The Motion Picture Academy has celebrated the return of film in a big way to our movie theaters with a quality lineup of films for its 95th Annual Awards and you’ll have a front row seat if you attend the Washington, DC Film Society’s 30th Annual “And the Winner Is…” OSCAR NIGHT VIEWING PARTY on Sunday, March 12. All proceeds support Filmfest DC, DC Film Society's parent organization.

DC Film Society Director Michael Kyrioglou has reserved the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike Arlington, VA) where you can see all the excitement on the BIG screen. Tickets are now on sale.

If you have not joined us in the past, before the show starts and during the commercial breaks, we’ll have DC’s favorite film critics Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson to give you the real lowdown on the nominees. There’s a record for Asian-American nominees, including the first-ever nominated for Best Actress and note the power of two. Two-time Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel returns, there are two “comeback kids” Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser, two “Daniels” nominated for Best Director, and the two-highest commercially successful films in the Best Picture category.

But Wait. There’s More! There’ll be posters and giveaways from the Studios, not to mention the Silent Auction and the “Predict The Winners” contest, where your movie acumen will be tested. If you don’t come, you’ll miss all the fun.

Tickets are only $20.00, on sale now online or at the door at 6:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm to catch the Oscars Red Carpet Show and the Awards broadcast itself at 8:00 pm. Affordable food and drinks will be available for purchase at the theater (all payment methods accepted). CASH AND CHECKS ONLY for the Silent Auction items and at-door tickets.

DC Film Society members saw 14 of the Award-nominated films first at free screenings held throughout the year: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Fire of Love, Tar, The Banshees of Inisherin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Fabelmans, Empire of Light, Babylon, Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Elvis, and Women Talking.

The Drafthouse does not currently require masks or vax cards for entry (however, they recommend masking until table seating). Full details here.

The Washington, DC Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to an appreciation of quality mainstream, international, and independent films. Annual membership runs from January 1 through December 31 and includes free sneak previews and other events throughout the year. All proceeds from activities support the work of the Film Society and its parent organization, Filmfest DC, the Washington, DC International Film Festival, held this year from April 20-30, 2023. The Film Society was created in 1991 by enthusiastic Filmfest DC staff and volunteers.

On Monday, March 20, 2023 at 8:00pm [NOTE TIME CHANGE] please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group. We will be online again.

TOPIC: The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of: The Maltese Falcon with Foster Hirsch

Why might The Maltese Falcon, this beloved detective thriller, qualify as the 'first' of what would come to be called film noir? What elements of characterization, dialogue, theme, lighting, camera placement, and setting can be identified as noir-like?

We are honored to be joined by Foster Hirsch, author of The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir. Hirsch is a Professor of Film at Brooklyn College and the author of numerous books on film and theater including Acting, Hollywood Style, Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would be King, and Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir. His book on Hollywood in the 50s will be published on October 3. In addition, Hirsch frequently introduces films at the Noir City DC Festival every October at the AFI Silver Theater.

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 7:00pm [NOTE--8:00pm for the March 20 lounge] 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. WE ARE MEETING ONLINE THIS MONTH. 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.

Andrea Riseborough's Best Actress Oscar nomination seemed to come out of nowhere. Her low budget and little seen film, To Leslie, was boosted through a social media campaign from many Hollywood celebrities. But her triumph appeared to come at the expense of Viola Davis for The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till. The Davis and Deadwyler omissions highlighted the Oscars dismal treatment of black actresses. Is the juxtaposition really that simple though? Why couldn't The Oscars honor an amazing performance that flew under the radar while also not ignoring African-American actresses? I dig deeper in my new Adam's Rib column.

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.

FILMS

American Film Institute Silver Theater
The Capital Irish Film Festival (March 2-5), celebrating its 17th year, brings contemporary Irish cinema from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Feature films, short films and documentaries are all part of the festival. A few titles: The Quiet Girl; Aisha; The Ghost of Richard Harris; Ballywalter; How to Tell a Secret; The Cry of Granuaile; Lakelands; Lola; Ghosts of Baggotonia; Pray for Our Sinners; Vicky; The Sparrow; Roise and Frank. Some films have director Q&As. A festival pass is available.

