June 2023

Posted June 1, 2023.

Contents

  • Coming Attractions makes Filmfest DC Debut
  • The Cinema Lounge ONLINE
  • Adam's Rib Remembers an Unlikely Talk with the Great Jim Brown
  • The 10th Chicago Critics Film Festival
  • We Need to Hear From You
  • Calendar of Events

    Last 12 issues of the Storyboard.


    Coming Attractions Trailer Night Summer 2023 makes Filmfest DC Debut: Oppenheimer Voted Best Trailer

    By Cheryl Dixon, DC Film Society Member

    “Coming Attractions Trailer Night, Summer 2023” returned to Landmark’s E Street Theatre after a brief COVID-induced absence to officially became part of the Filmfest DC lineup on Saturday, April 29, 2023, offering audiences an early glimpse of the summer film landscape. Over 20 trailers showcased anticipated releases, including blockbusters, sequels, remakes, and indies. A cozy group of attendees welcomed the opportunity to enjoy both the best of world cinema and indulge in a unique, interactive opportunity to learn about the fine art of movie marketing. DC’s favorite Film Critics, Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson, led the discussion on the trailers and the movies behind them. The audience talked back to the critics and voted, by applause vote, on Oppenheimer as the best trailer shown. When ballot votes are finalized, they’ll be reported here in Storyboard and sent to the studios.

    Here’s a summary of the winning films in each of the five categories and further discussion:


    THE LIGHTER SIDE

  • Asteroid City - WINNER!
  • Barbie
  • The Blackening
  • Elemental
  • Joyride

    Director Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City stars such staple actors as Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Park, Adrien Brody, and Liev Schreiber. Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks are amongst several other high-caliber performers in this huge ensemble cast. The trailer doesn’t give much away as to the plot of the period 1950s movie, however, the characteristic, offbeat humor is quite evident. It’s impressive to see the number of actors who enjoy working in Anderson’s films.

    Commentary: The Barbie trailer, featuring candy cane pink and pastels aplenty, pays homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey with a traditional baby doll being tossed up in the air as a little girl is dazzled by an impressive launch of an Amazon-sized young adult doll in vintage swimsuit apparel. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are featured as Barbie and Ken. Other Barbies and Kens include Issa Rae and Simu Liu. Will Ferrell and Helen Mirren are also part of an all-star ensemble. Travis confessed that he was excited about seeing this movie as he pondered: “How does that happen?” with Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach as Co-Screenwriters and Gerwig as Director of the movie. The Blackening brings together the director of Ride Along and Barbershop, and the co-writer of Girls Trip Tracy Oliver with co-writer Dewayne Perkins, also starring. This horror/comedy trailer depicts an all-Black cast in a cabin in the woods. With the tagline “We can’t all die first” we see the cast attempt to outwit the killer using their knowledge of what happens to people in horror movies. Both Tim and Travis thought that the trailer looked funny as it explores the tropes associated with this film genre. Disney Pixar’s animated Elemental trailer features a friendship/romance between a fire and water entity in a land where fire, water, earth, and air entities co-exist. Tim observed that the Studio needs a hit as Lightwear didn’t do well at the box-office and that Frozen II was the last big hit. And the raucous, wild, all-Asian cast of Joy Ride features Ashley Park and Stephanie Hsu, in a story about four friends, who travel to Asia in search of the birth mother of one of them. Just about everyone agreed that the trailer reminds one of Girls Trip. Tim and Travis both gave thumbs up to the great cast.


    MAJOR PAIN
  • Beau Is Afraid
  • The Covenant
  • The Little Mermaid
  • Oppenheimer - WINNER! BEST TRAILER OVERALL!

    Oppenheimer. Stellar cast includes Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt. The trailer very successfully portrays the suspense involved in this period film on American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. Writer/director Christopher Nolan effectively conveys the agony of the decision to do the work in the secret lab and the deadly consequences weighed. Serious fare. Wildly applauded by the audience. Definitely an audience favorite.

