Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
The Sixth Annual New African Films Festival runs from March 11-15. Nine films will be shown including No Time to Die from Ghana, Nothing But the Truth from South Africa, Sex, Okra and Salted Butter from Chad, Glorious Exit from Nigeria, Black to Our Roots a documentary by a local filmmaker, Adera from Ethiopia/South Africa, Football Fables, a UK documentary about African football players immigrating to Europe, In My Genes, a Kenyan documentary about an albino African, and From a Whisper, a commemoration of the 1998 terrorist bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.
For those who didn't get enough sports during the Olympics, here is a three-part sports film series with films from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. See North Dallas Forty (football) starring Nick Nolte, Downhill Racer (skiing) starring Robert Redford, and The Natural (baseball) also starring Robert Redford.
The retrospective of films starring Jean Arthur ends in March with Shane, A Foreign Affair and The Devil and Miss Jones. The series of films directed by Clint Eastwood also ends in March but you can still see A Perfect World, Changeling, Unforgiven, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Bird. You can still see the remaining two films in the "Screen Valentines" series High Fidelity and Sense and Sensibility.
"Archival Gotham: NYC on Film" is a short series of films set in New York City. Titles include East Side, West Side (Allan Dwan, 1927) with location shooting all over New York in the 1920s, Little Fugitive with location shooting on Coney Island in the 1950s, The Projectionist, Taxi Driver and a program of short films including animation, documentary and live action with The Hearts of Age, Orson Welles' first directorial effort at age 19.
"British Noir" is a series of British noir films including Brighton Rock, It Always Rains on Sundays, The Fallen Idol, Peeping Tom and The Third Man.
The AFI takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with the DC Premiere of Colony (beekeeping), Sweetgrass (Western sheepherders), Turtle: The Incredible Journey with underwater photographer Nick Caloyianis in person, Garbage Dreams with director Mai Iskander in person, and the DC Premiere of Garapa (hunger in Brazil). Also part of the EFF is a small series of Jacques Tati films: My Uncle, Holiday, Playtime in 70mm, Traffic and a program of short Tati films.
"Larger Than Life: Orson Welles" is a near-complete retrospective of the films of Orson Welles, beginning in late March and continuing into May. During March you can see Me and Orson Welles with Christian McKay as Welles, Orson Welles: The One Man Band, a documentary by Welles' long time companion Oja Kodar, Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Journey Into Fear, and The Stranger.
Other films at the AFI in March are Black Dynamite, an homage to blaxploitation films, The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, a "roc-doc" about the White Stripes and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson with director Steven James in person. These last two films are presented by Silverdocs.
Freer Gallery of Art
During March, the Freer shows films about Tibetan Buddhism. Titles include Buddha (David Gurbin, 2009) on March 12 at 7:00pm with the filmmaker in person. On March 14 at 3:00pm is a program of three short documentaries "The Karma Kagyu" with the producer present. On March 19 at 7:00pm is Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint (Neten Chokling, 2006); on March 21 at 1:00pm is The Silent Holy Stones (Wanma-caiden, 2005), shown as part of the Environmental Film Festival; on March 21 at 3:30pm is The Saltmen of Tibet (Ulrike Koch, 1997), also part of the Environmental Film Festival. On March 26 at 7:00pm is Wheel of Time (Werner Herzog, 2003); on March 28 at 1:00pm is the documentary Words of My Perfect Teacher (Lesley Ann Patten, 2003) and on March 28 at 3:30pm is Roots of Infinity (Ken'ichi Oguri, 1991), a documentary about a village in Nepal.
National Gallery of Art
"Salute to the Film Foundation at Twenty" celebrates the Foundation which has identified and funded the preservation and restoration of over 525 motion pictures. On March 13 at 3:00pm is Drums Along the Mohawk (John Ford, 1939); on March 14 at 4:30pm is The Red Shoes (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1948) and on March 28 at 4:30pm is Senso (Luchino Visconti, 1954).
The Gallery takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with three films: on March 20 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm is Araya (Margot Benacerraf, 1959) about salt harvesters and fishermen on Venezuela's coast. On March 21 at 4:30pm is Home (Ursula Meier, 2008) and on March 27 at 3:00pm is Nomad's Land (2008) with filmmaker Gael Metroz following in the footsteps of 1950s travel writer Nicolas Bouvier.
On March 7 at 4:30pm is director Jan Troell in person with Everlasting Moments (2008) shown with Troell's short film Pause in the Marshland (1965).
