• 65 films • 30 countries •
12 days • 1 amazing film festival •

Filmfest DC, a festival of stories is 65 films • featuring 30 countries over 12 days for 1 amazing film festival. Welcome to the Washington, DC International Film Festival. This year marked the 37 years of Filmfest DC.

My favorite part of FilmFest DC was going to the French Embassy to finally see Chevalier. It is such an incredible film that everyone needs to see!! Plus the French Embassy always knows how to throw a party with all the delicious meats, cheeses and bubbly to set the mood. I really love film and television and it such a privilege that we have such an incredible festival right in our city.

Highlights

The Lighter Side

International Comedies

A good laugh is a universal pastime and if the language of cinema is universal, then laughter is our common vocabulary.

Golden Years (Switzerland) directed by Barbara Kulcsar
Goodnight (Italy) directed by Massimo Cappelli
Greener Pastures (Israel) directed by Matan Guggenheim, Assaf Abiri
Mamacruz (Spain) directed by Patricia Ortega
The Pod Generation (Belgium, France, USA) directed by Sophie Barthes
Stories Not To Be Told (Spain) directed by Cesc Gay

Trust No One

Espionage, Crime, and Thrillers

Good guys vs. bad guys (or girls)… Will she escape?… Who done it?… The heist… Mystery… Suspense… Conspiracy… Betrayal. It’s probably best to trust no one. This is edge-of-your-seat movie fun.

Hypersleep (Italy) directed by Alberto Mascia
On The Edge (Belgium) directed by Giordano Gederlini
The Origin of Evil (France) directed by Sébastien Marnier
The Substitute (Argentina) directed by Diego Lerman

Global Rhythms

Films on International Music

The collaboration of music and film often serves to illuminate both art forms.

Born In Chicago (USA) directed by Bob Sarles, John Anderson
Divertimento (France) directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar
Fantastic Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (USA) directed by Francisco Nuñez, Yvan Iturriaga
Il Boemo (Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia) directed by Petr Vaclav

Global Rhythms on WHUT-TV

Fat Boy: The Billy Stewart Story (USA) directed by Beverly Lindsay-Johnson
Go-Go City: Displacement and Protest in Washington, DC (USA) directed by Samuel George
Mr. Soul! (USA) directed by Melissa Haizlip

Arabian Sights

The latest from and about the Arab world

Dirty Difficult Dangerous (Lebanon, France) directed by Wissam Charaf
The (In)famous Youssef Salem (France) directed by Baya Kasmi
The Island of Forgiveness (Tunisia) directed by Ridha Behi
Mediterranean Fever (Palestine) directed by Maha Haj
Our Brothers (France) directed by Rachid Bouchareb

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf

A special outdoor event on the big screen at The Wharf

Dough (UK, Hungary) directed by John Goldschmidt
Sunday, April 23 at 7:30 PM.
A Simple Wedding (USA) directed by Sara Zandieh
Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 PM

Justice Matters

Our competitive section of new films celebrating activism and creative responses to injustice and to make the world a better place, the Justice Matters section features stories of people coming together to defend democracy, empower communities and to stand up and fight for their rights and the rights of others.

We want to thank the CrossCurrents Foundation for their support in helping to make this series possible.

Filmmakers for the Prosecution (USA, France) directed by Jean-Christophe Klotz
The Grab (USA) directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Lakota Nation vs. United States (USA) directed by Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis (USA) directed by Victoria Bruce
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (USA) directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Sam Polland
Mama Bears (USA) directed by Daresha Kyi

The award jury consists of:

Jennifer Johnson, Esq.
Conrad Martin: Executive Director, Stewart R. Mott Foundation and Executive Director of the Fund for Constitutional Government
Judy Hallett: Award-winning Filmmaker and Producer