The Tribe, via Filmfest DC.
This time last year, Filmfest DC’s director, Tony Gittens, announced the lineup for the 28th annual festival with more than a hint of sadness. He was convinced that last year was to be Filmfest DC’s last. After losing a big grant through the University of the District of Columbia due to budget cuts, Gittens said the festival simply didn’t have the funds to continue. But Gittens and deputy director Shirin Ghareeb pulled together their resources, cut salaries, hit up people and organizations for contributions, and brought the fest back for one more year.
Will it make it to 30 years? “I’m hesitant to say anything because at this time last year, I was convinced we were done,” Gittens told DCist at a press luncheon for this year’s fest last week. “I really don’t know if we’ll make it to 30. I mean, I hope we do, but considering what happened last year, I just don’t know.”
Even though Filmfest DC lived to see another day, it’s not without some significant cuts. This year’s lineup is slimmer than last years—there’s about six-to-eight fewer films on this year’s lineup than in 2014’s lineup—and they’ve consolidated the amount of venues screening films. There’s about 70 features from more than 30 countries playing this year’s fest. Screenings will primarily take place at the AMC Mazza Gallerie, the Goethe-Institut, and at E Street Cinema, with a few satellite screenings taking place at the Brixton, Embassy of France, and The Lincoln Theatre.
As for this year’s programming, it’s consistent with years previous: a mishmash of critically adored festival favorites (like Ukraine’s provocative, dialogue-less deaf drama The Tribe), light foreign fair (a charming-sounding Indian film Margarita, With a Straw), and then sure-to-be-polarizing-for-this-region films like the doc Bikes vs. Cars.
This year, Gittens says the fest will have an emphasis on films from Trinidad, as well as a series of films dedicated to jazz musicians, with films about Clark Terry, Rahssan Roland Kirk, and Jaco Pastorius.
You can see the full list of films here. Per usual, DCist will have a preview of the fest prior to opening night.