    Commentary: Beau Is Afraid. I honestly couldn’t figure out what this movie was about from the trailer. This is where Tim and Travis come in handy. They were able to explain that Joaquin Phoenix’s character has “Mommy issues” and therapy is involved to work those issues out. The Covenant. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim portray an Army Sergeant and his interpreter, who saves his life by carrying him through enemy lines in Afghanistan, leaving his own life and his family’s lives in grave peril. Writer/Director Guy Ritchie ably captures the suspense in the Sergeant’s decision to aid in the evacuation of the interpreter and his family in return, despite the threat of the encroaching Taliban. The Little Mermaid. Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, a mermaid, who falls in love with a Prince and becomes human to pursue her object of admiration in this live-action remake. Her beautiful voice is sacrificed as the price of becoming human. Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy are included in the cast. Tim and Travis assert that Disney has put all their attention on this film to ensure its success, hopefully not to the detriment of their other feature: Peter Pan & Wendy.


    INDIE ANGST
  • Master Gardener
  • Past Lives – WINNER!
  • Carmen
  • You Hurt My Feelings
  • Monica

    Past Lives. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo star as childhood friends, separated by one family’s decision to emigrate from South Korea. Many years later, they reunite and contemplate what could have happened if the family had remained in South Korea. One is married, presenting complications. The trailer’s cinematography is lush and the mood romantic. The story is quite relatable.

    Commentary: Master Gardener’s trailer is a little hard to figure out. It appears to be a love story with the male lead, portrayed by Joel Edgerton, as a gardener, with a dark, unknown past. Sigourney Weaver and Quintessa Swindell are also featured in this film by writer/director Paul Schrader. Most everyone has heard of the popular Bizet Opera Carmen about the seductress gypsy Carmen weaving her spell against the hapless Don Jose. Well, Tim and Travis state that this Carmen movie is not a faithful adaptation, but instead “a total re-imagining”. They said that it’s different from the start. The trailer features a flamenco dancer and lots of fighting, singing, and dancing. There are scenes with the border patrol, possibly while Carmen travels to L.A. It’s a musical. The latter is no surprise as the movie is billed as the first feature film of Director Benjamin Millepied, a former principal dancer and choreographer of the New York City Ballet. Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal star. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies star as a married couple in the comedy You Hurt My Feelings. Chaos and confusion ensue when Louis-Dreyfus’s character overhears her husband’s honest opinion about her latest published work, prompting Tim and Travis to ask the audience whether they would prefer honesty or cheerleading from a spouse. In Monica, Patricia Clarkson and Trace Lysette are a mother and daughter with unfinished business, with a need to settle it soon as the mother is dying. What isn’t clear from the trailer is that the daughter is trans. Significant that a real-life trans actress is portraying Monica in a major role.


    RETURN TO FOREVER
  • Mission Impossible 7 (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One)
  • Indiana Jones 5 (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) - WINNER!
  • Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
  • Transformers 7(Transformers: Rise of the Beasts)
  • Fast X

    Indiana Jones 5. The legendary and beloved character Indiana Jones dons his hat and whip, once again, in another action-adventure thriller with feats of derring-do. John Rhys-Davies returns and Phoebe Waller-Ridge, Toby Jones, Mads Mikkelsen join the ride. Tim and Travis say it’s been 15 years, since his last movie, but Indy’s back fighting Nazis again, courtesy of some special effects, de-aging flashback scenes.

