The next week and a half is a big time for film festivals in D.C. The Washington Jewish Film Festival and the Capital Irish Film Festival start today,  and both conclude Dec. 11. Let’s take a look at each of them.

After the Cup” width=”250″ height=”145″ />Washington Jewish Film Festival
More than 50 events, including film screenings and filmmakers talks, will take place at 10 venues in D.C., as well as the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring.  As expected, there’s a number of films that address the Holocaust (2 or 3 Things I Know About Him, Das Kind, Gruber’s Journey, KZ,  A Pause in the Holocaust) and Arab relations (After the Cup, The Infidel, Jaffa, the shorts compilation Coffee—Between Reality and Imagination, and the TV series Arab Labor). But there are also stories about inconvenient love (Five Hours From Paris), dating on the other side of middle age (Sixty in the City), and the great American pastime (Jews and Baseball). La Rafle, which tells the story of the Nazi occupation of France, opens the festival tonight with a sold-out screening at the Avalon Theatre. Screenings are $10. Next week keep your eyes peeled on the blog for film reviews.

Capital Irish Film Festival
Though it also takes place over the course of 10 days, the Capital Irish fest is quite a bit smaller than its Jewish counterpart. Its 17 events take place at three venues throughout D.C., mostly the Goethe Institut. The films are mostly a mix of dramas and documentaries, with the odd comedy thrown in. My Brothers, the story of three young brothers who journey throughout the Irish countryside in a quest to find a watch for their dying father, opens the festival tonight at the E Street Cinema. Screenings are $10.