If you’re a fan of horror flicks, documentaries, animations, and other movie fun, you may not want to miss these upcoming film festivals. We’ve compiled a list of winter screenings to add to your movie calendar:
1. DC Independent Film Forum
Various DC locations | through February 17
Binge-watch more than 60 feature films, documentaries, shorts, local productions, and animated films at the 26th annual DC Independent Film Forum. The multi-day event takes place around the DC area, with the majority of shows screening at the Regal Cinemas in Chinatown. A festival pass will get you access to Valentine’s Day animation screenings and workshops, a Q&A with filmmakers, and a showing of the local film Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. ($45+ for passes).
2. ReelAbilities Film Festival: Greater Washington
DC and Northern Virginia | February 18-March 6
The Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia backs this annual fest to share stories and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. Across venues including the Kennedy Center, Northern Virginia Community College, and The Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, moviegoers can view moving stories on activism, family, and equal rights. One of the standout films this year is the Bolivian documentary La Lucha (free+).
3. Mother Tongue Film Festival
DC, virtual | February 20-March 1
Mother Tongue Film Festival turns 10 years old this month. To mark the occasion, the language-themed filmmaker showcase—created by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage—will host ten days of screenings, live performances, director talkbacks, and more, both virtually and at the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (free).
4. Capital Irish Film Festival
AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center | February 27 – March 2
You’ll want to snag tickets to this popular film festival soon, the all-access passes are already sold out. Solas Nua’s premiere-packed event boasts 17 titles directed by women, and 12 written or co-written by women, a nod to Ireland’s first woman president Mary Robinson—who will attend the opening night screening of her biopic Mrs. Robinson at AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center ($15 for individual passes).
5. DC Black History Film Festival
Lincoln Theatre | February 28
This annual festival celebrates Black culture through art and film at the Lincoln Theatre. The 2025 film-athon—hosted by actor Lamman Rucker—features five hours of documentaries, shorts, and dramas about African American history-makers such as poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, and civil rights stories on voting and education (free).
6. Polish Film Festival
Landmark’s E Street Cinema | March 4-9
After a successful debut last year, the Polish Film Festival returns to town offering a deep dive into Polish cinema. Attendees can look out for screenings of the new drama Jesters, and a “Focus on Ukraine Day” presentation featuring two films about the war in Ukraine followed by a discussion with the directors ($150 for festival pass).
7. Maryland Black Film Festival
Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, virtual | March 14-16
Celebrate diversity and creativity in Black film at the 2nd annual Maryland Black Film Festival at Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. The festival opens with a networking gathering, followed by a full day of virtual film screenings. On the final days, guests can watch horror films, TV series, documentaries, shorts, and more in-person, as well as attend workshops (tickets TBA).
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Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