    Commentary: Mission Impossible 7 continues the franchise with Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, fighting for the greater good. He runs quickly, jumps over a mountain while seated on a motorcycle, and drives crazily along narrow streets in Italy. Yes, the trailer depicts the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat car chase scenes, and stunts in explosive action scenes we expect. Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Ving Rhames return and are joined by Hayley Atwell and Esai Morales as the villain. Tim and Travis think that Tom looks great still jumping over mountains and the film is filled with female badass types in this two-parter. Peter Quill mourns the loss of Gamora when events set in motion the need to rally to save the life of one of the team members in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. The gang’s all here with Drax, Groot, Rocket, Mantis, Nebula, Kraglin, and Cosmo. New villains Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) and The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) join in what’s rumored to be the end of the trilogy. Tim and Travis affirm that writer/director James Gunn is moving on, leaving us with another memorable soundtrack and loads of chuckles. Transformers 7. Well, I was accused of giving this trailer a “pityclap.” I confess that I enjoy watching the transformations of cars into robots, and in this version, it’s robots into robotic animals. Watch that swingin’ King Kong! Pete Davidson, Peter Dinklage, Michele Yeoh, Ron Perlman, and Colman Domingo lend their voices. So it’s purportedly the end of the road for the Fast and Furious franchise, but the final edition’s in two parts beginning with Fast X. Tim and Travis, while applauding the familiar car stunts, found it ridiculous when they ventured into space. Back to earth, they query just how many folks can be in this movie. John Cena, Helen Mirren, and Jason Statham return to join the core cast, with Rita Moreno, Jason Momoa, and Brie Larson as newbies. Finale? They predict that there will be spinoffs.


    DANGER ZONE
  • Big Shark
  • Polite Society - WINNER!
  • Hunger Games (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)
  • Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

    Polite Society. It’s a British-Pakistani action-comedy featuring a woman who wants to do martial arts stunts and save her sister from an impending marriage. It’s Writer/Director Nida Manzoor’s feature film debut starring Priya Kansara, Ritu Araya, and Nimra Bucha. The Bollywood influence can be seen and the trailer received hearty audience applause.

    Commentary: Big Shark. The trailer indicates that there’s boxing in the bayou, and then there’s a random shark sending the audience into gales of laughter. Tim and Travis state that it looks terrible, either this will reach cult film status, or it’ll be just a “plain ‘ole bad movie that no one will see.” Hunger Games. We see powerful, bold, symbolic imagery: bright, white snow on branches, a snake and bird covered in snow, melting quickly to expose these forms in a dazzling, shiny gold. The trailer suggests that the movie will reveal who is a songbird and who is a snake. There are no people in this trailer prequel. Tim and Travis state that the story focuses on the early life of Coriolanus Snow, the president of Panem, who was portrayed in The Hunger Games trilogy by Actor Donald Sutherland. And, no, Jennifer Lawrence is not in this movie! Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse. Miles Morales, Brooklyn’s only Spiderman, is a youngster with angst, dealing with typical teen issues with his parents, and school. You know, growing pains. His friend Gwen takes him to the multiverse where he’s eager to join the elite team of Spidermen across the multiverse, but he also wants to do his own thing. Imagine how much fun we had with Spiderman: No Way Home with three Spidermen! Engaging story and brilliant animation.


    Audience members expressed gratitude at the return of this much-loved event and went home with assorted movie memorabilia to please any discerning movie fan. We’re happy to see that you’re back and look forward to seeing you at our next trailer program, and at the movies! Please get out and see these movies and bring a friend.

    Thanks to all of the DC Film Society Directors, Coordinating Committee Members, and Volunteers for putting together this twice-annual film educational program. And thanks to our uber co-hosts,Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson, for providing their commentary, sharing their opinions and tolerating ours, Allied Global Marketing, Landmark Theatres, Filmfest DC, and Women in Film & Video.

    The Cinema Lounge

    On Monday, June 19, 2023 at 8:00pm [NOTE: New regular time] please join the Cinema Lounge, the DC Film Society's monthly film discussion group. We will be online again.

