Filmfest DC Is Up and Rolling

Filmfest DC, the Washington, DC International Film Festival, may not be as big as it once was, but it’s still pretty big — still capable of generating various kinds of film buzz, still a rich array of special programs and, most important, still full of opportunities to see unusual films from far, far away that you otherwise might not.

Headed by Tony Gittens, founder and director, and Shirin Ghareeb, deputy director, Filmfest is marking its 30th anniversary this year. It opened April 14 with two near-legendary performers — Kate Winslet and Judy Davis — starring in Australian director Jocelyn Moorhouse’s witty drama-comedy “The Dressmaker,” about a once despised resident of a small Aussie town coming home to care for her mother.

The festival closes April 24 at AMC Mazza Gallerie with Philippe Falardeau’s “My Internship in Canada,” a satirical sendup of politics, after which there will be a last-night party.

Along the way, there’s a journey of 75 films from 45 countries over 11 days, with quite a few original and unusual choices remaining. As always, there are categories, prizes, special events and series. This year’s special categories include The Lighter Side, with comedies from all over, including France’s “21 Nights With Pattie”; Denmark’s “Men and Chicken”; another film from Canada, “No Men Beyond This Point”; “How to Tell You’re a Douchebag,” an edgy American entry; and the optimistically titled (all things considered) “Sweet Smell of Spring” from Tunisia.

There’s a series of noir, spy, crime and thriller moves called Trust No One, including “The People vs. Fritz Bauer” from Germany, about the man who prosecuted Adolf Eichmann; “The Last King” from Norway; “A Patch of Fog” from the U.K.; and “600 Miles” from the U.S.

Fittingly, there’s a triad of films called Cine Cuban or Films on Cuba, a Justice Matters series sponsored by the D.C.-based CrossCurrents Foundation. There is a series of films on music, something of a tradition with the festival, called Rhythms On and Off the Screen. And there are awards: the Circle Award, the Filmfest DC Audience Award and the Signis Award.

Arch Campbell, the city’s longest-running writer, critic and commentator on film, heads “An Evening with Arch Campbell and Friends,” April 21 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema, with fellow critics Jane Horwitz of the Washington Post, Travis Hopson of WETA Around Town and Jason Fraley of WTOP Radio.

Here are some highlights of the remainder of the festival, many of them speaking to the collaborative power of contemporary filmmakers.

“21 Nights With Pattie” is a French film, directed by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, about a woman who travels to her hometown for her mother’s funeral. Unfortunately, the corpse is missing (April 22, AMC Mazza Gallerie).

“3000 Nights,” which has the participation of film makers from France, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE and Lebanon, is a fictional film by documentarian Mai Masri on the subject of the condition of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons (April 21, Landmark’s E Street Cinema, and April 23, AMC Mazza Gallerie).

“The Brand New Testament,” from France, Belgium and Luxembourg, posits the question: “What if God were one of us?” (April 21 and 22, AMC Mazza Gallerie).

“Dough,” directed by John Goldschmidt, is a U.K. entry with character actor and star Jonathan Pryce as a Grinchy Jewish baker trying to keep his family business together (April 20, AMC Mazza Gallerie).

“The Last King” is a Norwegian movie set in medieval times (1204) about men trying to keep the heir to the throne safe from powerful bishops (April 21 and 22, Landmark’s E Street Cinema).

“Nina” is a movie biography about the highly dramatic, emotional and brilliant American vocalist Nina Simone (April 20, Landmark’s E Street Cinema).

“Notfilm/Film” is a U.S./U.K. film about the making of “Film,” the silent movie clown Buster Keaton’s film based on a screenplay by the famously elliptical playwright Samuel Beckett (April 24, National Gallery of Art).

“Belgian Rhapsody” is a musical from — you guessed it — Belgium about rival jazz bands (April 23, Landmark’s E Street Cinema).

For cinemaniacs, there’s “Rebel Citizen,” a documentary about famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler directed by Pamela Yates (April 22 and 23, Landmark’s E Street Cinema).

The complete schedule, summaries and ticket information are available here.