On March 6 at 3:00pm is "The Black Maria: Selections from the Festival," documentaries and experimental short films with founding director John Columbus in person.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
On March 4 at 8:00pm is A Girl and a Gun (Gustav Deutsch and Hanna Schimek, 2009), an assemblage of archival footage from the 1890s to the 1940s. On March 25 at 8:00pm is Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (Jessica Oreck, 2008), an exploration of a centuries-old Japanese subculture--people who collect insects. The director will be present to discuss this film which is part of the Environmental Film Festival.
National Museum of African Art
On March 20 at 2:00pm is The Vision of Sangari Maathai (Lisa Merton and Alan Dater, 2007), a documentary about the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the grassroots Green Belt Movement of Kenya. The director will be present for discussion; this film is part of the Environmental Film Festival.
National Museum of the American Indian
The museum takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with The Gift of Pachamama (Toshifumi Matsushita, 2008) on March 19 at 7:00pm. Filmmaker Toshifumi Matsushita will be present for discussion. A short film Indigenous Plant Diva (Kamala Todd, 2008) precedes the feature. Reservations are required.
Museum of American History
As part of the Environmental Film Festival on March 20 at 2:00pm is A Road Not Taken, a film about Jimmy Carter's solar panels. The filmmakers will answer questions. On March 21 at 2:00pm is Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness (Chelsea Congdon, 2009) and at 3:15 on March 21 is the world premiere of Butterflies and Bulldozers: David Schooley, Fred Smith and the Fight for San Bruno Mountain (Ann and Steve Dunsky, 2010), about San Bruno Mountain in the San Francisco area. The filmmakers will discuss their film.
National Portrait Gallery
For the Environmental Film Festival and as part of "Reel Portraits" is Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries (Jeff Sewald, 2009) on March 20 at 2:00pm, a documentary about the environmental activist and author.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
To accompany the exhibit "Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan" is the film The Misfits (1961) starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe on March 4 at 6:30pm. On March 11 at 6:30pm is Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) with the Thad Wilson Group performing an original live score.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
As part of the Environmental Film Festival on March 22 at 7:00pm is Split Estate (Debra Anderson, 2004), about landowners with mineral rights under their land who find energy companies in their back yard. The filmmaker will be present for discussion. Reservations are required.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On March 23 at 3:00pm is Dirt! The Movie presented by ITVS Community Cinema Cafe. On March 23 at 7:30pm is the DC Premiere of Leap of Faith (Antony Benjamin and Stephen Friedman, 2009) about four subjects who convert to Judaism. The directors will be present for discussion.
Goethe Institute
"A Deeper Look," the film series exploring the earlier work of directors seen in the January festival of German film ends in March with First Kiss (Kai Wessel, 2003) on March 1 at 6:30pm and One Day in Europe (Hannes Stohr, 2004) on March 8 at 6:30pm.
The Goethe Institute takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with the US Premiere of Exotic Homeland about foreign plants and animals invading and affecting the environment on March 17 at 6:00pm and The Last Giants--Oceans in Danger (whales) on March 17 at 7:15pm.
On March 15 at 6:30pm is For Tomorrow (Eve Rennebarth, Gail Rosen and William Gilcher, 2009) is about Hilda Stern Cohen, holocaust survivor and poet. The filmmakers will discuss the film after the screening.
"The Best of Okofilmtour" is a selection of films from the German festival. On March 22 at 6:30pm is Neuland (Daniel Kunle, 2007) about the transformation in East Germany. On March 29 at 6:30pm is Leroy (Armin Volckers, 2007) about a Afro-German boy and Neo-Nazi skinheads. Two more films in April.
National Geographic Society
The All Roads Film Projects presents "Women Hold Up Half the Sky," a three-part film series. On March 4 at 7:00pm is Niloofar (Sabine El Gemayel, 2008) from Iran. The director and co-producer will be present for discussion. On March 10 at 7:00pm is Shadows (Mary Ayubi and Polly Hyman, 2005), a documentary about women in rural Afghanistan. Filmmaker Mary Ayubi will discuss the film after the screening. The third film in the series is in April.
Two films are presented as part of the Environmental Film Festival. On March 18 at 7:00pm is The Two Horses of Genghis Khan (Byambasuren Davaa, 2009), a documentary from Mongolia. On March 17 at 7:30pm is Fresh (Ana Sofia Joanes) about agriculture and food distribution. The filmmaker and others will be present for discussion.