    TOPIC: Still Abiding: The Big Lebowski at 25 with William Preston Robertson

    Coming off the Coen brothers' biggest hit, Fargo, The Big Lebowski seemed like a letdown to many critics and audiences when it first hit theaters in 1998. What to make of a slacker, stoner hero with a gun nut best friend? Or the kooks and oddballs that cross his path. Or a plot that doesn't really matter. Over time, The Big Lebowski became a cult film, but even more than that, the ultimate hangout movie. Fans just wanted to spend time with the characters. They embraced all of the quirks and the ever-quotable dialogue. In the past 25 years, we've seen theaters show The Big Lebowski as an annual event. Fans organized Lebowski conventions that would rival Star Trek. Honest to God, I went to a Lebowski themed wedding.

    We are honored to be joined by screenwriter, documentarian and journalist William Preston Robertson, who wrote The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film. Together we will discuss how the Coens made the film and its enduring appeal a quarter century later.

    Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.

    The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 8:00pm at     Teaism in Penn Quarter, 400 8th St., NW in Washington, DC (closest Metro stop is Archives, also near Metro Center and Gallery Place). NOTE: We will meet in the downstairs area. WE ARE MEETING ONLINE THIS MONTH. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.


    Adam's Rib Remembers an Unlikely Talk with the Great Jim Brown

    When I learned of Brown’s death a couple of weeks ago, I contemplated the loss of the football star, movie star and activist. I thought of everything Brown represented to my father’s generation, and how much he still means to so many people of any age. Most of all, I remembered an unlikely phone call many years ago. I explain in my new Adam's Rib column.

    Also, I would be remiss not to note the passing of rock legend Tina Turner. While Turner had a limited film career, she was the subject of one of the best music biopics, What's Love Got to Do With It? Steven Spielberg reportedly offered her a part in The Color Purple, which she wisely turned down. Her presence would have overwhelmed the film and her fellow actors. Instead, Turner chose Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Her larger-than-life turn fit the heightened sci-fi hellscape perfectly. You could easily accept her as a formidable opponent to Mel Gibson, especially after she exclaimed "Bust a deal and face the wheel!" with such relish.


    The 10th Chicago Film Critics Film Festival

    By Peter Craig, DC Film Society Member

    I recently attended the Chicago Critics Film Festival (May 5-11) which celebrated its 10th anniversary as the only film festival in Chicago curated by a film critics association. As it has for most of its run, it was held at the historic Music Box Theater in Chicago, about five blocks west of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. All of the films were shown on the theater’s main screen in a classically designed theater with a seating capacity of roughly 750. As a result it is possible to see every film in the festival, as long as you can tolerate the punishingly long first weekend that includes midnight screenings on Friday and Saturday. Weekday screenings do not include any matinees. This year’s festival included 20 first run feature films and 14 short films. In addition, anniversary screenings of two films championed in their initial releases by the late Chicago critic Roger Ebert, Dark City (1998) and The Right Stuff (1983), were shown in 35mm.



    Like most film festivals, the CCFF this year had its highs and lows. My favorite film of the festival (and currently, of the the year) was Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023). It also won the festival’s audience award and it will be in DC in a few weeks. My second favorite film of the festival was Brother (Clement Virgo, 2022). This Canadian film caught me completely unawares, especially after numerous attempts to read the extremely mundane plot description: “Two sons of Caribbean immigrants mature into young men amidst Toronto’s pulsing 1990’s hip-hop scene..." Fortunately the film itself rises above this unremarkable premise in its very first scene and never sinks into cliche or sentimentality in its storytelling or vision. My only regret about the film was that it had no release scheduled so I had no expectation that it would show up on local screens anytime soon. Fortunately the AFI Silver is coming to the rescue: Brother will have two screenings as part of the upcoming     DC Caribbean FilmFest on June 10 at 3:00pm and June 14 at 7:10pm.

    Other favorites of the CCFF include Master Gardener (Paul Schrader, 2022) currently in theaters; BlackBerry (Matt Johnson, 2023) also in theaters; Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (Jean-Christophe Roger and Julien Chheng, 2022), an animated sequel to 2012’s Ernest and Celestine, equally funny and charming; Theater Camp (Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, 2023) due in July, Sanctuary (Zachary Wigon, 2023) due in early June; and Starring Jerry as Himself (Law Chen, 2023), a documentary - or is it? - that plays with expectations in surprising ways.

