Announcing film selections for DCIFF2021 March 31-April 8

January 18, 2021

The DC Independent Film Festival & Forum is delighted to announce the slimmed-down, powered-up lineup for 2021. The festival will combine small group screenings, interactive events, hands-on workshops and forum-style deep discussions with online options to create the best possible festival experience for both audiences and filmmakers alike.  

Stay tuned for the high school competition and scripts finalists!

Congratulations to the talented 2021 filmmakers:

ANIMATION

Aroura (USA/2020/5:12mins) by Jo Meuris
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who fell in love with a beautiful horse named Aurora…

Anacronte (Argentina/201914:58mins) by Raúl Koler, Emiliano Sette
Anacronte and the Sorcerers of Evil test humanity’s happiness.

Washing Machine (Czech Republic/2020/5:02mins) by Alexandra Májová 
Wash and love.

Little Wolf: The Night Trail (USA/2020/9:20mins) by Jesse Cowan 
Clan totem at his side, Little Wolf tries to survive the supernatural creatures.

A Family that Steals Dogs (USA/2020/7:30mins) by John C. Kelley
A grieving artist reconsiders his identity and beliefs in this meditation on grief, family and mental illness.

The Alien Nightmare (France/2020/6:05 mins) by Lauriane Balestrat, Marc Antoine Alonzo, Alexis Sabalza, Elie Berhoumieux, Lucas Soupou
Mike, Bob and Frank land on Earth for a routine scientific expedition, but this time, things won’t go as planned…

Tipping Point by Alberto Mielgo (Spain/2020/3:59mins)
In a near dystopian future in London, a masked street-artist is pursued by security forces and saved by a taxi driver.

Through My Eyes (France/2020/4:11mins) by LLona Quenea, Celeste Devisme, Aude Portales, Emerantiane Bouillon, Naomie Gastel.
Keith and Millie’s love is stronger than the monstrosity of her illness

FEATURES (FICTION)

The Sons of Happiness (China/2020/1:33mins) directed by Peng Shingang
Lead Cast: Liu Yulong, Peng Shiyong, Wang Yajuan
An unexpected pregnancy brings out a painful run in between two families.

We Go Together (Korea/2020/1:32mins) dir. by Jo Seungwon
Lead Cast: Kim Kihyeon, Park Hani, Kang hyeongseok
Sergeant Choo really wants to join KATUSA(Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army) but needs signatures to defend against a false charge. Can he get them?

Fall Back Down (Canada/2021/1:44mins) dir. by Sara-Beth (SB) Edwards.
Lead Cast: Andrew Dunbar, Aadila Dosani, Jacky LaiKey, Omari Newton, Kira Clavell,  Joe Keithley
A depressed ex-activist takes a job in a sweatshop where he and his coworker make a grim discovery.

Juliet Must Die (Germany/2020/1:35mins) dir. by Marco Gadge
Lead Cast: Sabrina Amali, Maximilian Klas, Nellie, Mohammad-Ali Behboudi
Stefan Grossmann, Katharina Schlothauer
Lya laces her disabled father’s tea with sleeping pills to secretly attend the acting audition. But, of course, the plan is blown.

DOCUMENTARY

The Bears on Pine Ridge (USA/2021/40mins) dir.by Noel Bass 
A respected elder leads the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s only suicide prevention team, while working with a group of suicide survivor teenagers to create a performance group, called the BEAR Program.
 
Funeral of a Nation (USA/2020/31 mins) dir. by Keith Nixon Jr.
In memory of who we were, a tribute to who we will be, in honor of those before us, a call to those after us. A musical essay on African-American funerals. 
 
Keeper of the Fire  (USA/2021/31mins) dir. by Raymond Telles, David L. Brown, Louis Dematteis
The life and work of activist poet Alejandro Murguia who fights for social justice with his words and his deeds. 
 
Leave the Door Open (Turkey/2021/62mins) directed by Umran Safter. Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, sons of  the Turkish ambassador to Washington DC in the 1930s  and, later, founders of Atlantic Records hosted jazz jam sessions with legendary artists such as Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Teddy Williams, Johnny Hodges, Count Basie at the official embassy residence.
 
Origin of the Species (USA/2020/1:12mins) dir. by Abigail Child.
An experimental feature documentary explores current realities of android development with a focus on human/machine relations, gender & the ethical implications of this research.
 
Sapelo (Switzerland/2020/1:31mins) dir. by Nick Brandestini 
On the barrier island of Sapelo, two brothers are growing up in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee people. Cornelia Walker Bailey works to preserve what remains of this unique community established by her ancestors. 
 
The Soul of a Cyclist (Portugal/2020/70mins) dir. by Nuno Tavares 
Bicycles transport us in our discovery and in our reflection. Through a group of “classic” cyclists, we discover the values of friendship, ecology, valuing the old and minimalism to achieve a happier, simpler and more fulfilled life. 
 

SHORT FICTION

Casiopea (Spain/2020/14mins) directed by Fernando Manson. Unraveling the eternal question of humankind: What happens before/after life?

Estilo Americano (USA/2020/22.15mins) directed by Miriam Kruishoop. A festive family gathering turns into an explosive showdown when siblings with opposing political views clash and painful truths are revealed.

Household Demons (USA/2020/9.10mins) directed by by John Gray  A young boy is forced to deal with the entity that possesses his mother

Inhale (Iran/2020/19.30mins) directed by Nasser Zamiri Ebrahim’s chronic insomnia has caused tension between him and his wife, Marziyeh.

Night Waking (USA/2020/7:55mins) directed by Shoshana Rosenbaum  At home one night with their two young children, Ari and her wife Miriam face an existential threat.

Place du Trocadero (France/2020/7mins) directed by Pierre Leon Luneau and Mathieu Cayrou. Paul has a strange appointment in the Parisian restaurant with a guy who gives him money and a fork.

 #PrincessProblems (USA/2020/18:43mins) directed by Maritza Gomez. In the strenuous world of children’s party entertainment, an overly positive  “princess” must win over a writer who is doing a story on female role models.

Scary Story To Tell In The Dark #684  (USA/2020/13:17mins) directed by Carlos Gonzalez-Fernandez. A woman is awoken in the middle of the night by a series of increasingly strange and threatening phone calls.

Snake Dick (USA/2020/8:05mins) directed by David Mahmoudiah. Jill’s got the snake. Julia’s got the flute. Alone, they have nothing. But together, they have a secret weapon to fight the darkness…

The Legacy Sessions (USA/2020/36mins) directed by William D. Ashton. A troubled high school student forms an unlikely friendship with a woman in a retirement community.

Sheila  (USA/2019/13:25mins) directed by Jackson McKeehan. Tired of the monotony in her life, a midwestern farmer’s wife spies on her neighbors through the scope of her gun.