Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
The 18th annual Capital Irish Film Festival takes place February 29-March 3, celebrating Irish identity, culture and artistry. The Opening Night film is Lies We Tell (Lisa Mulcahy) and the closing night film is Virdigris (Patricia Kelly). Some films have special guests attending for Q&A. A festival pass is available.
The 20th New African Film Festival (March 15-28) features 26 films from 16 countries. The Opening Night film is Goodbye Julia (Mohamed Kordofani, 2023) from Sudan. The Closing Night film is African Giants (Omar Komara, 2024) with a filmmaker Q&A. Many films have special guests attending for Q&A. A festival pass is available.
"AFI Silver After Dark" is a new series of midnight-style movies. The March film is Dune (David Lynch, 1984).
"Special Events" for March include Call Me Dancer (2023) followed by a guest Q&A with director/producer Leslie Shampaine, executive producer John King and subject Manish Chauhan; Hollywood Shuffle (l987) and The Big Lebowski (1998).
"A Second Look" (February 16-April 20) is an eclectic slate of critically acclaimed 2023 films giving audiences a second chance to see these films at the AFI. Titles in March are Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023); Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023); Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023); Asteroid City (Wes Anderson, 2023); Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023); Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023); Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (Kelly Fremon Craig, 2023); Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023); The First Slam Dunk (Takehiko Inoue, 2023); and Renaissance, a Film by Beyonce (Beyonce, 2023). One more in April.
"3-D Classics" (January 27-April 28). Titles in March are I, the Jury (1953); The Mad Magician (1954); and Miss Sadie Thompson (1953). More in April.
"George Pelecanos Presents Western Classics" (March 7-April 28) is a selection of Westerns introduced by local author, screenwriter and producer George Pelecanos. Titles in March are Ride Lonesome (1959); The Magnificent Seven (1960); Colorado Territory (1949); The Naked Spur (1953); and Ride the High Country (1962). More in April.
"The 28th Annual Festival of Films from Iran" (February 5-March 13) has one remaining title Winners (Hassan Nazer, 2022).
"Columbia Pictures" February 2-May 2) is a Centennial retrospective. Titles in March are Holiday (1938); 3:10 to Yuma (1957); The Awful Truth (1937); Penny Serenace (1941); Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018); The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); The Wild One (1953); and On the Waterfront (1954). More in April.
"Fabulous 50s" (February 2-May 2). Titles in March are Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (1953); Some Like It Hot (1959); High Noon (1952); I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951); A Face in the Crowd (1957); The Hitch-Hiker (1953); The Bigamist (1953); The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957); The Thing From Another World (1951); The Killing (1956) with an introduction by author Robert P. Kolker; The War of the Worlds (1953) in a new 4K restoration; Ben-Hur (1959); A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); Touch of Evil (1958); and Sweet Smell of Success (1957). More in April.
"Sembene 100" (March 31-April 29), a series of films, some in new restorations, by Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene (1923-2007). The series begins with Black Girl (1966), preceded by a short film Borom Sarret (1963). More in April.
The AFI takes part in "Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour" with two newly restored silent films accompanied by Donald Sosin: Crazy to Marry (1921) and Sensation Seekers (1927). See here for other events in this sseries.
Freer Gallery of Art
On March 13 at 2:00pm is Mothra vs. Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1964), part of the "Japanese Classics" series and one of the most highly regarded Godzilla films.
On March 1 at 7:00pm is Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang, 2024), followed by a video Q&A with the director and followed by a reception.
The first three films directed by Kinuyo Tanaka are shown at the Freer and more will be at the National Gallery of Art in April. On March 17 at 2:00pm is Love Letter (Kinuyo Tanaka, 1953) starring the great Masayuki Mori; on March 24 at 2:00pm is The Moon Has Risen (Kinuyo Tanaka, 1955); and on March 31 at 2:00pm is Forever a Woman (Kinuyo Tanaka, 1955).
The Freer takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with Here (Bas Devos, 2023) on March 30 at 2:00pm.