    I was disappointed in new films from usually reliable directors Ira Sachs (Passages) and Christian Petzold (Afire), both of which suffered from the same problem: extremely unlikeable central characters.

    My ratings and rankings of all the films I saw at CCFF 10 can be found here.

    Awards:

  • Rotten Tomatoes Audience Award for narrative feature: Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Audience Award for documentary: Kokomo City (D. Smith, 2023)

    For more information visit the Chicago Critics Film Festival website.


    We Need to Hear From YOU

    We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festivl, the Locarno Film Festival, and the Chicago Critics Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.


    Calendar of Events

    FILMS

     American Film Institute Silver Theater
    "Special Engagements" in June include Americonned with the filmmaker Sean Claffey and featured subjects filmmakers present for Q&A. The "Best of the 48 Hour Film Project," the winning short films from this year's competition for local filmmakers.

    "Warner Bros. Centennial" Part 1 (April 28-July 13) continues in June with Air Force (1943), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Casablanca (1942), High Sierra (1941), The Letter (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Mildred Pierce (1945), Now, Voyager (1942), The Roaring Twenties (1939), The Sea Wolf (1941), Stage Fright (1950), A Stolen Life (1946), They Drive By Night (1940), and To Have and Have Not (1944). More in July.

    "Magnificent Obsessions: The Films on Douglas Sirk" (April 28-July 12). Titles in June are All I Desire (1953), Battle Hymn (1957), Captain Lightfoot (1955), Sign of the Pagan (1954), and Written on the Wind (1956). More in July.

    "Recent Restorations" (April 28-July 13). Titles in June are A Bigger Splash (1973), Greetings From Washington DC (1981) shown with Tricia's Wedding (1971), A Hen in the Wind (1948), My Architect: A Son's Journey (2003), The Servant (1963), and Una Vita Difficile (1961). Many are in new 4K restorations. More in July.

    "Agnes Varda Retrospective" (April 29-July 13) Titles in June are Jane B. for Agnes V. (1988) and Kung-Fu Master (1988). More in July.

    "AFI Silver After Dark" is a new series of midnight-style movies. The June film is The Elderly (2022), also doing double duty in the "Spanish Cinema Now!" film series.

    "Spanish Cinema Now!" (June 2-6) is a yearly festival of new films from Spain. Titles are Tobacco Barns (2022), Suro (2022), The Water (2022), You Have to Come and See It (2022), On the Fringe (2022), The Elderly (2022), Walls Can Talk (2022), Motherhood (2022), and Matria (2022).

    "The Films of Park Chan-wook" (June 9-July 13) Titles in June are Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Lady Vengeance (2005), and Thirst (2009). More in July.

    "Finntastic! New Films from Finland" (June 7-27) Titles are Hatching (2022) featuring a Q&A with filmmaker Hanna Bergholm and preceded by the short film Puppet Master (2018), Games People Play (2020) preceded by the short film The Date and Aurora (2019) preceded by Clumsy Little Acts of Tenderness (2015). More Finland films are at the National Gallery of Art.

    "DC Caribbean FilmFest" (June 8-14) is shown in recognition of Caribbean Heritage Month and is now in its 21st year. The Opening Night film is One Hand Don't Clap (1988) with filmmaker Kavery Dutta Kaul present for Q&A. Other titles are Words of Negroes (2021), Cheese (2022), Parsely (2022), Leave the Bones (2022), Brother (2022), Kumina Queen (2022) with filmmaker Nyasha Laing present for Q&A, Shantaye's World (2022), Bebo (2023), This House (2022), and Opal (2021).

    "Celebrate Juneteenth" (June 19-22) is a series of five films reflecting the black experience. Titles are Alma's Rainbow (1994); Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and The Motor Kings (1976) with a panel discussion at selected shows; Drylongso (1998); Slam (1998) and Finding Fellowship (2017).

