October 12–16, 2023

October 12–16, 2023
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Films

2022 Film Festival

39 films
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A House Made of Splinters: Saturday Evening Showcase
Documentary
A House Made of Splinters: Saturday Evening Showcase
Documentary

Saturday Evening Showcase Join us for a moving screening of A House Made of Splinters, an intimate documentary that captures life at a halfway home for children in Eastern Ukraine. Special gues...

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Ain’t No Mercy for Rabbits
Short
Ain’t No Mercy for Rabbits
Short

When Gramma gets sick, 7-year old Roan must learn to survive on her own in a world without drinkable water.   Impact // Filmmaker's Voice As a working-class, native Nebraskan who grew up...

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Another Country
Short
Another Country
Short

Based on "Native Guard" by Pulitzer Prize Winner Natasha Trethewey, Another Country tells the story of an interracial couple raising their mixed race child in the racially polarizing times of 1956 Mis...

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Back to the Sea
Short
Back to the Sea
Short

A profile of Aunofo Havea, a Tongan seafarer, who trail-blazes a place for women in the maritime industry and revolutionizes how the Tongan people interact with the whales that inhabit their waters. ...

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Chicken
Short
Chicken
Short

In a Bronx juvenile prison, a 16-year old boy faced with losing custody of his child must discover what it takes to be a father through the raising of a chicken.   Impact // Filmmaker's Voi...

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Cool for You
Short
Cool for You
Short

An animated film based on the book of the same title, Cool for You explains global warming in a playful and accessible way, sharing positive, easy ways to improve our impact on the earth. *Will pla...

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Crowdfunding Workshop!
Virtual Workshop
Crowdfunding Workshop!
Virtual Workshop

Join festival alum and award-winning filmmaker Laura Somers (Avenida Productions) and learn how to launch and run a successful crowdfunding campaign for your next film. The workshop is free and wil...

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Dani’s Twins
Short
Dani’s Twins
Short

Dani’s Twins captures the high-risk pregnancy and dynamic early parenting journey of Dani Izzie, one of the world's few quadriplegics ever to give birth to twins.   Impact // Filmmaker's ...

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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Anniversary Film
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Anniversary Film

Join us for the 40th celebration of this beloved film – come in costume, bring your Reese’s, and get ready to answer some trivia questions (and possibly win a prize!) E.T. tells the story of ...

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Everybody Loves Jeanne
Feature
Everybody Loves Jeanne
Feature

Everybody has always loved Jeanne. These days, she hates herself. Up to her ears in debt, she has to go to Lisbon and sell her mother’s apartment, who passed away one year ago. At the airport, she r...

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Fight or Flight
Short
Fight or Flight
Short

In a story of self-resilience, Fight or Flight chronicles the journey of the only female pilot employed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife who overcame childhood trauma by taking to the sky.   ...

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Free to Care
Short
Free to Care
Short

Lisa Creason, a reformed felon who dreams of becoming a nurse, fights an unjust law to provide for her family and create opportunities for thousands of others in her state.   Impact // Film...

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George Mason University Student Showcase
Short Film Program
George Mason University Student Showcase
Short Film Program

A collection of short films by outstanding FAVS (Film and Video Studies) students at our partner school, George Mason University. Includes: My Mother's Daughter, directed by Jennifer Vu T...

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Heart Valley
Short
Heart Valley
Short

A loving portrait of Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies, who has never left his valley, eats the same meal every day, and works his farm alone, where his family of over 100 black-spotted sheep rely on him.

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Hocus Pocus: Outdoor Family Classic
Anniversary Film
Hocus Pocus: Outdoor Family Classic
Anniversary Film

As part of Art Day at Reston Town Center, and in partnership with the Reston Town Center Association, we will host a FREE outdoor, family friendly screening of the 1993 fall classic, Hocus Pocus. Join...

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Janwaar
Short
Janwaar
Short

Janwaar celebrates a rambunctious group of kids whose lives are transformed when a skatepark is built in their small village in India, breaking down generations of caste and gender barriers in the pro...

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Just in Case
Short
Just in Case
Short

Within the ambiguous safety of a service station, a concerned father and his scared daughter take refuge. Rachel lives with bipolar disorder and the invisibility of her condition has become all too re...

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Kaepernick & America
Documentary
Kaepernick & America
Documentary

A thoughtful exploration of Colin Kaepernick's decision to take a knee during the national anthem and the divisive reactions it spurred in the United States, revealing unique insights into America’s...

