.
Old Greenbelt Theater
"Sunday Scaries" is a new series featuring classic horror films. On November 2 at 7:00pm is The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975) and on November 9 at 7:00pm is Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978).
On November 3 at 1:00pm and November 6 at 8:00pm is Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946), part of the "Cinema Classics" series, shown on the first Monday and first Thursday of the month.
For the "Cult Classics" series shown on the third Thursday of the month, is Sinners (2025) on November 1 at 1:00pm and on November 22 at 1:00pm is Legally Blonde (2001).
On November 3 at 5:00pm is a program of short 35mm films (1940s through 1970s) presented by Jay Schwartz, director of Secret Cinema who will introduce the films.
Alden Theater
The foreign film for November is Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016) from Korea on November 6 at 1:00pm and November 12 at 6:30pm. The Performing Arts film for this month is Behind the Burly Q: The Story of Burlesque in America (Leslie Zemeckis, 2010) on November 20 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 November 3 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm is Twelve Monkeys (1995).
"Sunday Epics" is a new series shown on the second Sunday of the month at 2:00pm. On November 9 at 2:00pm is The Great Escape (1963).
On November 24 at 7:00pm is Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) 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 November 17 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm is Dr. Strangelove (1964).
"Noirvember" presents "noir" films on Wednesdays at 7:00pm. On November 5 at 7:00pm is Double Indemnity (1944); on November 12 is The Maltese Falcon (1941); on November 19 is Chinatown (1974); and on November 26 is Touch of Evil (1958).
Korean Cultural Center
On November 13 at 6:30pm is a screening of the animated film The Shaman Sorceress (2021) and a discussion with director Ahn Jae-huun and voice actor Jang Won-young about their work on the film and the animation industry. Location: Korean Cultural Center. On November 14 at 2:30pm is a repeat of the same program but at a different location: American University. On November 19 at 6:00pm is Boomerang Family (Song Hae-sung, 2013). Location: Korean Cultural Center. See the website for RSVP information.
FILM FESTIVALS
