May Updates
A month of learnings and licensing!
Hi everyone,
It probably won’ t surprise you to know tha tI’ve always been a rule follower, which has its ups and downs. The most recent (and relevant) downside, is that when I inquired about showing THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA for our craft-a-long night this upcoming Friday, Criterion Pictures told me the film wasn’t available until July 7, and to “please take down your Instagram post immediately.”
The goodie-two-shoes in me FREAKED out and complied. Luckily we were able to pivot and legally acquire the rights to screen THE PRINCESS DIARIES, but I’m still left with so many questions about this whole “licensing” thing.
Despite paying a couple hundred bucks to show the film, we still need to rent it on whatever streaming service has it. I (sort of) understand the concept of paying for the right to show a movie (though I think it should be heavily discounted if the movie is 20+ years old), but if I have to buy it anyway, why isn’t it available until July??
Much like ebook availability, this is something I just do not understand!! But if anyone reading this is a licensing wiz, or has thoughts/opinions/advice on how to go about this in the future, I’m all ears!
With that in mind, I can’t wait to craft and rewatch THE PRINCESS DIARIES with you all. Whether she’s a sad-girl pop star, a fashion intern, a bald prostitute, or a reluctant princess, Anne Hathaway is a star in everything she touches!
See ya at the movies,
Abbie
Editor’s Note
Hi all! With the spring’s biggest album release (“Mother Mary: Greatest Hits”) as my soundtrack, I write to you excited for another great month ahead for DC Movie Club events. I’m especially excited that my puppy, Bruce (named for the shark from “Jaws”), will be able to attend his first DCMC event at the end of the month at Aslin. So, if anyone needs another reason to come hang out with a great group of movie lovers at happy hour, you’ll also get to meet a 4-month-old Golden Retriever.
Can’t wait to see everyone there!
-Drew
Event Recaps:
Short Film Fest
DC Movie Club’s inaugural Short Film Fest took place on Sunday, April 26, and was a powerful celebration of the creativity of filmmakers in the DC area! Films spanned a range of genres and styles, from horror and comedy narrative films, to documentaries about communities within the city.
“Learning more about the filmmakers’ creative processes through their panels was such a cool way to engage with the DMV film scene,” said Casey Roepke, co-organizer of the Film Fest. “I was excited to overhear some new connections and potential collaborations being forged at the happy hour following the film fest!”
“What we saw in the wide range of shorts featured last Sunday is just a snippet of the amount of talent we know is here in the DC metro area,” said Malavika Sahai, co-organizer of the Film Fest. “I hope that folks continue seeking out ways to connect with and support filmmakers in the city.”
You can learn more about all featured films, and log them on Letterboxd here!
Film Takes on Tap
A note from Matthew Zernis, planner behind Film Takes on Tap:
”Thanks to everyone who attended our latest Film Takes on Tap presentation party, and a special thank you to Red Bear for their amazing hospitality. We hope you enjoyed the expertise of our incredible presenters!
To recap:
“From John Woo to John Wick: How Wuxia Transformed Modern Action Films” by James Lagasse traced the influence of wuxia from films like Dragon Inn to John Woo action movies such as A Better Tomorrow. The presentation highlighted the genre’s defining qualities, including tragedy, the knight-errant hero, and inn- or teahouse-style fights, and then showed how the John Wick films rework those traditions in their own modern language.
“Nagisa Ōshima and the Purpose of Art” by Avery Gagne explored the work of an underwatched Japanese director whose films constantly challenged both form and subject matter. The presentation traced Ōshima’s career from Cruel Story of Youth and Violence at Noon to In the Realm of the Senses and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, emphasizing how each film developed its own visual language while taking on a wide range of topics, including tradition, patriarchy, politics, and obscenity.
“Nowhere: Searching for Queer Love and Meaning During the Apocalypse” by Dorothy Tong explored the final film in Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, focusing on how one wild party becomes a portrait of young queer life in the 1990s. The presentation unpacked how the film uses apocalyptic imagery to capture the stigma and risk surrounding love and sex, while also reflecting on the feeling of being doomed and mourning a future that already feels lost.
Interested in presenting at an upcoming event? We’re currently seeking your most wonderfully bizarre or oddly specific topics — the sillier the better. Submit your idea here!
