Cinema in and near Washington, D. C., DC

Given its prominence, you’d think directors would be scrambling to shoot Washington, DC, movies in the city. But besides establishing shots, DC-set movies and shows are rarely filmed within the nation’s capital. That’s a boon for viewers of the latest movies in the District’s theaters, who delight in calling out geographical errors and nonexistent Metro stations. Here, crowds head to bustling Chinatown to watch blockbusters on one of the Regal Gallery Place’s 14 screens. The underground E Street Cinema is the place for indies, foreign films, documentaries, and beer. And tourists exhausted from all the things to do in DC might plop down for an educational IMAX film at the National Air and Space Museum.