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This year is Filmfest DC’s 25th, and for a certain type of Washington filmgoer, it’s a valuable and reliable glimpse each April into the kinds of international films that don’t always earn theatrical releases here. For that same kind of filmgoer, it’s also an opportunity to dispense with a year’s worth of trips to the art house in 10 days.
We reviewed 33 films this year out of the festival’s lineup of more than 70, but what we found was that despite scattered excellence, a lot of this year’s slate was kind of underwhelming—-a symptom, I argue in my essay leading our coverage, of the festival’s internationalist but otherwise incoherent mission.
That’s not a warning to stay away. Part of the joy of a festival is trying on art that may not fit. And we’ve hopefully pointed you toward the best selections while leaving room for you to seek out some of your own favorites. Happy viewing.