DC Independent Film Festival, Washington

Ever since its launch in 1999, the DC Independent Film Festival has celebrated autonomous filmmaking around the world through competition and screenings. All of the festival's selections are Washington DC premieres, and many are being shown for the first time in the world. Hailing from various countries and cultures, these projects include narrative features, shorts, and documentaries. They also span genre: throughout the day, comedy and horror films share screening space with experimental and interactive projects. To complement this showcase, the DCIFF also features a schedule of seminars and workshops on featured films and aspects of the filmmaking process. They've even sponsored panel talks with members of the United States Congress.