New African Film Festival (March 17-30) is in its 19th year with 30 films from 22 countries. A few titles: Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation; The Blue Caftan; African Moot; Bravo, Burkina!; Dancing the Twist in Bamako; Far from the Nile; Cesaria Evora; Harkis; Grandpa Was an Emperor; Father's Day; The Honeymoon; The Intruder; Mami Wata; No Simple Way Home; Our Father, the Devil; Shimoni; Sisterhood; A Story of Bones; Our Lady of the Chinese Shop; Transactions; Under the Fig Trees; Xale. Some films feature Q&As with directors. A festival pass is available.

"2022: A Second Look" (February 4-April 27) is AFI's annual look-back at films from the previous year which didn't play at the AFI but deserve to be seen--some of which didn't get much of a release, or won awards. Titles in March are Argentina 1985 and Triangle of Sadness. More in April.

"Federico Fellini Retrospective" (February 3-April 24) celebrates Fellini's centennial (1920-1993). March films are Nights of Cabiria (1957) and 8-1/2 (1963). More in April.

"Anime Classics" (February 3-April 26) is a review of anime films from the 1970s to the present. In March is Weathering With You (Makoto Shinkai, 2019) and Your Name (Makoto Shinkai, 2016). More in April.

"Angela Lansbury Remembered" (February 3-April 27) pays tribute to the award-winning actress. In March is The Manchurian Candidate (1962). More in April.

"George Pelecanos Presents" (February 3-April 23) is a series of little-known films from the 1970s, some of which will be introduced by George Pelecanos. In March is Walking Tall (Phil Karlson, 1973); more in April.

"Special Engagements" in March include a Clara Bow double feature Mantrap (1926) in 35mm shown with It (1927). Andrew Simpson provides live music accompaniment and the films are introduced by David Stenn, author of Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild. Other special events are The Conformist (1970) in a 4K restoration; The Long Goodbye (1978); Measures of Men (2023) followed by Q&A with director Lars Kraume; and the great classic Rules of the Game (1939) in a 4K restoration and with intro by Montgomery College film professor David Rothman.

"AFI Silver After Dark" is a new series of midnight-style movies. The March pick is The Big Lebowski (1998).

Freer Gallery of Art
On March 8 at 2:00pm is Utamaro and His Five Women (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1946) part of the "Japanese Classics" series. Shown in 35mm.

On March 5 at 2:00pm is Piccadilly (E.A. Dupont, 1929) starring Anna May Wong. The film is introduced by Ryan Lintelman and Andrew Simpson provides live music accompaniment. Part of the Series "Movie/Music Matchups."

On March 17 at 7:00pm is Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Gu Xiaogang, 2019). Part of the Environmental Film Festival.

National Gallery of Art
The series "Burning Illusions: British Film and Thatcherism" continues March 5 at 2:00pm with "Section 28: Spoken Histories and Queer Defiance," a program of four titles about queer communities. Veronica 4 Rose (Melanie Chait, 1981); We Have Rather Been Invaded (Ed Webb-Ingall, 2018); Pedagogue (Stuart Marshall and Neil Bartlett, 1988); and Kiss 25 (Steve Farrer, 1991). On March 25 at 3:00pm is the documentary Nightcleaners (1974); on March 26 at 2:00pm is Pressure (Horace Ove, 1968) preceded by N****r (Horace Ove, 1968).

The series "Il Cinema Ritrovato On Tour" begins March 11 at 2:00pm with Thamp (Govindan Aravindan, 1978), introduced by Parichay Patra. On March 12 at 2:00pm is a program of Buster Keaton films with live music by Donald Sosin. Titles are The Blacksmith (1922); The High Sign (1921); and My Wife's Relations (1922).

