24th Annual DCIFF
February 21-25, 2024

SUBMISSIONS OPEN AT FILMFREEWAY
September 4, 2023

 

Our 2023 High School Filmmaking Intensive, July 10 to August 4, 2023 was a great success. 

Kudos to the 18 young people who produced short fiction films and one “behind the scenes” documentary. 

 

Welcome to the DCIFF Film Club Podcast! Your host, Erin Devost, this season for intimate and engaging interviews that peel back the curtain of the best emerging independent filmmakers in the industry. If you love film and want a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how future legends of cinema hone their craft, you’ve got to hear this!

Our job is to make sure that filmmaker voices are heard. DCIFF’s Press and Outreach team spreads the word through the press, through social media, and by reaching out to embassies and other communities of interest.

Interested in DCIFF Press?
Send us an email to dcindiefilmfest@gmail.com

DCIFF was honored to have actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson speak to aspiring filmmakers and young talent in 2022 and act as a source of encouragement for them. She Zoomed in from her production location in the UK and answered many questions from our High School students.  Addai-Robinson moved from the UK to the U.S. when she was four years old and was raised by her mother in a suburb of Washington, D.C., where DCIFF is located. She is well-known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series Spartacus, DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series Arrow, and Nadine Memphis on the USA Network series Shooter.

We highlighted this successful actress in 2018 when we premiered CLOSURE directed by Alex Goldberg, The film revolves around Nina’s first trip to Los Angeles. where she vows to find her sister Carrie, as a deathbed promise to her mother. Her journey as a novice detective is helped, but frequently hindered, by a variety of self-absorbed Angelenos, including the loveable eccentric Yasmina, portrayed by Addai-Robinson.

She currently plays the starring role of Tar-Míriel on the Amazon’s The Rings of Power series and  has been signed on for a second season. Cynthia Addai-Robinson plays Queen Regent Míriel on the series, who has a powerful vision and develops a strong love for Middle-earth during her interaction with other characters. In a recent interview, when asked how she would describe Míriel to her friends, Addai-Robinson revealed, “I describe her as a queen, a leader, who very much cares about the implications of any decision that she makes on behalf of her people.” It will be great to see her back on screen with new episodes in 2023. Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s accomplishments mean a lot to young filmmakers from the hometown of Washington D.C.! We wish her much success and thank her for being a DCIFF Alumni and supporter.

Watch Closure:
https://www.amazon.com/Closure-Catia-Ojeda/dp/B07ZMN8GJZ/ref=sr_1_2?

Watch The Rings of Power:

https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0TUVXIO58IUNEPNBF8363Z7YGL/ref=atv_dp_share_cu

Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Press Interview: 

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/rings-of-power-cynthia-addai-robinson-miriel-numenor-vision-1235375371/

Support DCIFF Today

$

How much would you like to donate?

Personal Info

Donation Total: $20.00

Follow Our Blog

Want to stay updated on DCIFF?

Sign up to receive updates on the 2023 Program!

Header_Wordpress_DCIFF2023

Thank you for joining us for our 24th annual DC Independent Forum! We were excited to welcome over 70 filmmakers March 1 – 5. Click to explore our program, buy passes, or purchase tickets which can be found on the individual film pages below. We showcased 9 feature films and 10 short film program blocks starting at $13 each with exciting filmmaker Q&A’s. Please also check out our selection of seminars and workshops with industry professionals. Click HERE to download a printout of our schedule

THE 2023 DC INDEPENDENT FILM FORUM

Wednesday, March 1st – Sunday, March 5th

Run Raven Run
RUN RAVEN RUN

directed by Michael Rainin
narrated by Michael Madsen
(USA / 2022 / 101 mins)

Despite a historical legacy that dealt the dark cards of slavery, holocaust and poverty, music has always been the winning hand for Gypsy survival.

Location: Landmark's E Street Cinema
Times: Sunday, March 5th - 5:05pm

(March 5) - $13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR

About the Director

Michael has served as a producer and director for countless productions across film, television, and online platforms including promotional campaigns for FX Network’s Nip/Tuck and commercials, music videos and web productions for revered artists and performers. Michael currently wrapped production on a new, in-depth feature documentary on the music of the Roma and the musicians behind this renowned artform, narrated by Michael Madsen while producing ongoing projects with celebrity editorial photographer Kwaku Alston (New York Times, Time Magazine), as well as serving as the creative director behind CBD industry leader Green Gorilla alongside Alston. Michael has additionally founded a boutique branding, design, and production company RAINPIX, INC.

ALL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Our Father, The Devil
Our Father, The Devil

directed by Ellie Foumbi
( USA and Cameroon / 2021 / 1:47 mins )

An African refugee’s quiet existence in a sleepy mountain town in the south of France is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family.

Location: Landmark's E Street Cinema
Times: Thursday, March 2nd - 8:15pm; Friday; March 3rd - 9:00pm

(March 2) - $13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR
(March 3) - $13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR

About the Director

Ellie is an award-winning Cameroonian-American filmmaker whose debut film, Our Father, the Devil, went on to win 17 prizes at international film festivals, including Tribeca where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. She's an alum of Berlinale Talents and was named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine. She's also a 2022/2023 BAFTA Breakthrough USA Fellow. Her projects have been supported by The Gotham, Film Independent, the Tribeca Film Institute, SFFILM Rainin Grant, and the Venice Biennale College. Ellie's stories often explore pressing social-political issues within the African diaspora, aiming to shine a light on marginalized populations whose voices are seldom heard or included.

ALL NARRATIVE FEATURES
The Smoke Master
The Smoke Master

directed by directed by Andre Sigwalt & Augusto Soares
( Brazil / 2022 / 1.44mins )

Two brothers and a fistful of friends face the Chinese mafia:Three Generations Revenge relying on Smoke Master and his unique Cannabis fighting style. A Stoned Kung-Fu movie.

Location: Landmark's E Street Cinema
Times: Thursday, March 2nd - 9:00pm; Saturday, March 4th - 8:30pm

(March 2) - $13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR
(March 4) - $13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR

About the Directors

Andre Sigwalt studied cinema and, since 1999, has specialized as a cinematographer and camera operator. He was director of photography for other features such as "Pólvora Negra", "Uptake Fear" and "Skull, The Mask." "The Smoke Master' is the first feature film he directs.

Augusto Soares has a degree in Radio and Television from FAAP since 2000. Founder of Terceiro Ato Videomarketing, he specializes in corporate videos and has been working in this market for over 20 years. "The Smoke Master" is his first feature film.

ALL NARRATIVE FEATURES
City of Love
City of Love

directed by Èric Boadella
(USA / 2023 / 1:27 mins)

Spencer, a troubled rideshare driver in Los Angeles, goes to dangerous lengths to reconnect with the world he lost after spending 20 years in jail.

Location: Landmark's E Street Cinema
Times: Sunday, March 4th - 7:10pm

(March 4) -$13 (+Eventbrite fee) HERE or AT THE DOOR

About the Director

Èric Boadella is an award-winning Spanish filmmaker with a rather unique background: Electronic Engineering and punk rock. His first feature film, Toastmaster (2014), won Best Director and Best Script at the 17th Malaga Spanish Film Festival, where it was acquired by Canal+. Èric is one of the seven directors selected for the 2018-2019 FOX TV Directors Lab and he just directed his second feature film, City of Love (2022). He is also the in-house Music Video Director at Frontiers Records and a Branded Content Director at Pluck Studios.

ALL NARRATIVE FEATURES
No No Girl