THE 2026 DCIFF Annual FORUM
Wednesday, February 11th – Monday, February 16th
Welcome to the 2026 DCIFF Annual Forum! This year’s festival will run from Wednesday, February 11, to Monday, February 16. We are excited to welcome over 50 filmmakers from around the world! This year, we’re showcasing over 60 films, including feature films, documentaries, shorts, web series, and animations—each with exciting filmmaker Q&As! Click to explore our program, buy passes, or purchase tickets, which can be found on the individual film pages below. Tickets start at $14 each, and we’ve got many types of Festival Passes to help you see as many films as you want. Please also check out our selection of seminars, masterclasses, and workshops with filmmakers and industry professionals. Printable schedule coming soon.
Printable schedule coming soon
Getting Around Washington, DC:
Washington DC has a vibrant filmmaking community. This area map, from the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, known as Metro, explains the public-transportation rail system.
Five Metro Stops Closest to Venues:
- Arlo Hotel: Gallery Place/Chinatown station (Red line)
- Regal Gallery Place: Gallery Place/Chinatown station (Red line)
- German-American Heritage Museum: Gallery Place/Chinatown station (Red line)
- The Avalon Theatre: Friendship Heights station (Red line)
- The Miracle Theatre: Eastern Market station (Silver line)
Still holding on to the retro way of buying tickets? Not to worry, TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE BOX OFFICE on the day of the screening.
Note: ALL-ACCESS, 2-DAY WEEKEND, 1-DAY WEEKEND, and YOUNG ADULT passholders with priority access are not required to reserve individual tickets or RSVP for any screening, seminar, or event. For priority access, you must be in the passholder line at the entrance to the film at least 15 minutes before a film’s published start time. After that time, pass holder admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
| Film/Event Title | Date & Time | Location | Category | Buy Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On the Hill | Wednesday, February 11, 9:30 am | South Congresstional Congress Building | Events | RSVP |
| STORIES THAT STAND UP: DOC SHORTS PROGRAM #1 | Wednesday, February 11, 6:00 pm | The Miracle Theatre | Documentary Shorts | TICKETS |
| Opening Night Party – EASY DIGGING | Wednesday, February 11, 7:00 pm | TBD | Events | |
| EASY DIGGING | Wednesday, February 11, 8:30 pm | The Miracle Theatre | Features | TICKETS |
| THE MAGIC LANTERN | Thursday, February 12, 5:30 pm | The Avalon Theatre | Features | TICKETS |
| ARIA: OPERA ON THE EDGE | Thursday, February 12, 8:00 pm | The Avalon Theatre | Features | TICKETS |
| Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations | Friday, February 13, 2:00 pm | Arlo Hotel | Seminars | TICKETS |
| Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers | Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm | Arlo Hotel | Seminars | TICKETS |
| Grants & Financing | Friday, February 13, 5:30 pm | Arlo Hotel | Events | |
| EUGENE O'NEILL'S THE FIRST MAN | Friday, February 13, 6:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| Creating Compelling True Crime & Premiere of the New Hulu Series: The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story | Friday, February 13, 6:00 pm | Arlo Hotel | Seminars | TICKETS |
| THE IMMIGRANT'S WIFE | Friday, February 13, 6:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| FRIDAY THE 13TH: UNLUCKY FOR SOME SHORTS PROGRAM | Friday, February 13, 8:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Narrative Shorts | TICKETS |
| AWESOME ANIMATION: ANIMATED SHORTS PROGRAM #1 | Friday, February 13, 9:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Animated Shorts | TICKETS |
| Lights, Camera‚ SOUND! A Kids Fun-with-Foley Workshop | Saturday, February 14, 10:00 am | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library | Seminars | TICKETS |
| Women Behind the Lens: Directing, Cinematography & Craft | Saturday, February 14, 12:00 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| MERCY AT THE GATES | Saturday, February 14, 12:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| CONTACT TRACING | Saturday, February 14, 1:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| The Business of Filmmaking with Kirk Wolfinger | Saturday, February 14, 1:30 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| PERSONAL STORIES. INTIMATE DRAMAS. A SHORTS SHOWCASE | Saturday, February 14, 2:15 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Narrative Shorts | TICKETS |
| Demystifying Distribution: A Masterclass with Sana Soni | Saturday, February 14, 3:00 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| FOREVER FREE AND THE ILLITERACY PLAYBOOK | Saturday, February 14, 3:15 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| Voice, Music & Motion: The Sound of Animation | Saturday, February 14, 4:15 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| IS IT LOVE? COMEDY SHORTS PROGRAM | Saturday, February 14, 4:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Narrative Shorts | TICKETS |
| Animation Happy Hour at the Festival Bar | Saturday, February 14, 5:30 pm | German-American Museum | Events | |
| CHILD OF DUST | Saturday, February 14, 5:45 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| THE MAGIC LANTERN | Saturday, February 14, 6:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| VELVET VISION: THE STORY OF JAMES BIDGOOD (AND THE MAKING OF PINK NARCISSUS) | Saturday, February 14, 8:15 pm | German-American Museum | Features | TICKETS |
| AMAZING ANIMATION: ANIMATED SHORTS PROGRAM #2 | Saturday, February 14, 8:45 pm | German-American Museum | Animated Shorts | TICKETS |
| Verticals, Verticals, Verticals: Filmmaking in a Mobile-First World | Sunday, February 15, 10 am | Apple Store / Carnegie | Seminars | TICKETS |
| CHILD OF DUST | Sunday, February 15, 12:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| AWESOME ANIMATION: ANIMATED SHORTS PROGRAM #1 | Sunday, February 15, 12:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Animated Shorts | TICKETS |
| Casting: A Creative Force in Filmmaking That Makes or Breaks the Story! | Sunday, February 15, 12:30 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| The Invisible Half of Filmmaking: Challenges in Sound Production by Heidi Gerber-Salins | Sunday, February 15, 2:00 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| FOREVER FREE AND THE ILLITERACY PLAYBOOK | Sunday, February 15, 2:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | SOLD OUT |
| DARA (A PORT HARCOURT LOVE STORY?) | Sunday, February 15, 3:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| Cinematic Worlds: Immersive Sound & Film | Sunday, February 15, 3:45 pm | German-American Museum | Seminars | TICKETS |
| HALMEONI | Sunday, February 15, 4:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| Happy Hour at the Festival Bar | Sunday, February 15, 5:00 pm | German-American Museum | Events | |
| WEB SERIES PROGRAM | Sunday, February 15, 6:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Web Series | TICKETS |
| IS IT LOVE? COMEDY SHORTS PROGRAM | Sunday, February 15, 6:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Narrative Shorts | TICKETS |
| EASY DIGGING | Sunday, February 15, 8:00 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Features | TICKETS |
| BETWEEN NOISE AND SILENCE: DOC SHORTS PROGRAM #2 | Sunday, February 15, 8:30 pm | Regal Gallery Place | Documentary Shorts | TICKETS |
Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors!
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