The series "Art Films and Special Screenings" starts March 18 at 2:00pm with films by Maris Curran including the feature Jeannette (2022) about a survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando preceded by two short films While I Yet Live (2018) and The Man is the Music (2016). Marris Curran will be present to introduce the films. On March 19 at 2:00pm is the experimental documentary Herbaria (Leandro Listorti, 2022) presented as part of the Environmental Film Festival. Leandro Listorti will be present at the screening. Registration is required for all films.

National Museum of the American Indian
On March 18 at 2:00pm is Prey (Dan Trachtenberg, 2022). A discussion follows the film.

On March 19 at 2:00pm is Powerlands (Camille Manybeads Tso, 2022) shown with the short film Weckuwapok 2022), both part of the Environmental Film Festival.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
On March 21 at 6:00pm is This World is Not My Own (Ruchi Mital and Petter Ringbom), a biographical film about the artist Nellie Mae Rowe. A discussion follows the film.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
On March 17 at 7:00pm is Fashion Reimagined (Becky Hutner, 2022), a documentary about fashion designer Amy Powney; on March 18 at 2:00pm is the documentary After Sherman (Jon Sesrie Goff, 2022). On March 18 at 7:00pm is Geographies of Solitude (Jacquelyn Mills, 2022), a documentary about Sable Island. All three films are part of the Environmental Film Festival.

French Embassy
Most of the Francophonie films are shown at the Embassy.

Bethesda Row
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series. On March 19 at 10:00am is Karaoke (Moshe Rosenthal, 2022), a comedy from Israel.

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 March 1 at 8:00pm is the "Programmer's Choice" film for March: Carole King: Home Again, a concert documentary made in 1973 but not released.

On March 8 at 8:00pm is A Report on the Party and Guests (Jan Nemec, 1966), the "Lions of Czech Film" for March. Note that this is a dinner event: doors open at 7:00pm for the dinner and at 7:30pm for the movie only. Michal Bregant, Director of the Czech National Film Archive in Prague, will introduce the screening, and, a Q&A follows. Check the website for more details on the film and dinner.

On March 15 at 8:00pm is Mother and Son (Léonor Serraille, 2022), part of the "French Cinematheque" series and part of Unifrance's Young French Cinema.

On March 22 at 8:00pm is Let It Be Morning (Eran Kolirin, 2021) for this month's "Reel Israel" program.

For "Cine Polska" on March 29 at 8:00pm is Woman on the Roof (Anna Jadowska, 2022).

On March 26 at 28 at 10:30am is Mary Cassatt: Painting the Modern Woman (Ali Ray, 2023), part of "Exhibition on Screen," and just in time for International Women's Day.

On March 19 at 10:30am is The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1941) a one-time screening for the Avalon's Centennial Celebration.

A kid's program "N.Y. International Children’s Film Festival" is a program of seven short films shown on March 11 and 12 at 10:00am.

Landmark's E Street Cinema
"Retro Replay" is a series of classic films shown Tuesdays at 4:00pm and 7:30pm (note that the times may vary). This month's theme is "Seeing Doubles: Welles and Lean." On March 7 is Citizen Kane (1941) in a 4K remaster; on March 14 is Lawrence of Arabia (1962) in 4K restoration; on March 21 is Touch of Evil (1958); and on March 28 is Doctor Zhivago (1965).

Kennedy Center
On March 5 at 3:00pm is imperfect (Regan Linton and Brian Malone, 2021), a documentary about a professional company of actors with disabilities. A discussion follows the film. On March 12 at 3:00pm is Giving Hope: The Ni’Cola Mitchell Story (Alpha Nicky Mulowa, 2023) with Q&A. Location: the Justice Forum.

Old Greenbelt Theater
On March 2 at 6:30pm is the Indian action film RRR (S.S. Rajamouli, 2022).

Hill Center
On March 14 at 7:00pm is the award-winning documentary Medicating Normal (Lynn Cunningham and Wendy Ractliffe, 2022). A discussion follows the film.

Alden Theater
On March 2 at 1:00pm is Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) from Mexico.

Angelika Film Center Mosaic
On March 6 at 7:10pm is Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995) for this month's "Angelika Classics."

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