Upcoming Events

Co-presented with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center as part of their European Union Film Showcase

The latest documentary from Victor Kossavosky (GUNDA) is a meditative exploration of humanity’s destructive shaping of the natural world told through visually mesmerizing footage of concrete in its many forms. Ukrainian apartments torn asunder amidst war, Turkish buildings leveled by an earthquake, colossal ancient ruins in Baalbek: these are a few of the imposing images Kossavosky and cinematographer Ben Bernhard capture and present, bolstered by Evgueni Galperine’s captivating score. The destruction and devastation are counterbalanced with remarkable appreciation for the beauty of the earth; indeed, the hypnotizing slow-motion footage of flowing stones and craggy rocks is a sight to behold.

DCEFF is excited to be a community partner for the 2025 Hollywood Climate Summit!

HCS isn’t just another climate conference — it’s an entertainment forward networking and learning experience with special focuses on storytelling and strategy across sectors like film, TV, gaming, marketing, music, and journalism.

Because DCEFF is a partner of the Summit, our community gets a special 50% discount on tickets and passes with the code PARTNERHCS25. Don’t miss this experience, June 2-4 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles and online.

Co-presentation of DCEFF and the DC Caribbean FilmFest at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center!

Exploiting Eden, Île-à-Vache is a David and Goliath story about the inhabitants of Île-à-Vache, a small island in the south of Haiti, and an impending tourist development project.

Considered by many as one of the last virgin beaches in the Caribbean, Île-à-Vache is an unexploited paradise, but that has come under threat. Seeing themselves as separated from decision-making around its future, the island’s people must unite to take destiny into their own hands.

Co-presentation of DCEFF and the DC Caribbean FilmFest at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center!

For centuries, the Maroons in Suriname’s rainforest have kept capitalist society at bay. Descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped Dutch plantations, they have thrived by preserving their ancestral traditions. In recent years, however, economic interests have encroached upon their land.

Monikondee follows Boogie, a boatman who delivers essential cargo to remote Maroon and Indigenous communities. While these communities continue to grow their own food, they are becoming increasingly dependent on boatmen like Boogie to bring in vital supplies as floods and droughts destroy their crops and gold mining poisons their water.

Co-presentation of DCEFF and the DC Caribbean FilmFest at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center!

Exploiting Eden, Île-à-Vache is a David and Goliath story about the inhabitants of Île-à-Vache, a small island in the south of Haiti, and an impending tourist development project.

Considered by many as one of the last virgin beaches in the Caribbean, Île-à-Vache is an unexploited paradise, but that has come under threat. Seeing themselves as separated from decision-making around its future, the island’s people must unite to take destiny into their own hands.

Co-presentation of DCEFF and the DC Caribbean FilmFest at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center!

For centuries, the Maroons in Suriname’s rainforest have kept capitalist society at bay. Descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped Dutch plantations, they have thrived by preserving their ancestral traditions. In recent years, however, economic interests have encroached upon their land.

Monikondee follows Boogie, a boatman who delivers essential cargo to remote Maroon and Indigenous communities. While these communities continue to grow their own food, they are becoming increasingly dependent on boatmen like Boogie to bring in vital supplies as floods and droughts destroy their crops and gold mining poisons their water.

A co-presentation of DCEFF and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. This theatrical cut includes 12 minutes of exclusive additional footage only available in theaters! Multiple screenings, daily June 20 through July 3.

Sir David Attenborough explores the planet’s undersea habitats, revealing the greatest age of ocean discovery and emphasizing the ocean’s vital importance while exposing its problems and highlighting opportunities for marine life recovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.

Our 2024 Shared Earth Foundation Award for Advocacy winner is currently screening in theatres across the United States. This includes a stop at DC’s Miracle Theatre later this month for a special program featuring the filmmakers.

We Are Guardians follows Indigenous forest guardians in their fight to protect the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil from destruction. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman—and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio—the film uses powerful character-driven storytelling to shine a light on one of the most critical ecological and human rights crises of our time.

Join us at Patuxent Research Refuge on Thursday, July 17th for a “moth-nificent” night out with a screening of the internationally acclaimed film, Nocturnes. Spread your wings into the world of moths, an often-underrated night-time pollinator.

After the film please take home some free native plants and/or seeds, as coordinated by Friends of Patuxent. Friends of Patuxent will also provide light refreshments. Create some pollinator habitat of your own — you can help these wonderful creatures even if you only have a window ledge or a spot on a stoop to put out a plant!