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DC Jewish Film Festival Underway

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The 23rd Washington Jewish Film Festival – one of the oldest and largest festivals of its kind – has returned to the district, with events running through January 13.

Curated by the Washington DC Jewish Community Center, the WJFF features 55 films at ten different venues. It includes a U Street short film pub crawl for the first time this year and a major pass discount for patrons 30 years old or younger.

A special focus on French cinema and a number of music-related films stand out in the 2013 lineup, including a retrospective on Lou Reed and a film detailing the founding of the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra.

There are also, of course, a few films in there inspired by Woody Allen.

The festival’s closing event on January 13 features a screening of Hava Nagila (The Movie) a documentary by Academy-Award nominated director Roberta Grossman which follows the famous song from its origins in Eastern European shtetls to worldwide familiarity.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (202) 777-3231. In addition to single tickets, WJFF will be offering full festival passes for the first time this year. Those passes run at $75, but are discounted to $30 for attendees 30 years old and younger.

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Two DC Short Film Festivals Collaborate On Humanitarian Film Screening

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‘popcorn and movie’
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The DC Shorts Film Festival and the Washington Jewish Film Festival have teamed up to present a collection of short films celebrating life and the stories that make it a “human experience”. You can catch this melding of two of the top names in DC film festivals Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Washington DCJCC and Thursday, Feb. 25 and the U.S. Navy Memorial. Both screenings start at 7 p.m. and last two hours.

The event is free and open to the general public. Please note: Reservations are highly recommended, according to the DC Shorts folks.

You can make reservations for the Tuesday and Thursday screenings online.