DC Shorts Film Festival

The DC Shorts Film Festival has received international recognition since its inception in 2003.  MovieMaker Magazine calls it “one of the nation’s leading short film festivals” and we couldn’t agree more. It’s been a finalist for the Mayor’s Art Award for Innovations of the Arts and is one of the friendliest and most engaging festivals in the nation’s capital.

It’s an affordable week-long event that connects the entire community – notably Penn Quarter – with its films, parties and seminars. Film lovers and filmmakers of all levels and skill are encouraged to attend and network among the international guests. It’s not a complicated festival; the screenings are in the same two metro accessible locations throughout the week: Landmark’s E Street Cinema at 11th & E and the U.S. Navy Memorial’s Burke Theater at 7th & Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tickets are $12 per showcase but discount packages are available. Free events include lunch time screenings, family friendly showcases and filmmaker seminars. One can easily purchase tickets on-line or at the E Street Cinema.

With its screenings, parties, workshops and international guests, there’s never a dull moment!

THE PARTIES

What’s a festival without parties? One of the many great features of DC Shorts is that you don’t have to see a film to attend the parties. However, once you arrive and meet the filmmakers, you’ll be inclined to…I mean how embarrassing will it be when you run into them at the next party? 

The opening night Celebrity Party is Thursday, September 9 at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum with special guest, 2010 Academy Award winning director, Roger Ross. Ross won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short for his film, Music for Prudence. DC Shorts will host a special screening of his film on Friday, September 10 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema followed by a Q&A with the director. 

The Grand Bash is Friday, September 10 at the Navy Memorial and features much of the same but with the added bonus of graffiti t-shirt painting and dancing. 

These parties are the perfect environment to network with fellow filmmakers, meet the next big director, and mingle with like-minded filmophiles, all while having a delicious cocktail, wine or beer courtesy of Ketel One Vodka, Barefoot Bubbly and Stella Artois. And of course you can’t have a party without food! Thankfully Whole Foods and area restaurants including Austin Grill, Matchbox and Ella’s feel the same. So what are these parties going to cost you? Only $10 a pop; it’s a steal of a deal.

THE FILMS

This year the festival boasts 97 short films neatly packaged into nine two-hour long blocks called showcases.  The films are up to 20 minutes in length and are a melting pot of genres and storylines. In addition, one screening per showcase includes a moderated Q&A with the filmmakers, which usually sell out quickly.

There are 11 countries represented this year: Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and, of course, the United States. The Washington, DC area is strongly represented with 11 films from local filmmakers.  There are Asian films, Jewish films, films about war, films about the environment, African-American films, films representing the LGBT community and films featuring well-know celebrities.  There are comedies, music videos, sci-fi’s, dramas, documentaries and animations, plus two clever mockumentaries and an experimental film to whet your appetite.  In all, this year’s selection is as diverse as the filmmakers who created them.

If you aren’t daring enough to go to any of the nine screenings “sight unseen” here’s a brief preview. Of course, trailers and a short synopsis for each film can be found at www.dcshorts.com.  

Music By Prudence
USA/Zimbabwe, 33 mins plus Q&A
Sept. 10 at 5 p.m., E Street Cinema
Remarkable. Unbelievable. Powerful. Prudence is a truly gifted singer from Zimbabwe whose short journey through life has been marred by neglect and isolation. Somehow she makes her way to a safe haven: The King George VI School & Centre for Children with Physical Disabilities. This is her story. Academy Award winning director Roger Ross will present his film and host a Q&A following the screening. 

Midnight Madness aka Showcase 8
90 mins., 10 films
Sept. 10 at Midnight, Navy Memorial; Sept. 11 at 11 p.m., E Street Cinema; Sept. 13 at 9 p.m., E Street Cinema.
For mature audiences only. Read: Adult subject matter. All ticket holders receive a FREE Stella Artois at the Friday and Saturday night screenings.  ID required. 18+ to enter, 21+ to drink.
Family Show aka Showcase 9
120 mins., 12 films
Sept. 11 at 11 a.m., E Street Cinema; Sept. 11 at Noon, Navy Memorial; Sept. 13 at 3:00 p.m., E Street Cinema
These FREE family-friendly films are suitable for children ages eight and up. Tickets are free but reserve them online to guarantee a seat.

Celebrity Sightings
If you get a kick out of seeing a Hollywood star in an independent film, these films are for you.

The Cross Stitch featuring Roxanne Hart (Medium and Hung)
13 mins., Drama
Stacia Black, Director
Wake-up calls, we all need them from time-to-time.  In this quirky little tale, an odd visitor stirs up forgotten passions.

Streetcar featuring Holland Taylor (Three and a Half Men) and Frederick Weller (In Plain Sight, The Business of Strangers) – Showcase 7
12 mins, Comedy
Frederick Weller, Director
Calling all actors.  See this film. Appreciate it. It’s cheeky cheeky and laugh out loud. Bring a pencil and paper as the one-liners and “quotes” are sensational. Taylor is great but Weller steals the show.

Til My Voice is Gone featuring Ed Asner – Showcase 5
7 mins, Music Video
Sam Griffith, Director
Moving and creative, this music video is more of a short film set to the perfect soundtrack.  A pure joy and a great example of how love can happen when you least expect it.

