October 9-13, 2025

October 9-13, 2025
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The Chaplain and the Doctor

Filled with warmth and humor, this buddy film follows two unlikely allies working to bring curiosity, connection, and compassion to a broken healthcare system – one patient at a time.

Betty Clark is an 80-year-old, African American chaplain on staff at The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus, the level-one trauma center in Oakland, California. Jessica Zitter is a white Jewish physician who has been Betty’s colleague on the Palliative Care service for over a decade. The two women are an unlikely team: chaplains and doctors do not usually pair up within the hierarchical and siloed halls of the hospital. Dr. Zitter, trained to believe in medical interventions and science, was not seeking a relationship with a chaplain. And Chaplain Clark never expected the doctor to take interest in her work. But with time, the two women’s shared values and history overcome the forces that keep them apart, and they go on to do their best work together.

Speak.

Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year crafting spellbinding spoken word performances with the dream of winning one of the world’s largest and most intense public speaking competitions.

Preceded by the short film POW!

25th Anniversary Screening of Shrek

As part of Arts in the Park at Reston Town Center, and in partnership with the Reston Town Center Association, we’re thrilled to present a free, family-friendly outdoor screening of SHREK—just in time to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary this spring! Grab your blankets, bring your little ogres, and join us for a fairy tale evening full of laughs and adventure. It’s going to be ogre-the-top fun!

RTCA Presents: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Join RTCA and the Washington West Film Festival to kick off this “spooky season” with a showing of the Tim Burton classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which will coincide with Disney’s release of a new 4k blu-ray of the blockbuster. Special guests and other fun aspects are rumored. Bring your blanket and popcorn and be ready to join in the fun of our second annual film in the park.

*this is a non-ticketed event

Patrol | Film Screening and Panel

An emerging crisis in one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America ignites a heroic mission in PATROL. When illegal cattle ranchers decimate large swaths of rainforest, indigenous rangers join forces with an American conservationist and undercover journalists to expose the dark world of conflict beef.

 

We Feed People + Panel

We Feed People spotlights chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s evolution over a 12-year period, from being a scrappy group of volunteers to becoming one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector.

This screening will be followed by a discussion with one of the executive producers, Restonian Nathan Mook

Closing Night Film: This is Not Financial Advice

Glauber “Pro” Contessoto—an immigrant working multiple jobs and living in a 220-square-foot apartment—gambles his life savings on a joke cryptocurrency. Two months later, he becomes “The Dogecoin Millionaire” and a hero to his growing YouTube following.

It’s easy to get rich online. But as Pro will soon discover, it’s even easier to lose it all. Amateur investors like Pro must navigate a landscape that’s rife with scams, bad advice, and a fear of missing out. THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE exposes the startling risks and rewards of today’s market through expert commentary and the anxiety-inducing stories of real people trying to make millions.

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES explores the life and music of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader, and social activist through a remarkable series of creative peaks, struggles, and personal reinventions—from the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights years, surveying the heady days of post-war modern jazz to hip hop and beyond.

Black Barbie

Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. Even if they don’t have a story, there’s a story as to why they don’t have a story. In this film, we tell the story behind the first Black Barbie, because yes, she has a story too. It started with the filmmaker’s 83-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell and a seemingly simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”

Escaping Ohio | Film Screening and Panel

A coming-of-age romcom following Sam and JJ, two 18-yr-olds facing adulthood. When it becomes clear Sam intends to leave their small town for new adventures in California, JJ dares her to let him prove why Ohio is worth sticking around for.

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