2016: A Second Look

February 20–April 19, 2017


Click here for film listings and tickets.

Luckily, 2016 wasn't all bad. It was a prolific and varied year both for independent cinema and studio mega-blockbusters. So prolific and varied, in fact, that we simply couldn't fit everything in. Our programmers have gone back to take a second look at some of the best films that never screened at AFI Silver in 2016. With award nominations, year-end best-of lists and hindsight as your guide, take a second look at some of the past year's most distinctive films.

AFI Member passes accepted.



All About Almodóvar

March 7–April 26, 2017


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The iconoclastic Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar may have made his reputation as an enfant terrible, but his contributions to world cinema — 20 feature films; Oscars®, Golden Globes, Goyas, Donatellos and César awards; a career retrospective at MoMA — now place him in the category of grand master.

His early films scandalized and delighted audiences with their hyperbolic scenarios and sardonic comedy — full of risqué sexual behavior, riotous color, profane passions and flamboyant fashions. His later work features more serious-minded melodrama and truly transgressive thrillers, with full-blooded characters, impressively intricate plotting and sincere emotionalism.

As Almodóvar continues to grow as an artist, his work takes its rightful place among the greats of world cinema. Following wide acclaim for his latest masterpiece JULIETA, AFI Silver presents a thorough survey of Almodóvar's feature films.

All films in the series are in Spanish with English subtitles.

AFI Member passes accepted.



Muppet Movies

March 4–April 25, 2017


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The Jim Henson Company's beloved Muppets continue to delight audiences of all ages, while the fantasy worlds of THE DARK CRYSTAL and LABYRINTH enjoy passionate and growing cult followings. This series puts Henson's movie magic and puppet artistry back on the big screen where it can best be enjoyed.

$5 tickets for children under 12

AFI Member passes accepted.



New African Film Festival

March 9–19, 2017


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AFI Silver is proud to host the 13th annual New African Film Festival, co-presented by AFI, Africa World Now Project and afrikafé. This year's festival showcases the vibrancy of African filmmaking from all corners of the continent.

African Mini Marketplace in the Silver Lobby
March 11, 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Presented by Fenton Street Market

Moviegoers on Saturday are invited to shop local vendors selling African home goods, clothing, books and art in the atrium lobby. A ticket to a film is required to visit the African Marketplace.

Confirmed vendors:

  • Tutu's Storybooks (returning vendor)
    Maimunah Marah is an educator, mother and homeschooler who enjoys connecting new parents to diverse kids books that reflect and honor Africa's rich heritage. She believes in the power of reading and hand selects all titles.

  • South African Bazaar Craft Cooperative (returning vendor)
    The South African Bazaar Craft Cooperative, formed in 2011 in Northern Natal South Africa, works with local artisans to provide them consistent work and connections to wider markets. The coop members use their own hands and local materials to create stunning jewelry and housewares.

  • Obioma Fashion (new vendor!)
    Obioma Fashion began in early April 2016, mixing African Prints with modern designs. All of their clothes are made in Nigeria with fair trade.

  • Bahari Deco Arts (new vendor!)
    East African Kanga fabric, fashion and home accessories.

  • Atsu Numadzi (new vendor!)
    Ghanaian fine artist and fashion designer.

No passes accepted.



Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital

March 14–26, 2017


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AFI Silver is proud to host screenings for the 2017 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. Since launching in 1993, the festival has pioneered a movement to advance environmental understanding through the power of film, and now serves as a model for environmental film festivals across the country and around the world.

For complete listings, including films screening at other venues, visit dceff.org.

No passes accepted.



The Marx Brothers

March 24–April 20, 2017


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With the advent of sound, Hollywood quickly prioritized comedians who could talk over the sublime pantomime and sight gags of the silent clowns. Enter a team of brothers who, starting out in their teens under the guidance of their hard-driving mother, had honed a vaudeville act that ran — and talked — circles around any other. The Marx brothers were led by the fast-talking, quick-witted and absurdly entertaining flim-flammer Groucho, and included the Italianate madcap Chico; the childlike Harpo, who famously did not talk; and the handsome straight man Zeppo, who like the fifth brother Gummo, eventually left the act to his more anarchically inclined brothers. The brothers' onscreen antics and wordplay are the stuff of legend, entertaining and inspiring audiences across generations. This retrospective of their finest films presents a rare opportunity to see them back on the big screen.

AFI Member passes accepted.



Kirk Douglas Centennial

March 10–April 23, 2017


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He's Spartacus! And Colonel Dax. And Whit Sterling, Midge Kelly, Chuck Tatum and Jonathan Shields. And Vincent van Gogh and Doc Holliday and Einar the Viking, too. The indomitable Kirk Douglas recently turned 100, and played approximately that many different roles during his seven decades in show business. Renowned for his on-screen intensity, his ability to play both conventional heroes and morally compromised anti-heroes with convincing gusto and, of course, for his trademark cleft chin, Douglas is a paragon of the post-WWII Hollywood leading man. This series presents some of Douglas' most notable films from across his wide-ranging and dynamic career.

AFI Member passes accepted.