The Cinema Lounge
The Cinema Lounge meets Monday, June 18, 2018 at 7:00pm. This month's topic is Film Music. Music has played an integral part of movies since their beginning. Silent films often featured a live musical accompaniment. When sound films arrived, scores by Max Steiner, Maurice Jarre, Ennio Morricone and Bernard Hermann became as iconic as the movies themselves. Today's film composers such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, Carter Burwell and Hans Zimmer carry on that tradition. Other films use a soundtrack instead of or in addition to a score. American Graffiti, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, and, more recently, Baby Driver are prime examples. Do you prefer a score, soundtrack, or combination? How is music used most effectively to underscore or enhance what we are seeing on screen?
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.
June 13-17
The 16th AFI Docs Film Festival
From the press release
The AFI Docs Film Festival brings new documentaries to the Washington, DC area. 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 13 through June 17, 2018. Now in its 16th year, the festival serves as a launch pad for independent documentaries, and affords international filmmakers access to US audiences. 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, the festival shows the world's best new documentaries, outdoor screenings and performances, panel discussions and many special events. "The 2018 slate of films showcases the exceptional diversity of perspectives that the documentary art form invites audiences to explore," said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals. "While this year's festival takes us around and beyond the world, each film tells a story that, at its core, shares a moment of the human experience."
The Opening Night flm is the world premiere of Personal Statement (Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez, 2018), about Brooklyn high school seniors, who lacking college guidance support, become college counselors to their schools It will be followed by Q&A with Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez. The Closing Night film is United Skates (Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, 2018), about roller skating and the fight to save skating rinks, followed by a Q&A with Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown. The Centerpiece Screening is Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow (Rory Kennedy, 2018). Other special screenings include Kinshasa Makambo (Dieudo Hamadi, 2018), about elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the world premiere of The Cold Blue (Erik Nelson, 2018), Mr. Soul (Melissa Haizlip and Sam Pollard, 2018), and Witkin and Witkin (Trisha Ziff, 2017) about twin artists Joel-Peter and Jerome Witkin. "We are at a cultural crossroads where identity, race and personal agency are redefining what it is to be American in 2018," said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals. "With Personal Statement, United Skates and this year's Centerpiece and Special Screenings, AFI DOCS will continue its legacy of introducing new perspectives to audiences, while challenging longstanding conventions."
This year's Charles Guggenheim Symposium Honoree is Steve James, known for Hoop Dreams (1994), Stevie (2002), The Interrupters (2011), Life Itself (2014) and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016). An in-depth conversation with Steve James will include clips from his work and the first episode of his new Starz docuseries "America to Me," about how class and race affect social and economic mobility. The Symposium will be moderated by Michael Phillips, film critic of the Chicago Tribune.
The AFI DOCS Forums present a variety of networking and professional development events and discussions for filmmakers and industry professionals. This year's forums includes presentations on the increasing impact of documentary shorts, the relationship between virtual reality and documentaries, trends in local and international storytelling and more. A discussion on "The Middle Ground," explores how documentaries are being used to reach and engage with those in the political center. "Documentary Capital" discusses documentary filmmaking in DC with local filmmakers, film offices, media outlets and nonprofit filmmaking support organizations. "The AFI DOCS Forum offers engaging and thought-provoking opportunities in addition to our slate of films," said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals. "We are excited to bring together filmmakers, the industry, thought leaders and attendees to discuss important trends in documentary filmmaking, share essential information and key resources with the field, and connect the local, national and international documentary communities." "Steve James is an incredible artist who uses storytelling to shed light on diverse communities that are often in crisis," said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals. "As one of the most admired documentary filmmakers of his generation, we are honored to celebrate him, his history of outstanding documentaries and his latest work."
Visit the website for a complete list of films, screening locations, tickets and passes.
Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
"Robert Mitchum Retrospective" (April 27-July 5) is a selection of films from Mitchum's 50 year movie career. Titles in June are The Wonderful Country, Thunder Road, The Sundowners, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, El Dorado and Cape Fear. More in July.
"Jean-Pierre Melville" (April 28-July 5) looks at some of the French director's films. Titles in June are Army of Shadows, Second Breath and Le Samourai. More in July.
"Jazz on Film" (May 1-June 7) is a tribute to jazz legends John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Nina Simone and Duke Ellington. The series ends in June with What Happened, Miss Simone?.
"Rock Docs" (April 28-July 4) is a 20-part series of rockumentaries, concert films, artist portraits and fly-on-the-wall chronicles. Titles in June are 20 Feet from Stardom, The Story of Anvil, Bunch of Kunst: A Film About Sleaford Mods, Sympathy for the Devil and Two Trains Runnin'. More in July.
"Oscilloscope at 10" (April 30-June 23) is a series of films from the independent film company and distributor. Titles in June are Embrace of the Serpent, Howl, Meek's Cutoff, The Second Mother, Wendy and Lucy and Wuthering Heights.
