AFI DOCS Festival Connects Artists with Audience Members

If you’re looking for inspiration through the art of independent films that connect real people and real stories, then the AFI DOCS festival is a must-attend event. This annual international documentary festival takes place in landmark venues around the Washington, DC area from June 18^th to June 22^nd.  The most notable venue of the festival is the world-renowned AFI Silver Theater in the town of Silver Spring, in Montgomery County, Maryland, just minutes from the nation’s capital and a major hub of independent film in the region.

The 5-day event will showcase 84 independent documentaries, representing 28 countries, to an audience of cultural leaders, congresspersons, and Supreme Court Justices.  The purpose of the one-of-a-kind film festival is to bring together artists and audience members with political leaders that have the ability to shape our society from the inspiration of the documentaries.  If you’re an aspiring filmmaker or just a film-lover, this festival is one of the premier events on the east coast.  If you plan on traveling to this year’s event, hotel accommodations can be booked in Montgomery County, Maryland, as the Metro transit line allows for easy access between several venues of the festival.

A few of the featured documentaries in this year’s festival are:

• 112 Weddings – In this funny yet touching film, acclaimed filmmaker Doug Block tracks down several of the couples in the wedding videos he once filmed to find out if marriage was everything they dreamed it would be.  Date: Friday, June 20, 6:30pm. Venue: AFI Silver Theater.

• Butterfly Girl – Abbie Evans’ coming-of-age struggle is complicated by a rare life-threatening skin disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa, which makes her body as fragile as butterfly wings.   Date: Saturday, June 21, 2pm.  Venue:  AFI Silver Theater.

• Bronx Obama – This is the story of Louis Ortiz, a single father from the Bronx, who has an uncanny resemblance to President Barack Obama. Starting in 2008 with Obama’s victory, Ortiz transformed himself into a professional lookalike and changed his life forever. Date: Sunday, June 22, 3:30pm. Venue: AFI Silver Theater.

• How I Got Over – This documentary shows how fifteen formerly homeless women in the Washington, DC area come together to share their life stories as they bravely set out on the path to addiction recovery.   Date: Sunday, June 22, 11:15am.  Venue:  AFI Silver Theater.

Ticket prices for the 5-day event are $14 per screening, and $110 for a combination package including 10 screenings.

For more information about the AFI DOCS film festival along with more documentary listings, please visit here.