National Gallery of Art
On March 2 at 2:00pm is Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning (Dyanna Taylor, 2014), a documentary by Lange's granddaughter, preceded by a short video. Shown in conjunction with the exhibition "Dorothea Lange: Seeing People."
"Celebrate Italian Cinema: Anna Magnani on Screen" is a two-part series of films starring Anna Magnani. On March 9 at 2:00pm is Angelina (Luigi Zampa, 1947), introduced by Celine Stephanie Pozzi from L'Immagine Ritrovata, and preceded by the short film The Human Voice (Roberto Rossellini, 1948). On March 10 at 2:00pm is Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945).
On March 16 at 2:00pm is "Film Songs for the New World," a collection of five recent short films by international award-winning women. Titles are Singing in Oblivion (Eve Heller, 2021) from Austria; Song for the New World (Miryam Charles, 2021) from Haiti; The Time that Separates Us (Parastoo Anoushahpour, 2022) from Lebanon; and Her Plot of Blue Sky (Kamila Kuc, 2023) from Poland; and In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun (Sylvia Schedelbauer, 2022) from Germany. Followed by a discussion with filmmakers Kamila Kuc and Sylvia Schedelbauer.
"Film Knots and Threads" is a series of films about fabric creation in several countries. On March 17 at 2:00pm is a program of four short films: The Wool Aliens (Julia Parks, 2023) from the UK; The Embroiderers (Maeve Brennan, 2016) from the UK; The Living Knot (Cecilia Vicuna, 2017); and Following the Thread (Kathy Brew and Roberto Guerra, 2021). A discussion with filmmaker Kathy Brew follows the film program. Shown in conjunction with the exhibit "Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction." On March 23 at 2:00pm is a short film followed by discussion with Laura Hertas Millan and Zoe Leonard.
The National Gallery of Art takes part in the Environmental Film Festival with A Mirror of the Cosmos (Isabelle Carbonell, 2023), about how the Mar Menor lagoon is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Shown on March 30 at 2:00pm, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
National Museum of the American Indian
On March 24 at 1:00pm is One With the Whale (Pete Chelkowski and Jim Wickens, 2023), part of the Envrionmental Film Festival.
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
The DC premiere of The Night Visitors (Michael Gitlin, 2023) is on March 22 at 7:00pm as part of the Environmental Film Festival. The film's director will discuss the film after the screening.
Washington Jewish Community Center
On March 7 at 7:30pm is One Life (James Hawes, 2023), a docudrama about Nicholas Winton, starring Anthony Hopkins.
On March 14 at 7:30pm, March 17 at 6:30pm and March 18 at 7:30pm is Bella (Jeff L. Lieberman, 2022), a documentary about Bella Abzug.
French Embassy
On March 7 at 7:00pm is the documentary LFG (Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine), part of a series of events to celebrate Olympic values in preparation of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. A Q&A follows.
On March 12 at 7:00pm is "D Day Legacy: Exhibition & Screening” with the American Battle Monuments Commission, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The documentary Our Promise: 100 Years of the American Battle Monuments Commission (2023) is shown and an exhibition of vintage-style prints can be seen at the Embassy.
On March 28 at 6:30pm is Ocean Seen from the Heart (Marie-Dominique Michaud and Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol), part of the Environmental Film Festival.
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On March 7 at 6:30pm is One Day You Will Reach the Sea (Ryutaro Nakagawa, 2022). On March 12 at 6:30pm is the anime film Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022). On March 28 at 6:30pm is Okiku and the World (2023) preceded by a short film The Floating World, part of the Environmental Film Festival.
National Archives
On March 23 at 2:00pm is King Coal (2023), a documentary about the complex history and future of the coal industry. The film, shown in conjunction with the Environmental Film Festival, will be introduced by the film's director Elaine Sheldon.
Cinema Arts Bethesda
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series held at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. On March 3 at 10:00am is Io Capitano (Matteo Garrone, 2023), about two teenage boys who leave Senegal for Europe.
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
A filmed play from the National Theater Vanya is shown March 3 and 7 at 10:30am.