"Latin Classics" (May 4-June 26) is a series of 7 recent restorations of classic films from Argentina, Cuba, and Mexico. Titles in June are Lucia, Memories of Underdevelopment, Time to Die, The Other and In the Palm of Your Hand.
"Spanish Cinema Now" (May 31-June 3) is an annual festival of new films from Spain today, featuring established auteurs and award-winning newcomers. Titles are Abracadabra followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Pablo Berger; Anchor and Hope, Constructing Albert, Hopelessly Devout, The Laws of Thermodynamics, Life and Nothing More, Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle followed by a Q&A, The Motive and Torremolinos 73 with an introduction by filmmaker Pablo Berger.
"The 48 Hour Film Project" is a competition for do-it-yourself filmmakers who make a film with a given genre, prop, character and a line of dialogue. The films that were screened in May and a "best of" the screenings is on June 22.
The 18th "DC Caribbean FilmFest" (June 8-13) shows films from Caribbean countries. A festival pass is available. Passes are available. See below.
Special Events in June are Friendly Persuasion (1956) on June 2 with Catherine Wyler (daughter of director William Wyler) and Maria Cooper Janis (daughter of star Gary Cooper). Shown in a 35mm archival print from UCLA Archives. On June 23 is a 4K restoration of Transatlantic (William K. Howard, 1931) with an introduction by Christian Roden, Programming & Communications Coordinator, Decorative Arts Trust and post-screening reception.
"The Color of Conversation Film Series" (June 28-July 1) supports the creation and advancement of cinematic works for both established and new filmmakers of color. Titles TBA.
Freer Gallery of Art
A new series of Japanese classic films is beginning at the Freer. On June 6 at 2:00pm is Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948) starring Toshiro Mifune.
A series of films by Midi Z begins June 8 at 7:00pm with Road to Mandalay (2016); on June 9 at 2:00pm is City of Jade (2016); on June 10 at 2:00pm is 14 Apples (2018) with filmmaker Midi Z present for all three films.
"Merchant Ivory Restored" is a new series beginning June 22 at 7:00pm with Shakespeare Wallah (James Ivory, 1965). On June 24 at 2:00pm is Heat and Dust (James Ivory, 1983).
National Gallery of Art
"From Vault to Screen: Finland" (June 10-24) looks at films from Finland's film archive. On June 10 at 4:00pm is The Unknown Soldier (Edvin Laine, 1955); on June 16 at 1:00pm is People of the Summer Night (Valentin Vaala, 1948); on June 23 at 2:00pm is Lovisa (Valentin Vaala, 1946); on June 23 at 4:00pm is a "cine-concert" Anna Liisa (Teuvo Puro and Jussi Snellman, 1922) with Andrew Simpson accompanying the film on piano; and on June 24 at 4:00pm is Shadows in Paradise (Aki Kaurismaki, 1986) followed by Le Havre (Aki Kaurismaki, 2011).
Special events in June are One Big Home (Thomas Bena, 2016) on June 2 at 3:00pm with the filmmaker present; on June 3 at 4:00pm is Leaning into the Wind (Thomas Ridelsheimer, 2016); On June 9 at 2:00pm is "Hearts in a Heartless World: Access and Community Media," a collection of short films by DeeDee Halleck who will be present to introduce the films. On June 16 at 4:00pm is Witkin + Witkin (Trisha Ziff, 2017), part of AFI Docs. On June 17 at 4:00pm is "Serge Bromberg's Retour de Flamme: New Discoveries," a collection of short films introduced by Serge Bromberg. On June 30 at 3:00pm is A Brief Spark Bookended by Darkness (Brent Green, 2017) with the filmmaker in person.
National Museum of African Art
On June 10 at 12:30pm is a screening and discussion of the new documentary Footprints of Pan Africanism (Shirikiana Aina, 2018), about African Americans who emigrated to Ghana. The filmmaker will introduce the film and take part in a panel discussion after the screening; docent tours of the exhibit Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Art follows the discussion.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
On June 16 at 7:00pm is Mr. Soul, about the 1960s public television series SOUL! and its producer Ellis Haizlip. Part of AFI Docs.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
On June 16 at 3:00pm is Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975). A discussion with George Mason film studies professor Giovanna Chesler follows the screening.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On June 12 at 7:30pm is The Invisibles (Claus Rafle, 2017) from Germany preceded by a reception at 6:00apm. On June 19 at 7:30pm is Maktub (Oded Raz, 2017) from Israel; and on June 26 at 7:30pm is Muhi: Generally Temporary (Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander and Tamir Elterman, 2017), a documentary from Israel.
Goethe Institute
On June 29 at 6:30pm is Unter dir die Stadt (Christoph Hochhausler, 2010).