Your Lucky Day featuring Rider Strong (Boy Meets World/Cabin Fever) – Showcase 4
15 mins., Drama
Dan Brown, Director
Don’t let the intro fool you; this film is full of twists and turns.  It’s a drama meets black comedy ala Quentin Tarantino.

Local Filmmakers

Here’s your chance to get a glimpse of the talent pool in our own backyard. It’s pretty deep.

Andre – Showcase 6
11 mins., Drama
Christopher Fernandez, Director
More than fatal attraction at the workplace. This is a painful, sometimes creepy look at unrequited love.

 Corner Plot – Showcase 5
11 mins., Documentary
Ian Cook, Andre Dahlman, Directors
An endearing look at Charlie Koiner, an octogenarian in Silver Spring, Maryland with a one-acre working farm that he lives and breathes for. 

Breathe. Focus. Octopus. – Showcase 4
6 mins., Comedy
Pilot’s Crew, Producers
A silent film with a noteworthy music score. Truly laugh-out-loud funny, insightful and inspired. 

Frances and Frankie – Showcase 3
8 mins, Documentary
Dean Hamer, Director
A moving first-hand look at developmentally disabled twins who valiantly struggle for the right to self-determination and a family life.  It’s about love, not lock up.

Left Turn – Showcase 5
8 mins., SciFi
Jonathan Zuck, Director
Technology has its perks but let’s hope it never comes to this. If it does, who’s really in control? 

L1FELINE – Showcase 4
16 mins., Drama
Matt Himes, Director
This psychological rollercoaster pits a suicide hotline operator against a demon from his past. Who will prevail? 

Lift – Showcase 2
10 mins., Comedy
Ann Marie Allison, Director
This colorful short is a lesson for all.  Girl wants boy, boy doesn’t even see girl. The motley crew of elevator dwellers have her number but the man she pines for hits the ignore button. “With the right man, there’s no balloons necessary.” Right on, sistah.

Quelques Instants (A Few Moments) – Showcase 7
7 mins., Drama
Mark Willey, Director
Ever wonder what it would be like to get inside the head of a serial killer? This short takes you there.

Shovel Ready – Showcase 1
5 mins., Comedy
Austin Bragg, Director
Male bonding at its best. Wait to clap at credit roll and see who gets the last laugh.

 
Snowpocalypse: Day 6 – Showcase 3
1 min., Experimental
Rob Parrish, Director
The shortest of shorts.  It’s a one-liner that makes you chuckle.

†HERAPY – Showcase 6
7 mins, Comedy
Kelley Slagle, Director
When Jesus and his brother, I mean “half-brother,” Lucifer seek therapy to mend their co-dependent relationship, who knew it would be so rewarding?

FREE SEMINARS

On Friday, September 10, take advantage of complimentary classes offered to filmmakers of all skill levels. Space is limited and seating priority will be given to DC Short filmmakers in competition. However, you can reserve your space online at the DC Shorts website. Location: E Street Cinema.

Classes include: Making the Extremely Low Budget Feature (1:00 p.m.) and Guerilla Marketing and Self Distribution of Your Film (3:00 p.m.) both presented by “Angry Filmmaker” Kelly Baker; and Editing and Equipment Extravaganza presented by Mac Business Solutions (3:00 p.m.) where they discuss editing and equipment options for filmmakers of every level.

AND MORE…

Get out and Vote!
One lucky film will be awarded the coveted Audience Award.  Ballots will be distributed after each Showcase September 9, 10 and 11.

Free Lunch Shows
45 minutes, 3 films per show, different genres each day (Documentary, Comedy and Local Filmmakers)
Catch a special lunchtime Showcase September 13 -15 at Noon, E Street Cinema.
Best of DC Shorts
180 minutes, two different Showcases.
Catch fan favorites from the festival packaged in two separate Showcases and screening back-to-back September 17 at Noon, 3, 6 and 9 p.m., E Street Cinema.
DC Shorts Screenplay Competition
A unique opportunity to watch six scripts read live by actors and screenwriter, then vote for your favorite to be produced and screened at the 2011 DC Shorts Film Festival. (Participants have already been chosen and are listed online.) October 16, 7:00 p.m. at The Theatre @ Mount Vernon United Methodist Church.

LOCATIONS

Landmark’s E Street Theater: 555 11th Street, NW, DC; Metro Center, Federal Triangle or Gallery Place

U.S. Navy Memorial’s Burke Theater: 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, DC; Archives-Navy Memorial

Madame Tussauds Wax Musuem: 1001 F Street, NW, DC; Metro Center

TICKETS

Tickets for individual showcases are $12 but Festival Passes are the real deal. You can pick and choose between screenings and parties: Pick 3 ($30) Pick 5 ($50) or the VIP-ALL Access Pass ($125), unlimited screenings plus the parties including the two “filmmakers only” parties. Tickets to either the Celebrity Party or Grand Bash are $10 each.

Visit www.dcshorts.com for complete information and to purchase tickets online.  Tickets may also be purchased at Landmark’s E Street Cinema.