On March 6 at 8:00pm is Robot Dreams (Pablo Berger, 2023), an animated film in the "Programmer's Choice" series.
The animated film Migration (Benjamin Renner, 2023) is shown on March 9 and 10 at 10:30am. Part of "Weekend Family Matinees."
On March 13 at 8:00pm is Victim (Michal Blasko, 2022), part of the "Czech Lions" film series.
For "French Cinematheque" is The Crime Is Mine (Francois Ozon, 2022) on March 20 at 8:00pm.
The Avalon is participating in a new program "Science on Screen" with A Compassionate Spy (Steve James, 2022) on March 26 at 7:30pm. Jason Dick, Editor in Chief of Roll Call, and special guest Anthony Eames, Director of Scholarly Programs at the Reagan Presidential Foundation, will be present for a special post-screening conversation and Q&A.
On March 27 at 8:00pm is Feast of Fire (Kinga Debska, 2023), for the "Cine Polska" series.
Italian Cultural Institute
The fourth mid-Atlantic edition of "Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour" (March 6-10) begins on March 6 with a discussion about film restoration with conservator Celine Stephanie Pozzi from the Bologna Film Archive and two local experts Kim Tomadjoglou and Siobhan Crnugelj Hagan. Other events will be held at the AFI Silver Theater and the National Gallery of Art.
On March 20 at 6:00pm is Un Coach Come Padre (Massimiliano Finazzer Flory, 2022) followed by Q&A with the director.
Library of Congress
The Mary Pickford Theater shows the dystopian thriller Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995) on March 7 at 6:30pm.
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 "Landmark Theatres' 50th Anniversary." On March 5 is The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich, 1971); on March 12 is The Getaway (Sam Peckinpah, 1972); on March 19 is Jaws (Stevene Spielberg, 1975); and on March 26 is Nashville (Robert Altman, 1975).
Kennedy Center
On March 3 at 4:00pm is Tiny Jungle Queens, an episode of the National Geographic docuseries "Queens," which follows six powerful sisterhoods within the animal kingdom where females rule. A Q&A follows the screening. On March 10 at 3:30pm is a program of two short documentary films Neurodivergent (Afton Quast Saler, 2022) and Shadow (Bruce Gladwin, 2022) and featuring a post-screening panel including Day Al-Mohamed, Mathew McCullough, and Isaac Zablocki. To celebrate Women's History Month is Little Women (2019) on March 17 at 3:00pm.
Atlas Performing Arts Film Series
On March 8 at 7:00pm the Andrew Simpson Ensemble accompanies the great silent classic Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton and John G. Blystone, 1923) starring Buster Keaton.
Old Greenbelt Theater
For the series "Cinema Pop" on March 11 at 8:00pm and March 16 at 1:00pm is the anime film Howl's Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004).
In the "Cinema Classics" series is In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950) on March 4 at 1:00pm and March 7 at 8:00pm.
On March 8 at 7:30pm is the documentary Turn Every Page (Lizzie Gottlieb, 2022), followed by a discussion with guest Christine Doran, Freelance copy-editor and independently published children's author. Rebecca Hughes, Editor and traditionally published author.
On March 21 at 8:00pm is Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger, 1969), part of the "Cult Classics" series.
On March 25 at 7:00pm is Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1961) in the "Films in Focus" series.
Alden Theater
The foreign film for March is the animated Tales of the Night (Michel Ocelot, 2011), a collection of six exotic tales, on March 7 at 1:00pm and March 20 at 6:30pm. The performing arts film is The Tales of Beatrix Potter (Jonathan Haswell, 2007) on March 28 at 1:00pm, a filmed ballet with dancers from the Royal Ballet.
Angelika Film Center Mosaic
The "Angelika Classics" series shows classic films on the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm. On March 4 at 7:00pm is Blowup (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966).
"Classics in Black and White" features a classic B&W film on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm. March 18 at 7:00pm is Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948) starring Humphrey Bogart.
"Dinner With..." is a series of films on fourth Mondays at 7:00pm. On March 25 at 7:00pm is The Misfits (John Huston, 1961).
FILM FESTIVALS