    "Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound" (June 15-18) This festival brings together authors, historians, archivists and curators in this year's theme of "Music and Sound." The Opening Night film is So's Your Old Man (1926) in 35mm introduced by film historian Richard Koszarski with piano accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis. A few titles: The Iron Mask (1929), I>Dark Manhattan (1937), Ceiling Zero (1936) in 35mm, Call Her Savage (1932) in 35mm, Carne de Cabaret (1931) and lots more. All films are introduced by film historians and many are in 35mm. All silent films have music accompaniment. There are two talks on sound with Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt and a talk on the Hollywood sound by Steven C. Smith. See the website for the complete schedule and information about passes.

    Freer Gallery of Art
    On June 14 at 2:00pm is Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu, 1949) starring the great Setsuko Hara. Part of the "Japanese Classics" series.

    Films in the "Korean Film Festival DC 2023" include Return to Seoul (Davy Chou, 2022) on June 4 at 2:00pm; The Novelists's Film (Hong Sang-soo, 2022) on June 16 at 7:00pm; Walk Up (Hong Sang-soo, 2022) on June 18 at 2:00pm; Broker (Kirokazu Kore-eda, 2022) on June 23 at 7:00pm; Night Walk (Sohn Koo-yong, 2023) on June 25 at 2:00pm; Unidentified (Jude Chun, 2023) on June 25 at 4:00pm; and Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook, 2022) on June 30 at 7:00pm.

    National Gallery of Art
    For the series "Exhibition on Screen" is the documentary Mary Cassatt: Painting the Modern Woman (Ali Ray, 2023) on June 3 at 2:00pm. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Phil Grabsky and NGA curator of 19th century painting Kim Jones will discuss the film. On June 4 at 2:00pm is the documentary Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition (David Bickerstaff, 2023). Phil Grabsky and Alexandra Libby will be present for discussion.

    The series "Finntastic! New Films from Finland" is shown at the Gallery and the AFI Silver Theater. On June 10 at 2:00pm is the biopic Tove (Zaida Bergroth, 2020) about visual artist Tove Jansson. A program of six short films, "Female Gazes: Short Films," all directed by women is on June 11 at 2:00pm. Titles: Match (Pia Andell, 2018); How I Saved a Monster (Mari Mantela, 2022); Goodbye, Tornio (Emilia Hernesniemi, 2021); Super Comfort (Kirsikka Saari, 2018); Birds in the Earth (Marja Helander, 2017); and Two Bodies on a Beach (Anna Paavilainen, 2019). On June 17 at 2:00pm is the documentary Aalto: Architect of Emotions (Virpi Suutari, 2021) about the famed Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto. More at the AFI.

    The series "We Have Always Been Here" is a program of films and videos by award-winning LGBTQ+ artists. On June 18 at 2:00pm is I Cannot Tell You How I Feel (Su Friedrich, 2016) followed by Today (Su Friedrich, 2022). The filmmaker will be present for discussion. On June 24 at 2:00pm is "Highlights from The Brenda and Glennda Show" with Glenn Belverio in person. On June 25 at 2:00pm is MURDER and murder (Yvonne Rainer, 1996).

    All are in the East Building Auditorium. Registration is required.

    National Portrait Gallery
    On June 15 at 7:00pm is the documentary Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky, and Maeve O’Boyle, 2023), the opening night film of the new film festival DC/DOX. Joan Baez and filmmaker Karen O’Connor will be in attendance to participate in a post-screening conversation moderated by The Washington Post's chief film critic, Ann Hornaday.

