RIFF: Day One

I’d like to start off with tickets are still available for this year’s RIFF right here. There are a lot of options, and the all access pass not only gets you into all of the movie screenings, but also the “VIP Lounge,” which is conveniently located at the Athenaeum (109 Amelia Street), so it’s a great deal (three and a half days of entertainment!).

Time to break down what you can expect from the first day of RIFF on Thursday, August 27.

Starting at 2:00 PM in the Library Theater (1201 Caroline Street)   we have a block of eight very different short movies. Here’s a small peak into what’s in store: “The Heart Spoke,” a documentary from Cannes, France, “Breath In, Breath Out,” a music video featuring handicapped dancers, and “The Arms and the Band,” which is a documentary about a local band Carlos I’m Pregnant (who is playing later this day!) and also made by a local student.

At 5:00 PM is something I like to affectionately call “Screening Block B.” This block has just two films. “One Time Me and My Friends Robbed a Store,” a comedic film, also made by a local student, and “Number 4 Street of Our Lady,” a documentary that tells a story from World War 2 that you haven’t seen before. This is a block you definitely don’t want to miss.

8:00 PM is an event I’ve talked about before, so I won’t spend too long on it, but I’m still very excited. At University Cafe (409 William Street), a RIFF-sponsored concert with a local favorite, Carlos I’m Pregnant, D.C. Band The Aquarium, and one of my all-time favorite artists, Benjy Ferree! The man has an amazing voice and an obsession with Peter Pan, and his music is fantastic.

Finally, wrapping up the first day, is something free. A screening of Visioneers, starring Zack Galifianakis, at the Athenaeum. This is limited to the first 50 registrants! Trailer and more information here.

I will be following this up with the next two days soon.