Last night was "closing night" for Silverdocs, and the awards were handed out yesterday afternoon, but that doesn't mean the festival's over. Indeed, today and tomorrow are packed with final screenings of films that played this week, including some of the most high-profile titles and award winners. more ›

James Jay Lee, the man better known only as "Lee", the organizer of a lengthy protest against The Discovery Channel, has been arrested by Montgomery County police. Lee appears to have spent thousands of dollars in advertising his protest plans in publications such as the Express and hiring homeless people to beef up his presence in front of the cable network's Silver Spring headquarters. more ›

In case you weren't already convinced that the one-man crusade against Silver Spring's Discovery Channel, which also produced a series of ads promoting the protest in the print edition of Express, was more than a little light on widespread support, take a look at the photo above. Flickr contributor chip py the photo guy snapped this shot yesterday of a man who was paid by the organizer to join the protest.

After a low turnout for the planned protest of the Discovery Channel, homeless people from the nearby Progress Place were paid ten dollars an hour to demonstrate. On Monday when it began to rain many of the demonstrators, such as this man right here, demanded to get paid and left.

Sometime last week a friend of DCist sent in this rather hilarious web site promoting what appears to be a one-man crusade and protest against the Silver Spring, Md.-based Discovery Channel. As you can see, the singularly named "Lee," with his faux-tough mug shot and all-caps, is dishing out a little of the old insane rambling on the cable network to promote his "Save the Planet Protest Against the Discovery Channel," which the web site says is planned from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the entire week of February 15—23, 2008:

These guys have been very sneaky and deceptive as to their contribution to the planetary problems. Just look at their ‘new’ show about saving the planet, “Planet Green,” to me, it’s just another show about more PRODUCTS to make MONEY, not about actual solutions. We can’t let them get away with doing it anymore. Join me in the PROTEST AGAINST THE DISCOVERY NETWORK to get them to start broadcasting real shows that actually work to save the planet. But not just a show about THEM TELLING US WHAT LIGHTBULB TO USE, but shows where solutions are brought to the new shows from people all over with good ideas.

Good morning, Washington. Even if you don't plan to do anything with your day like attending a memorial event or volunteering, it's rather difficult to forget what day it is today -- every time you see the date Sept. 11 on a credit card slip or memo, you're going to be reminded. The Post has a big interactive feature up on the creation of the Pentagon Memorial, which is scheduled to open in one... more ›

The SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival was such a huge hit with film fans in its fifth year that it didn't end until yesterday -- a full day after its official closing. Festival organizers arranged to have several of the most popular films screen again on Monday to meet the high demand for tickets. On opening day it was apparent that the festival had outgrown its format of showcasing a large number of films over... more ›

The 5th annual SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival officially kicked off last night at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Spring with the Washington, D.C. premiere of Jim Brown's film Pete Seeger: The Power of Song. Even though the film was playing in three separate theaters within the complex, there weren't enough seats to go around for all the invited guests who RSVP'd for the opening ceremony. Festival volunteers indicated they had... more ›

>> If you didn't make it to any of the screenings of this year's 48 Hour Film Festival entries, tonight is your best, and last, bet to check out some of the highlights. At 7 and 9:30 p.m., the AFI Silver Theater will screen the "Best Of" the festival, a good way to take in the fun of the project (which asks filmmakers to create a short in only 48 hours) without too much... more ›

Yesterday we attended the press preview for next month's 5th annual SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival and got a sneak peak at a few of the documentary films that will be making their Washington area (and in some cases World or North American) premieres at the Silver Spring festival in June. DCist will be covering the festival once again this year, but in the meantime we thought we'd share a handful of the 100 announced... more ›

Anyone who has been in this town for more than a few hours knows that the feeding frenzy resulting from federal spending bills outdoes just about anything you've seen on the Discovery Channel. Well, it's check cuttin' time in D.C., and the District, Virginia, and Maryland are each getting a slice of the pie. Apparently, the region's planners did not read last Tuesday's DCist transportation column, because most of the money is going to the... more ›

DCist first told you about Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's documentary film Jesus Camp back in June, when it walked away with the Grand Jury Award from the SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Film Festival. Now paired up with Magnolia Pictures, Jesus Camp is currently at Landmark's E Street Theater and has been making a big splash at box offices all over the country. more ›

The fourth annual SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival came to a close Sunday, with top honors going to Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Jesus Camp, a fascinating look behind the scenes of an Evangelical Christian movement which molds young children into soldiers for Christ. Ewing and Grady now add a Sterling Feature Grand Jury Award to their previous SILVERDOCS Audience Award, for 2005's Boys of Baraka. Other award winners include: an Honorable Mention for Chairman... more ›

Acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese was recognized last night as the 2006 Guggenheim Honoree at the SILVERDOCS festival. The award, named after the late 4-time Academy Award winning (longtime D.C. resident) Charles Guggenheim, was presented in a ceremony highlighting Scorsese's contributions to documentary film. more ›

We're going to be the first ones to call it: the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival is all grows up. Yeah, you heard us. As of this year, it's a real-deal film festival, the kind of event any filmmaker who knows anything would be thrilled to participate in. And we're not just blowing smoke. The lineup of more than 100 films and special events between today and Sunday isn't just impressive, it's overwhelming. With all due respect to FilmFestDC, its programmers kinda dropped the ball this year, and despite their wider range, the documentary-only SILVERDOCS has grown to be so robust, it could take FilmFestDC in a street fight anyday. Granted, a good deal of it has to do with luck; It certainly doesn't hurt the festival's growing reputation that feature-length documentaries are about 1000 time more saleable than they were 4 years ago (hat tip, Michael Moore). When Werner Herzog showed up to SILVERDOCS in person last year with his film Grizzly Man, we knew something was up. But when Martin Scorsese and Jim Jarmusch come by just to shoot the shit, well, that my friends is what you call a destination film festival. Right here in our own back yard. Hallelujah. Amen. more ›

Well, this weekend looks like it’s going to be absolutely gorgeous, so we’re hard pressed to recommend doing anything besides rolling around in the grass outside. With a beer. Or seven. That’s our plan, at least. But if you’d like more options, our suggestions follow. And don’t forget to plan ahead: DCist’s Unbuckled concert, featuring Cartel and Bicycle Thieves, is a little less than two weeks away! FRIDAY: >> The third annual AFI and Discovery... more ›

( 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... more ›

(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras) Rest assured citizens of D.C., you will have three to five days to formulate a survival plan during a worst-case scenario “super-volcanic” eruption of Yellowstone Park, according to the Discovery Channel and the United States Geologic Survey. The Yellowstone region is what is known as a caldera-forming volcano, which has the potential to spew some 250 cubic miles ... yes, cubic miles ... of liquid-hot magma into the atmosphere,... more ›