French Embassy
On March 22 at 7:00pm is VHS Kahloucha (Néjib Belkadhi, 2007), a documentary about a Tunisian house painter who makes amateur films with his VHS Panasonic 3500.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On March 3 at 6:30pm is Children of the Woods (Masaki Haramura, 2008), a documentary about Eijyu Miyazaki, director of a preschool who believes that children should play rough games, eat wild nuts and interact with animals. On March 10 at 6:30pm is Miyori in the Sacred Forest (Nizo Yamamoto, 2007), an anime film about environmental preservation. On March 17 at 6:30pm is Dear My Love (Yushihiro Fukagawa, 2009), based on 86,441 actual love letters submitted to the "Love Letters at 60" project in Japan. Reservations are required. See website for details.
National Archives
For Women's History Month, the film Amelia (2009), starring Hilary Swank, will be shown on March 27 at noon.
The 82nd Academy Award Nominees program will screen all the documentary and short films nominated for Academy Awards. Documentary Feature Nominees: On March 3 at 7:00pm is Food, Inc. (Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein); on March 4 at 7:00pm is The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith); on March 5 at 7:00pm is The Cove; on March 6 at 7:00pm is Burma VJ (Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller); and on March 7 at 4:30pm is Which Way Home (Rebecca Cammisa). Live Action Short Film Nominees: On March 6 at noon. Animated Short Film Nominees: On March 6 at 3:30pm. Documentary Short Subject Nominees: On March 7 at noon.
On March 24 at 7:00pm, as part of the Environmental Film Festival is Harvest of Shame, a television documentary from 1960 about the plight of migrant farm workers in the U.S.
National Museum of Natural History
As part of the Environmental Film Festival the museum will show a series of short films March 20 from 12:30pm to 4:00pm including Dirt! The Movie, Ladies of the Land, Soil in Good Heart and Seed Hunter On March 21 from 12:30 to 5:00pm is another series of short films including Homegrown, Ingredients, Honey for the Maya and Behold the Earth A number of the films have directors present for discussion. On March 27 from noon to 5:15pm are winning films from the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival including The Legend of Pale Male, Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, The Forest: Realm of Shadows, Small Talk Diaries: Changelings and Green. On March 28 from 11:00am to 3:00pm are more winners from the Jackson Hole festival including Yellowstone: Winter; Swamp Troop; Frog, Chemical, Water, You and Gorilla King. At 3:30pm filmmaker Hedrik Smith will be present for discussion after Poisoned Waters: Puget Sound and Poisoned Waters: Chesapeake Bay.
The Avalon
On March 10 at 8:00pm is the award-winning film Normal, The Dusseldorf Ripper (Julius Sevcik, 2009) part of the "Czech Lions" series of films. As part of the 2010 Francophonie Cultural Festival is a film from Switzerland Petites vacances à Knokke-le-Zoute (Yves Matthey, 2009) on March 17 at 8:00pm.
The Avalon takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with Mystery of the Wolf (Raimo O. Niemi, 2006) a film set in the wilderness of Finnish Lapland.
The Corcoran
On March 23 at 7:00pm is Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (Thom Andersen, 1975), a documentary about Muybridge (1830-1904) who used primitive photography to study human and animal movement. Thom Andersen will introduce the film and answer questions.
Embassy of Austria
On March 9 at 7:30pm is Café Elektric (Gustav Ucicky, 1927) with Marlene Dietrich in her first leading role. This silent film will be accompanied by the music of Austrian composer and silent-film pianist Gerhard Gruber. Reservations are required, see the website.
Smithsonian Associates
On March 6 at 7:00pm is a "sleepover" for kids with a film showing of Wild Ocean in 3D. See the website for details.
On March 16 at 7:00pm is Arabia in IMAX 3D (Greg MacGillivray, 2009) as part of the Environmental Film Festival.
On March 18 at 7:00pm is a film and discussion, Waking Sleeping Beauty (Don Hahn, 2009). This documentary covers the power struggles at Disney and how the studio regained its animation magic. The director and producer, both of whom worked at Disney, will share their insider knowledge.
Solas Nua
On March 22 at 7:00pm is The Tiger's Tail (John Boorman, 2006) starring Brendan Gleeson. Films are shown at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW.
The Phillips Collection
For the Environmental Film Festival is Georgia O'Keefe (Perry Miller Adato, 1977), a documentary about the painter. Perry Miller Adato will answer questions.
FILM FESTIVALS
Rotterdam is highly respected for connecting films and distributors. I asked director Vladamir Paskaljevic (Devil's Town) why it was important for him to bring his film. He replied, "Well, for the film I think that it is prestigious to be in 'Bright Future' (Rotterdam's section for up and coming directors) and being here might encourage some world sales. (And we indeed got some offers after the Rotterdam festival.) Another thing, for me personally, it is important to be there to meet people from industy that worked on first films, because you never know who could be your partner in the future." That sentiment of possible sales and connecting with like minded filmmakers is the reason most are here.