DC Movie Club Events
5/8: The Princess Diaries Craft-a-Long at Hook Hall
Join us at Hook Hall on Friday, May 8th for a special screening of the “The Princess Diaries”! Doors open at 6:30 and the screening starts at 7:30.
Your ticket covers the cost of entry and one drink from the bar. Feel free to bring your own craft, we just ask that you keep it mess free (crochet, embroidery, knitting, etc.!).
Don’t have a craft? No problem! Relume will be providing a free Floral Bookmark Bouquet craft for those who need one.
5/13: Movie Trivia at Penn Social
6 p.m. - Happy Hour
7-9 p.m. - Trivia
Trivia will start promptly at 7 p.m., so please come as early as 6 p.m. to find a team, take advantage of happy hour, and get settled. Solo players are welcome and encouraged -- if you need help finding a team, please find one of the hosts and we’ll be happy to help out.
5/19: Screening: IS GOD IS at Alamo Drafthouse
Happy hour: 5:30PM Alamo Drafthouse
Screening: 6:45PM
5/21: Genre Circle: Femme Fatales at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market
Wielding her feminine wiles and seduction, it’s impossible not to become ensnared by the femme fatale’s manipulation. Since her heyday, in the 1940s and 1950s, she has charmed the socks and pants off audiences for years. However, her status has no doubt been influenced by changes in women’s rights as they pursued education and careers and attained autonomy outside of male partners. How has this expansion in women’s rights impacted the archetype of the femme fatale? Is this an archetype even worth preserving?
We’ll be watching (at home on your own) & talking about “Decision to Leave” by Park Chan-wook (2022) and “Double Indemnity” by Billy Wilder (1944). As you watch the films, keep a close eye on how the noir genre has evolved in both the status of women and technology.
5/26: Screening: I LOVE BOOSTERS at Alamo Drafthouse
Happy Hour: 5:30 p.m.
Screening: 6:45 p.m.Additional theater added!
5/28: Happy Hour/Discussion at Aslin Brewery DC
6 p.m.-???
We’ve technically got happy hour most every week, but this event is purely for drinking and schmoozing. There will be some discussion questions around movies we’ve seen so far this year in case you need an ice breaker (or just want to discuss movies)!
The event is free, but please register just so we can keep an eye on numbers to keep the bar in the loop :)
Future Events
6/2: Screening | BACKROOMS
6/4: Outdoor Screening | SHE’S THE MAN
6/18: Genre Circle | Food & Nostalgia
6/25: Happy Hour/Discussion | TBD
Want to get involved? Volunteer to:
Screenings/Events Around Town
DC/DOX Announces the 2026 Signature Slate
DC/DOX has announced the Signature Slate for its fourth edition: four exceptional new documentaries that embody the power of nonfiction storytelling to illuminate culture, history, music, and sport.
The festival opens June 11 with GIVE ME THE BALL! (Liz Garbus & Elizabeth Wolff), an intimate portrait of tennis icon Billie Jean King, and closes with EARTH, WIND & FIRE (Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson), celebrating the legendary band and its visionary founder, Maurice White. The Centerpiece, SARA BAREILLES: GOOD GRIEF (Josh Alexander), follows the artist’s return to the studio after seven years, navigating grief, growth, and a new creative chapter, while THE LORRAINE (Sam Pollard) chronicles the extraordinary story of the Black family who transformed the Lorraine Motel into a vital center of culture, community, and civil rights history.
Pass holders can now reserve seats for these screenings ahead of the full lineup reveal on May 6, when single tickets go on sale.
AFI Silver - Series & Events Calendar
Alamo Drafthouse - May Throwback Screenings
Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market - Calendar
DC Outdoor Movies - Calendar
The Kennedy Center - Film Calendar
The Miracle Theater - Calendar
National Air and Space Museum - 50th Anniversary Film Series
National Gallery of Art - Film Calendar
National Museum of Asian Art - Film Calendar
Suns Cinema - Calendar
Have an event we should know about/you want to promote? Submit it here!
Letterboxd List of the Month
In honor of the Short Film Fest, which celebrated filmmakers from around the DC area, this Letterboxd list of the month highlights movies set in and around DC. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
Want to submit a review for a group screening? Use this form to submit your post-movie thoughts.