National Geographic Society
On June 17 at 11:00am is the second annual Further Film Festival, showcasing the work of explorers in the field. A few titles: Symphony for our World, Dive to the Edge of Creation, The Last Honey Hunter and Jane. Part of the 2018 National Geographic Explorers Festival. Passes are available.
French Embassy
"Forever Jeanne Moreau" is a film series to honor the great French actress who died last year. On June 12 at 7:00pm is Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle, 1958); on June 26 at 7:00pm is Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut, 1961). More in July.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
This is one of the locations for EuroAsia Shorts, see below.
The Textile Museum at GWU
On June 7 and 28 at noon is the documentary A Visit to China's Miao Country (Eleanor Coppola, 1996) about the Miao culture in southwest China. The filmmaker will take part in a Q&A after the June 7 screening. Reservations are required for the June 7 show. Complements the exhibit "Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China."
National Archives
On June 15 at noon is The Hello Girls (2018), a documentary about women in the US Army Signal Corps sent to France as telephone operators during WWI. Filmmaker James Theres and historian Mitchell Yockelson will discuss the film and answer questions after the screening.
On June 16 at 3:00pm is the world premier of The Cold Blue (Erik Nelson, 2018), a documentary about the B-17 bomber and its pilots, part of AFI Docs.
The Avalon
On June 6 at 8:00pm is That Summer (Goran Olsson, 2017), a documentary about Edith and Edie Beale of Grey Gardens. This long-lost footage was shot in 1972 by Peter Beard, three years before the Maysles brothers film. Part of "Avalon Docs."
On June 13 at 8:00pm is the award-winning film Masaryk (Julius Sevcík, 2016), based on the story of Czech diplomat and politician Jan Masaryk who was serving as ambassador in London just before WWII. Part of the Avalon's "Czech Lions" film series.
On June 20 at 8:00pm is the thriller Double Lover (François Ozon, 2017), part of the "French Cinematheque" series.
The "Reel Israel" film for June is Scaffolding (Matan Yair, 2017) on June 27 at 8:00pm.
For a "Film Studies" program on June 28 at 7:30pm is Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel (Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger, 2018), a documentary about an Israeli baseball team. Aviva Kempner will join one of the filmmakers for Q&A.
Italian Cultural Institute
This is one of the locations for EuroAsia Shorts, see below.
Library of Congress
The Mary Pickford Theater
at the Library of Congress starts a new series of films showcasing the Library's collection and including newly preserved films. On June 21 at 7:00pm is Eight Men Out (John Sayles, 1988), about the 1919 World Series scandal.
Anacostia Community Museum
On June 23 at 4:00pm is a celebration of summer solstice with films made in DC. At 4:00pm is DC Cab; at 6:00pm is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and at 10:00pm is The Exorcist.
Wolf Trap
On June 16 at 7:40pm is a screening and sing-along of The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965) with a costume contest at 7:15pm.
"Capital Classics" at Landmark's West End Cinema
Classic films are shown at the West End Cinema on Wednesdays at 1:30pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm. On June 6 is Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg, 1987) and on June 13 is Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942). More TBA.
Embassy of Austria
On June 21 at 7:00pm is Guardians of the Earth (Filip Antoni Malinowski), a documentary about the Paris Climate Agreement, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Maryanne Culpepper of the Environmental Film Festival.
Alden Theater
On June 10 at 2:00pm is Ferris Bueller's Day Off (John Hughes, 1986), part of the "Quote-Along" series. Location: The Old Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road.
Reel Affirmations XTra
On June 22 at 7:00pm is Ideal Home (Andrew Fleming, 2018) starring Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan as a gay couple.
Busboys and Poets
On June 7 at 6:00pm is the DC premiere of Norman Is Over (Renee Scheltema, 2017), a documentary about global problems and possible solutions. At the 14th and V location.
On June 5 at 6:30pm is Before the Flood (Fisher Stevens, 2016), a documentary about climate change, followed by a Q&A. At the Shirlington location.
The Jerusalem Fund
The Summer Film Series 2018 (June 5-9) begins with The Truth: Lost at Sea (Rifat Audeh, 2017) from Jordan on June 5 at 5:30pm. On June 6 at 5:30pm is Coffee for All Nations (Wafa Jamil, 2016) from Palestine. On June 7 at 5:30pm is Rasheed (Samia Badih, 2016) from Lebanon. On June 8 at 5:30pm is Looted and Hidden (Rona Sela, 2018) from Palestine. On June 9 at 5:30pm is Killing Gaza (Max Blumenthal and Dan Cohen, 2017) from Palestine. All are documentaries.
DC Shorts
On June 22 at 8:00pm and 10:00pm and June 23 at 8:00pm and 10:00pm are two programs of short comedies from past festivals and live comedy acts. See the website for titles and other information. Location: the Miracle Theater, 535 8th Street, SE.
FILM FESTIVALS