    Goethe Institute
    On June 9 at 6:30pm is the Germany/Indonesia portion of the EuroAsia Shorts film festival. Films shown include Lalu (Widya Arafah, 2022) from Indonesia; Dogfriend (Maissa Lihedheb, 2022) from Germany; Madam Darmi's Breadfruit Chips (Heri Kurniawan, 2012) from Indonesia; It Doesn't Have to Be Today (Sophia Groening, 2022) from Germany; and Mudik (Andre Sugianto et al, 2017) from Indonesia. A discussion follows the films and the evening concludes with a reception of German and Indonesian refreshments.

    French Embassy
    "Films on the Green" (outdoor screenings) for June are On the Beat Charles-Olivier Michaud, 2011) on June 1 at the National Sylvan Theater, Independence SW and 15th. On June 8 is Three Nights a Week (Florent Gouëlou, 2022) at the Washington Monument, Constitution and 17th. On June 22 is Dancing the Twist in Bamako Robert Guédiguian, 2023) at the Anacostia Park Field 7. All start at 9:00pm.

    National Archives
    On June 17 at 2:00pm is the documentary The Lady Bird Diaries (Dawn Porter, 2023), part of the DC/DOX Documentary Film Festival.

    The Avalon
    For the series "Exhibition on Screen" is Tokyo Stories (David Bickerstaff, 2023), based on exhibit at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, showing on July 4, 6, and 10 at 10:30am. Phil Grabsky, the film's producer, will be present for Q&A at selected screenings.

    On June 7 at 8:00pm is Wild Life (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, 2023), a documentary about conservationists Kris and Doug Tompkins. Part of the "Programmer's Choice" series.

    On June 13 at 8:00pm is Loving (Jeff Nichols, 2016), spondored by the Supreme Court Historical Society (not an Avalon event--see the website for a link to free tickets). Speaker TBA.

    On June 14 at 8:00pm is 32 Sounds (Sam Green, 2022), a documentary exploring the phenonemon of sound and its power to shape our perception of the world. Part of the "Avalon Docs" series.

    On June 18 at 10:30am is Moonstruck (Norman Jewison, 1987), June's "Cinema Magic" selection. Q&A follows the film.

    On June 21 at 8:00pm is The Night of the 12th (Dominik Moll, 2022), this month's pick for the "French Cinematheque" series.

    New York University Abramson Family Auditorium
    On June 13 at 6:00pm is the documentary Dicktatorship (Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi, 2019), followed by Q&A with director Luca Ragazzi.

    Library of Congress
    The Mary Pickford Theater shows The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946) on June 1 at 6:00pm, with an introduction about the making of the film by Alison Macor, author of "Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation." Reservations are required.

    On June 22 at 7:00pm is The Barrets of Wimpole Street (Sidney Franklin, 1934) starring Norma Shearer, Fredric March and Charles Laughton. Reservations not required.

    Landmark's E Street Cinema
    "Retro Replay" is a series of classic films shown Tuesdays at 4:00pm and 7:30pm (note that the times may vary). This month's theme is "A Tribute to Harrison Ford." On June 6 is Air Force One (1997); on June 13 is Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982/2007); on June 20 Blade Runner 2049 (2017); and on June 27 is Clear and Present Danger (1994). All are 4K.

    Kennedy Center
    On June 2 at 8:00pm is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000). On June 9 at 8:00pm is Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011). On June 16 at 8:00pm is Miss Juneteenth (Channing Godfrey Peoples, 2022). On June 23 at 8:00pm is The Swimmers (Sally El Hosaini, 2022). On June 30 at 8:00pm is the animated The Iron Giant (Brad Bird, 1999). All are shown outdoors on the Reach Video Wall around sundown or 8:00pm. No reservations required.

    Old Greenbelt Theater
    On June 15 at TBA is 10 Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999), starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger. Part of the "Cult Classics" series. On June 22 at 7:00pm and June 24 at 7:30pm is the concert film Grateful Dead-Meetup at the Movies (2022).

    Angelika Film Center Mosaic
    The Harry Potter series continues in June with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) on June 24 at 11:00am.

    "Classics in Black and White" features a classic B&W film on the third Monday of each month. On June 19 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm is The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940) starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart.

