AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Starting October 9, the DC Labor FilmFest will feature classic and more recent films, including Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times and the cult classic Office Space. Ticket information at dclabor.org.
“Noir City DC” highlights such noir films as Double Indemnity, Kiss of Death, and Sunset Boulevard October 17 through November 5. Strangers on a Train star Farley Granger will attend the October 25 screening of the Hitchcock classic.
Tickets are $10, $8.50 for AFI members. 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring; 301-495-6720; afi.com/silver.National Gallery of Art
The late iconoclastic director Derek Jarman (Edward II, Caravaggio) remains an unfamiliar name to many. His obscurity prompted filmmaker Isaac Julien and actress Tilda Swinton—who appeared in several of Jarman’s movies—to make the documentary Derek. Narrated by Swinton, it combines clips from Jarman’s films with home-movie footage. Derek screens October 5.
“Film Indians Now!” will showcase films about and by Native Americans. The series—presented in conjunction with the exhibits “George de Forest Brush: The Indian Paintings” at the National Gallery of Art and “Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian” at the National Museum of the American Indian—starts with Disney’s Pocahontas October 4 and continues through December. All screenings will be followed by discussions.
“New Swiss Cinema” puts Switzerland’s indie-film scene in the spotlight. The three-day series, starting October 10, features films by Thomas Imbach, Peter Liechti, and others.
Films, all of which are free, are shown in the auditorium in the East Building concourse, Fourth St. and Constitution Ave., NW; 202-737-4215; nga.gov/programs/film.
“Between Fiction and Reality: Rainer Simon” is a retrospective of some of the German director’s recently subtitled films. Simon rose as a filmmaker in East Germany during the time of the state-controlled DEFA studio, and his work often faced censorship. The series starts October 27 with Wengler & Sons: A Legend, the story of a family spanning three generations. Another highlight is The Ascent of the Chimborazo, about Alexander von Humboldt’s expedition up Ecuador’s highest summit. Screenings are $4 to $6. 812 Seventh St., NW; 202-289-1200; goethe.de/washington.
Reel Affirmations
Washington’s gay-and-lesbian film festival, October 16 through 25, kicks off at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., NW) with Breakfast With Scot, a comedy about a gay couple suddenly faced with raising an 11-year-old boy. The closing-night film, at the Shakespeare Theatre’s Harman Center for the Arts (610 F St., NW), is Were the World Mine, a modern twist on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In between are shorts, documentaries, and feature films. Single tickets for opening and closing nights are $20, otherwise $10; festival passes start at $125. The full schedule is at reelaffirmations.org.