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Little Forest
Short
Little Forest
Short

Mizu discovers a small bud in the forest, everyday she goes back to water it. Over the years, Mizu and the small tree grow together. One day, the forest is flooded and the tree helps to save her life....

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Local Spotlight
Short Film Program
Local Spotlight
Short Film Program

In celebration of burgeoning local film talent, this showcase includes short films by and about people and communities in the greater DMV region. Filmmakers in attendance for Q&A. Includes: ...

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Long Live My Happy Head
Documentary
Long Live My Happy Head
Documentary

A touching and unexpectedly uplifting love story about a Scottish comic book artists with a brain tumour, who uses his art to communicate his experience of cancer. Preceded by the short narrative, ...

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Newtok
Documentary
Newtok
Documentary

To keep their culture and community intact, Yup’ik residents of Newtok, Alaska must relocate their entire village to stable ground upriver, becoming some of America’s first climate change refugees...

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One Buck Won’t Hurt
Short
One Buck Won’t Hurt
Short

This coming-of-age story follows four black teenagers from adolescence to adulthood who tap dance for tips in New Orleans, showing the joys and pains of growing up fast in the incarceration capital of...

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Precious Hair and Beauty
Short
Precious Hair and Beauty
Short

An ode to the mundanity and madness of the high street in London, told through the window of an African hair salon.

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Red Horizon
Short
Red Horizon
Short

The story of a group of pilots dedicated to keeping alive the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen while pursuing their dreams of becoming professional aviators and inspiring the black community to change th...

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Refuge: Opening Night
Documentary
Refuge: Opening Night
Documentary

Opening Night Film  Join us for a powerful opening night celebration, starting with the feature documentary, Refuge - a story of love and fear in the American south. Set in the most diverse square...

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Shark
Short
Shark
Short

A wickedly dark comedy about a newly married couple whose quest to outdo each other with pranks leads to an unexpected and outrageous calamity. Followed by the feature narrative, Everybody Loves Je...

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Shorts Program One: The Beautiful Complexity of Who I Am
Short Film Program
Shorts Program One: The Beautiful Complexity of Who I Am
Short Film Program

Even seemingly simple situations are layered with complexity. These shorts feature characters who explore and experiment with the complex nature of their identities -- pushing boundaries, challenging ...

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Shorts Program Three: And With Conviction, We Go
Short Film Program
Shorts Program Three: And With Conviction, We Go
Short Film Program

Trailblazers, movers and shakers, characters with conviction -- these shorts provide a glimpse into the lives of people who are boldly challenging norms and expectations in the hopes of changing the n...

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Shorts Program Two: Wonder of Our World
Short Film Program
Shorts Program Two: Wonder of Our World
Short Film Program

Whether through observation, advocacy, or intervention, there's always an element of wonder when engaging with the natural world. These shorts underscore the power of, and our dynamic relationship wit...

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Silent Rhythm
Short
Silent Rhythm
Short

An exploration of the relationship between dancers and music through the lens of the Gallaudet Dance Company, where every member is either deaf or hard of hearing.   Impact // Filmmaker's V...

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Street Reporter
Short
Street Reporter
Short

Centered on DC native Sheila White, Street Reporter is an intimate story about the power of community journalism and the courage to never stop searching for a place to call home.   Impact /...

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The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales
Documentary
The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales
Documentary

Filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail Disney grapples with America's profound inequality crisis, using her family's legacy as a case study to critically explore the intersection of racism, corporate po...

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The Hostage
Short
The Hostage
Short

A bored middle-aged woman, desperate for an adrenaline rush, becomes entangled with a crew of dangerous diamond thieves.

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The Slow Hustle
Documentary
The Slow Hustle
Documentary

An HBO original documentary that chronicles the still unsolved death of Baltimore police detective Sean Suiter, fatally shot in 2017 while in the line of duty, and explores the ongoing speculation abo...

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Touchline
Short
Touchline
Short

During the Israeli Occupation of Palestine in 1948, Ahmad, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, faces the consequences of the war in his hometown that forces him to give up his dream of being a professional...

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Warsha
Short
Warsha
Short

A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom.

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WINN
Short
WINN
Short

After suffering a miscarriage in prison due to shackling, Pamela Winn becomes an inspiring activist, leading millions to support the Dignity Bill and her mission to end shackling and prison birth. ...

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Wood Hood
Short
Wood Hood
Short

Wood Hood follows DeVaughn, a 15-year old kid from New York City as he takes a weekend trip with Camping To Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion ...

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