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 ›

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 ›

( 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 ›