Now in its fourth year, Our City Film Festival – the only festival that showcases independent films focusing solely on DC culture and its blended communities – continues to evolve. This year, the festival kicks off with an Opening Night party Saturday, February 12 from 8 to 11 p.m. at R.F.D in Penn Quarter. The party is designed to give attendees the opportunity to mix and mingle with like-minded enthusiasts and filmmakers while listening to the Grammy nominated progressive hip-hop artist and multi-instrumentalist, including beat-box, Christylez Bacon (pronounced: Chris-styles). The night also features drink specials and a raffle. A great start to a Festival that not only features familiar scenes and people of our great city but local musicians as well.
Following its unique format, the Festival is divided into four screening blocks: Docs In Progress, Our Docs, Our Features, and Our Narratives. In addition, the Festival will host a special finale night screening of an episode from DC Cupcakes, the critically acclaimed TLC reality show which follows sisters Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake. After the screening, Sophie and Katherine will host a Q&A with the audience and a cupcake decorating contest in the theater’s lobby. In total, the festival will screen a dozen films including Touch, Pause, Engage, a film chronicling the birth of the first African American high school rugby team; a nostalgic look at the Washington Redskin’s glory days (1982 to 1992) aptly entitled The Washington Redskins: Winning Years by veteran filmmaker Walter Gottlieb; and the centerpiece feature film directed by Washington DC entrepreneur Eric Hilton, Babylon Central, which also features music by Bad Brains and Thievery Corporation.
Tickets for opening night are $12, individual tickets are $10 per screening block (1 to 4 films) and VIP tickets start at $50 and include access to the opening night party and to the filmmakers. Screenings will be held exclusively at the Goethe Institute at 812 7th St, NW, DC. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.ourcityfilmfestival.com.
