April, 2001.

15th Annual Washington, D.C. International Film Festival

The Fifteenth Annual Washington, DC International Film Festival will again bring outstanding world cinema to the nation's capital. From Tuesday, April 17th to Sunday, April 29th, Filmfest DC will celebrate its fifteenth year with more than 100 features, documentaries, short films, special programs and favorites from past years.

Highlights of the 13-day festival will include new films from Argentina, Britain, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Poland, Sweden, Tunisia, and Turkey, and a "3D" version of House of Wax. "It is a delight to present the Washington premiere of these accomplished films from around the world, and to present them in an increasing number of venues to Washington audiences," stated Tony Gittens, founder and director of the Festival.

This Year's Focus
The focus of this year's festival will be a retrospective of the extraordinary films of Argentinean director Eliseo Subiela, one of the masters of world cinema.

Opening Night
The festival will open on Tuesday, April 17th at Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st Street, N.W., with the Washington, D.C. premiere of the Mexican/Spanish film Compassionate Sex, an award-winning feature directed by Laura Mana. Master of Ceremonies NBC4's Arch Campbell will attend the screening and the celebration, which immediately follows in the Atrium of the World Bank at 1818 H Street, N.W. The reception will feature champagne, dessert and entertainment. Tickets are $40 per person, and will be available starting April 5th through Tickets.com. Filmfest DC covers service charges on all Tickets.com sales. Sponsors of the Opening Night Gala are the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Mayor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, The World Bank and the Embassy of Mexico.

Special Events
Special events include the Opening Night Premiere at Lisner Auditorium and the Opening Night Gala at the World Bank Atrium, CineCafes, Directors' Roundtables, the premiere of With a Friend Like Harry at the French Embassy, House of Wax in 3D at the American Film Institute, the silent Nosferatu accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra at the National Gallary of Art, a Latin American Filmmaker's Panel at the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Closing Night Party and film.

Special Film Society Screening During Film Fest
The Luzhin Defence, directed by Marleen Gorris on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 pm (time subject to change, check the hotline) at the General Cinema Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Avenue. John Turturro and Emily Watson are in the cast. The story is by Vladimir Nabokov.

Popular free programs such as Filmfest DC for Kids will return to complete the loop. Details will be posted on the festival website as they become available at filmfestdc.org. The complete catalog will be distributed as an insert in The Washington Post on Friday, April 13th. Tickets are moderately priced at $8.00 for most screenings. Advance ticket sales will be available starting April 5th through Tickets.com at (703) 218-6500.

Major Filmfest DC sponsors include the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Mayor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, The National Endowment for the Arts and agencies of the District of Columbia Government and Westlake Consulting Group. Continental Airlines is the official airline for Filmfest, DC. The Radisson Barcelo Hotel is the official hotel; WRC-TV 4 is the official television. WAMU 88.5 FM is the official radio station and Hisaoka Public Relations is the official public relations firm. The Filmfest DC public information line is (202) 628-FILM.

The Cinema Lounge Discusses Indie Crossovers

by Adam Spector

In 1989 Steven Soderbergh directed sex, lies, and videotape, a film credited by many as starting the proliferation of independent film in the 1990s. Last February, Soderbergh made history by receiving two Oscar nominations for Best Director in the same year, the first director to be so honored in 63 years. He is currently shooting a remake of Ocean's Eleven with mainstream stars such as Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. On the flip side, Joel Schumacher, best known for the last two Batman movies, most recently directed the low-budget film Tigerland.

On Monday, March 12 the Cinema Lounge met to discuss the increasing number of filmmakers and actors who made their mark in either mainstream or independent film crossing over to the other side. We mentioned Parker Posey, who at one time was labeled the "indie queen," but later surfaced in You've Got Mail. We also spoke of Nick Nolte who went from Three Fugitives to the critically acclaimed indie Affliction.

Generally we agreed that the crossover is beneficial. Indies give Hollywood vets a chance to earn some artistic cache (Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction, Brendan Fraser in Gods and Monsters), while mainstream films let some outsiders pay the bills. Working with the studio system also lets filmmakers work with a bigger budget which can offer them more freedom. We also noted how a star's involvement can be critical in securing the financing to make an independent film (Harvey Keitel for Reservoir Dogs, Samuel L. Jackson for Eve's Bayou). We were reluctant to label those who move from indies to mainstream pictures as "sellouts," although some did use that label for Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck.

By the end of our discussion we arrived at a conclusion: The crossover between mainstream and indie talent is a sign that the line between independent and studio films is very blurry. Many so-called independents are really smaller studios owned by larger ones. Even a film distributed by an independent theatrically may have a major studio handle the video release. We acknowledged that the films themselves are hard to distinguish. Independent used to mean low-budget, daring and edgy. But films such as Miramax's Chocolat are anything but and more closely resemble Hollywood fare. While we agreed that the blending of two distinct worlds can be an opportunity, we also recognized the danger of independent films becoming so commercialized that they lose the spirit that attracted us to them in the first place.

Join us for the next Cinema Lounge on Monday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Borders Books, 5333 Wisconsin Avenue NW in the Café Espresso on the 2nd floor when we discuss shock films. From Un chien Andalou (1928) to Requiem for a Dream (2000), filmmakers have titillated moviegoers with shocking images. Sometimes deemed pornographic or ultra-violent, do these controversial films have any merit or are they just . shocking?

Film Society Members Best of 2000

The votes have been counted and the members of The Washington DC Film Society have spoken.

On Sunday, March 25, the official winners of the Best of 2000 were announced at the 9th Annual Capital Oscars Party. Here is The DC Film Society's Best of 2000:

Best Picture: Gladiator
Best Director: Steven Soderbergh, Traffic
Best Actor: Russell Crowe, Gladiator
Best Actress: Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
Best Supporting Actor: Benecio Del Toro, Traffic
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Hudson, Almost Famous
Best Foreign Film: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Taiwan

Our only miscalls were the supporting actor and supporting actress. Many thanks to all the members who voted. Remember, the 2001 movie season has already begun. Have you started compiling your favorites yet?

A New Feature: Welcome to Adam's Rib

by Adam Spector

If you live in the Washington area, you must love a good argument, and if you're reading the Storyboard, you must love films. So what can top a heated argument about movies? One of the charms of film is it's subjectivity-there is no clear right or wrong. Someone could claim that Steven Seagal has more talent than Robert De Niro. You could question this person's judgement, intelligence, or even their very existence, but you could not offer any hard proof to refute their claim. Box office, reviews, and Oscars merely reflect the opinions, beliefs and prejudices of certain viewers, be it a select group or the public at large.

Let us celebrate our differences. The Washington D.C. Film Society consistently provides an opportunity to for spirited debates about film through venues such as the monthly Cinema Lounge. My goal is to encourage further argument and rancor through Adam's Rib, a new regular column on the Washington DC Film Society's Website. Unlike most of my past essays, Adam's Rib will not include reviews of a single film, but my take on anything from a group of films to larger film issues. I might comment on the Oscars or why Keanu Reeves keeps finding work. I hope that this will not just be me spouting off, but you spouting right back. That's the fun. So whether you agree, disagree, or believe that I should be barred from movie theaters, please let me know. E-mail me and I will make sure your views are posted, along with my response (you know I need to have the last word). Give it a try.

Previous Storyboards

March, 2001
February, 2001
January, 2001
December,2000
November, 2000
October, 2000
July, 2000