( Editor's Note: This preview of the SILVERDOCS film festival comes to us from Sommer Mathis, who has joined our staff to write about arts.)

Just when you were certain that downtown Silver Spring will never be as hip as it wishes it was, SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival returns for its 3rd year to challenge your deeply held beliefs.

This year's opening night gala alone is enough to make any film geek perspire with anticipation, and not just due to relative humidity. Show up Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a screening of "Midnight Movies," Stuart Samuels' in-depth look at how cult film directors like John Waters, George Romero, and David Lynch crossed over into mainstream success, and then stick around for an interview of Samuels by "Good Morning America" film critic Joel Siegel. But if that wasn’t enough for you, take your pass or ticket stub across the street to the Discovery Channel and gain access to the reception, where according to the press release, you can:

Dance to reggae, drink Zombies, frolic with freaks and cavort with creatures from the dead!

Several of the directors featured in the film will also reportedly be in attendance. Imagine busting some sweet moves on the dance floor next to Perry Henzell! Doesn't it sound too good to be true? Well, it is. Tickets for opening night will run you a whopping $45. And it’s sold out. Looks like Joel Siegel will be able to afford to get his moustache trimmed every day this year. But don’t despair. SILVERDOCS has plenty to offer those of you shut out of opening night. Here are DCist’s picks for the best the fest has to offer, for the far more reasonable price of $9 each:

WEDNESDAY: Austin-based director Mark Morgan’s "The Human Hambone" traces the history and practice of the use of the human body as a musical instrument. Perhaps your older brother’s armpit-fart noises will make a cameo. Preceded by the short "Rave Against the Machine." 6:45 p.m.

THURSDAY: A special screening of Rachel Boynton’s "Our Brand is Crisis," which chronicles James Carville’s political consulting firm’s attempt to get Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada elected president of Bolivia. Especially worthwhile if Boynton captured Carville attempting a Bolivian accent. 7:15 p.m. Post-discussion moderated by New Republic editor Peter Beinart.

FRIDAY: "Bob Smith U.S.A." is Neil Abramson’s look at what it means to be an American, from the point of view of seven different guys, all named Bob Smith. See photo for example of one such Bob Smith. ‘Nuff said. 9:30 p.m.

Eccentric New German Cinema legend Werner Herzog will be present for a screening of his latest odyssey, "Grizzly Man." Herzog, a famous obsessive himself, profiles Timothy Treadwell, a man whose crazy love for grizzly bears leads to, well, let's just say the bears don’t end up giving him the love in return. 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.

SATURDAY: "The Swenkas" captures the ritual of a group of working class men in Johannesburg whose greatest pleasure in life is dressing up in a fancy suit and participating in a sort of Miss America-style pageant every Saturday. Swenkarrific. 9:30 p.m.

SUNDAY: As mentioned earlier, "9:30 F Street" tells the story of the famous DC all-ages club, and the straight-edge movement it helped to create. 8:00 p.m.

And if you’re the sort who likes more than just one person’s recommendation of what to see, consider buying tickets to whichever films actually end up winning ahead of time. And make sure you if you see something great, you share with the rest of the class!