Jesse Eisenberg in Richard Ayoade’s The Double, which played last year’s Filmfest DC. Image via Magnolia Pics

Even when festival director Tony Gittens announced last year that last year was to be Filmfest DC’s last, there was still some speculation, he said, that it could be revived.

“It’s all about cash,” Gittens said at last year’s media preview, adding that it would take some sort of “white knight” to swoop in and save the festival. DCist reached out to Gittens to get more information about how the festival was saved and will follow up when we hear back.

Apparently that happened, as Filmfest DC is indeed returning for its 29th year on April 16. A release to announce this year’s Filmfest confirms that it will run from the 16 to April 26 at “multiple venues in the D.C. area,” but nothing is confirmed yet.

Furthermore, the lineup, which always skews—somewhat curiously—between hotly anticipated indies and light foreign fare also hasn’t been announced yet, but promises it will be soon.

So what does the announcement of Filmfest DC’s return from the almost-dead include? A litany of quotes from D.C. area leaders praising the fest. “D.C. needs and deserves a rich cultural festival like Filmfest DC,” longtime movie critic Arch Campbell says! “Filmfest DC has become one of Washington, D.C.’s premiere events,” D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities Executive Director Lionell Thomas exclaimed, enthusiastically (probably). “Our city is so much better with Filmfest DC than without it,” remarks Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans!

Welcome back Filmfest DC, we’d say we missed you, but it hasn’t really been that long.