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Current Programming

Co–presented with the National Gallery of Art
Feb. 3–April 24
April 1 & 2: LA DOLCE VITA + Aperol spritz cocktail party April 1! This kaleidoscopic, bitingly satiric fresco of European life in the '60s follows a tabloid gossip monger (Marcello Mastroianni) on his travels with his photographer sidekick through "the sweet life" of Rome.
Co–presented with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Jan. 28–April 10
This Sun: COUP 53 + Q&A with filmmaker Taghi Amirani. Ten years in the making, Amirani's 2019 documentary tells the story of the 1953 Anglo-American coup d'etat that overthrew Iran's government under Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah. April 2, 7:40 p.m.
Feb. 3–April 27
Friday shows introduced by George Pelecanos
This week: WALKING TALL – 50th anniversary. Based on the life of legendary lawman Buford Pusser, Phil Karlson's 1973 action thriller stars Joe Don Baker as an ex-wrestler-turned-vigilante who retires to Tennessee and vows to rid the town of corruption.
Feb. 3–April 27
This week: Charlotte Wells' drama AFTERSUN, starring Paul Mescal in an Oscar®-nominated performance; Joseph Kosinski's action-filled, Oscar®-nominated drama TOP GUN: MAVERICK; and Park Chan-wook's romantic crime drama DECISION TO LEAVE.
Feb. 3–April 27
This week: BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS. Disney's 1971, World War II-set musical fantasy stars Angela Lansbury as an apprentice witch — and temporary guardian of three young siblings — who is determined to use her supernatural powers to defeat the Nazis.
Feb. 3–April 26
This week: Makoto Shinkai's 2016 romantic fantasy YOUR NAME follows two high schoolers — total strangers — who wake up in each other's bodies. As the bizarre and magical body swapping continues, they find ways to communicate and embark on a quest to meet for the first time.
Now playing
A wildlife volunteer on an uninhabited island off the British coast descends into a terrifying madness that challenges her grip on reality and pushes her into a living nightmare. Mark Filmmaker Jenkin's follow-up to 2019's BAIT is a provocative and masterful folk horror.
Now playing
Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan star in Stephen Frears' new comedy-drama based on the true story of the amateur historian who refused to be ignored and defied the academic establishment in her efforts to find King Richard III's lost remains.
Final week
Oscar® nominee, Best International Feature Film
Set in rural Ireland in 1981, Colm Bairéad's exquisite debut is a powerful coming-of-age drama about a nine-year-old girl from a large, dysfunctional family who is sent to live with relatives for the summer. But even in this most loving of homes, Cáit discovers some painful secrets.
Final week
Seven Oscar® wins, including Best Picture, Director and Actress
The multiverse breaks open and an exasperated woman (Michelle Yeoh) is thrust into saving the world in the Daniels' genre-defying sci-fi epic — part absurd comedy, part emotional family drama.
70th Anniversary
William Wyler's quintessential 1953 rom-com stars Audrey Hepburn in her breakout role as a European princess who skips out on her official schedule to explore Rome incognito, alongside undercover reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck).
April 7, 4:30 p.m.; April 9, 4:05 p.m.; April 10, 2:15 p.m.; April 12, 7:00 p.m.
Intro by Michelle Tolini Finamore; live musical accompaniment by Makia Matsumura
Co-presented with the Art Deco Society of Washington
Marie Prevost stars in this uproarious silent comedy as Mabel, a free-spirited woman determined to win back her ex-husband by any means necessary — never mind that he has recently remarried!
April 8, 7:00 p.m. (happy hour starting at 6:00 p.m.)
April 12 screening features intro by film professor David Rothman
One of Akira Kurosawa's finest achievements, this moving 1952 drama stars Takashi Shimura as Kanji Watanabe, a 30-year veteran City Hall bureaucrat who, after a diagnosis of terminal cancer, comes to appreciate his life for the first time.
April 8 & 9, 1:15 p.m.; April 12, 6:30 p.m.
One night only!
Through a wealth of archival and performance footage, director Lisa Cortés' documentary tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock 'n' roll: the legendary musical innovator and originator Richard Penniman, aka Little Richard (1932–2020).
April 11, 7:15 p.m.
Q&A and book event with James Kirchick, author of "Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington"
Starring Henry Fonda, Otto Preminger's 1962 film smashed Hollywood taboos about representing homosexuality on screen, in a gripping tale of political scandal and maneuvering set within the highest levels of Washington, DC, power brokering.
April 15, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets $8!
40th Anniversary
Tony Scott's arty 1983 erotic horror centers on a love triangle among vampire couple Miriam and John Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie) and a young research scientist (Susan Sarandon) in whom both take a keen interest — for different reasons.
April 15, 9:15 p.m.; April 19, 9:00 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Olney Theatre Center
This beloved 1995 Bollywood rom-com follows a rich playboy (Indian screen icon Shah Rukh Khan) raised by a single father who falls for a young woman (Bollywood star Kajol) from a conservative family while traveling across Europe.
April 16, 2:00 p.m.
90th Anniversary
April 26, 6:30 p.m. show features intro by film professor David Rothman
This blockbuster monster movie boasts groundbreaking special effects, a compelling story and "scream queen" Fay Wray as a beauty who captures the heart of a giant gorilla that is shackled and brought to New York. What could go wrong?
April 21–27.
Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar®-winning animated film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers and wondrous puppets. Adapted and directed by John Caird ("Les Misérables") and filmed live at Tokyo's historic Imperial Theatre.
April 23, 4:30 p.m.; April 27, 6:00 p.m.
Q&A with filmmakers Jeff Krulik and Richard Taylor, plus members of RAZZ
This documentary tells the story of explosive, entertaining and influential 1970s DC band RAZZ, who became a wholly original rock group amid a club scene dominated by cover bands and a record industry that found them impossible to label.
April 29, 5:30 p.m.
Live shadowcast by Bloody Mayhem Theatrical
The classic murder-mystery boardgame provides a surprisingly effective springboard for Jonathan Lynn's manic, zinger-filled comedy, starring Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean and Martin Mull.
April 29, 10:00 p.m.
Horror host and local TV legend Count Gore De Vol presents a classic horror-comedy about a teenager who suspects there's something sinister about his new neighbor, and consults a washed-up TV horror host (Roddy McDowall) for advice on confronting the undead.
May 13, 7:00 p.m.
The perfect gift for the film fan in your life!
Our reloadable Gift Cards may be used to purchase tickets and concession items at the theatre and purchase tickets online. Gift Cards may be purchased online or at the theatre.
May 4–7
May the Fourth Be With You
Presenting George Lucas' original fantasy trilogy, set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away: STAR WARS: EP. IV – A NEW HOPE, STAR WARS: EP. V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and STAR WARS: EP. VI – RETURN OF THE JEDI (40th anniversary!).
All-access passes on sale now!
June 15–18
AFI Silver is excited to host the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound, a new four-day film event celebrating the Library's rich moving image and recorded sound collections, organized by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center. The festival lineup will be announced in May.

Coming Soon