    For the "Angelika Classic" series is Labyrinth (Jim Henson, 1986) on June 5 at 7:00pm

    The "Studio Ghibli Summer Festival" (June 14-Aug 31) shows films on Wednesdays at 7:00pm with English subtitles and Thursdays at 1:00pm dubbed in English dubbed. On June 14 at 7:00pm and June 15 at 1:00pm is Princess Mononuke (1977). On June 21 at 7:00pm and June 22 at 1:00pm is The Wind Rises (2013). On June 28 at 7:00pm and June 29 at 1:00pm is Howl's Moving Castle (2004).


    FILM FESTIVALS

    DC/DOX Film Festival 2023
    This new film festival runs June 15-18. Opening Night film is Joan Baez: I Am a Noise. Feature-length titles include A Still Small Voice, 20 Days in Mariupol, Anthem, Bad Press, Between Life and Death: Terry Schiavo's Story, Breaking the News, Confessions of a Good Samaritan, I Like It Here, It's Only Life After All, Kim's Video, Kokomo City, Maestra, Natalia, Our Body, Pay or Die, Queendom, Richland, Stephen Curry: Underrated, The Body Politic, The Deepest Breath, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, The Eternal Memory, The Lady Bird Diaries, The Space Race, Timebomb Y2K, Uncharted and Your Fat Friend. There are also a number of short films.

    Locations include Edlavich Jewish Community Center, Eaton Cinema, National Portrait Gallery, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, National Archives, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Sun's Cinema. A festival pass is available.

    Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound
    The Festival of Film and Sound (June 15-18) brings together authors, historians, enthusiasts, archivists, and curators for a weekend of classic and rare silent and sound films from the 1920s through the early 1950s. This year's theme is "Music and Sound." Many films are shown in restored 35mm prints and silent films all have live music accompaniment.

    Spanish Cinema Now! "Spanish Cinema Now!" (June 2-6) is a yearly festival of new films from Spain. The Opening Night film is Tobacco Barns (2022). Other titles are Suro (2022), The Water (2022), You Have to Come and See It (2022), On the Fringe (2022), The Elderly (2022), Walls Can Talk (2022), Motherhood (2022), and Matria (2022).

    The DC Caribbean Film Festival 2023
    The 21st DC Caribbean Film Festival (June 8-14) brings films from Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Saint Lucia, as well as US and Canada. The Opening Night film is One Hand Don't Clap (1988) with filmmaker Kavery Dutta Kaul present for Q&A. Other titles are Words of Negroes (2021), Cheese (2022), Parsely (2022), Leave the Bones (2022), Brother (2022), Kumina Queen (2022) with filmmaker Nyasha Laing present for Q&A, Shantaye's World (2022), Bebo (2023), This House (2022), and Opal (2021). A festival pass is available.

    The 17th EuroAsia Shorts Film Festival
    This film festival (June 7-23) presents a selection of short films from 11 countries (Austria, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Oman, South Korea, Spain, and the United States. There is no theme this year.

    Countries are paired as follows: Korea and Italy on June 7 at 6:00pm at the Korean Cultural Center; Germany and Indonesia on June 9 at 6:30pm at the Goethe-Institute; Spain and Japan on June 15 at 6:30pm at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain; Austria and Jordan on June 16 at 7:30pm at the Embassy of Austria; France and Oman on June 22 at 6:00pm at the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center; and the Closing Program All Countries + USA on June 23 at 6:00pm at the Embassy of Italy. Discussions with guest speakers and receptions follow the films. Some locations may require advance registration. See the website for more information.


    FILM-RELATED MUSIC

    The Kennedy Center
    On June 23 at 8:00pm, June 24 at 8:00pm and June 25 at 2:00pm is "The Music of Star Wars", a selection of music from the original Star Wars films composed by John Williams and Rogue One composed by Michael Giacchino. National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke.


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