During his Masterclass at DCIFF 2019, director Phillip Noyce stressed the importance of sound and music in transforming films. And we listened. For DCIFF 2020, on March 4-8, we will focus on these key elements that help elevate movies into emotional masterpieces.

The festival will begin on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30pm at the historic Lincoln Theatre with a film that explores the intricate relationship between city, culture, and music in New Orleans. UP FROM THE STREETS features celebrated musicians and will be bookended by National Heritage Fellow and clarinetist Dr. Michael White, alongside his band.  

After our terrific Opening Night, we offer four sound and music-minded classes throughout the weekend at The Carnegie Institution for Science:

On Saturday, March 7, DC lawyers will host a discussion on navigating legal issues that involve music in film production at ENTERTAINMENT LAW 202 (12:30pm, $20). Afterwards, a panel of composers and musicians will discuss what it means to collaborate with directors at THE MUSIC MAKES THE MOVIE (2:30pm, $15).

Sunday, March 8 will feature a sound design workshop led by Grammy-nominated and film festival-winning filmmakers (12:30-2:30pm, $15). Later that afternoon, the final day of the festival will end with an enlightening Masterclass with composer Elik Álvarez, whose scores can be heard in several of Sir David Attenborough’s films: THE ART AND PROCESS OF FILM SCORING, DECONSTRUCTED (3:00-5:00pm, $18).

Check out the classes here and Opening Night here. If you’re interested in all four classes for yourself or a group, please email dcindiefilmfest@gmail.com for a 40% discount. We hope to see you there!