How to Rock DC Shorts

Tickets will sell out so buy in advance HERE!

The DC Shorts Film Festival (September 9-16) will fill the Penn Quarter with local film aficionados. It’s a great opportunity to see fascinating short movies from around the world.

I’ve volunteered with DC Shorts Film Festival for more than five years. I’ve helped to select what films are included in the festival. I’ve welcomed filmmakers to DC Shorts and handed out goodie bags. I’ve moderated post-screening discussions and mingled with directors at behind the scenes parties. 

And I’m going to tell you how to get the most out of your DC Shorts experience.

Get your tickets early. Screenings will sell out, particularly the prime evening times. It’s best to get your tickets ahead of time using DC Shorts easy online ticketing system.

Attend the Grand Bash. Tickets to the opening night party are just $10. Featuring Grammy-nominated Hip Hop Artist Christylez Bacon, it will be a biggie.

Consider a VIP pass. Want to see everything, go everywhere and be, well, special? Then get a VIP pass.

Vote! Unlike some festivals, the audience picks the winners of DC Shorts. Following each screening, you’ll have a chance to vote for the films that you liked best.

Stay for the Q&A. Once the lights come on at the end of the screening, the audience gets to ask questions of the filmmakers. Want to know what equipment they used? Where they get their ideas? How much it cost to make their film? Now is your chance to get practical advice on how to make a movie.

Get your picture taken. There will be a small army of photographers documenting what goes on at DCShorts, from the parties to the screenings. Pictures are then posted to the DC Shorts account on Flickr. You might even get a photo with Johnny Depp.

Take the kids. While the evening shows certainly aren’t child-appropriate there are special daytime programs for the little ones. And they’re free!

Attend a seminar. The Angry Filmmaker, Kelley Baker, is pissed for a reason. He thinks that Los Angeles is a cesspool and that making a movie shouldn’t cost millions. Listen to his talk if you want your preconceptions about moviemaking blown apart.

Talk to filmmakers. This isn’t Hollywood. For many of the filmmakers accepted into the festival, this is their first film. They’re recent film school graduates or people who have been working for years on a cinematic labor of love. A lot of them are locals. You can find them at the parties or nervously hanging out in front of the theater, with filmmaker badges around their necks.

Volunteer! Can’t afford a ticket? Volunteer as an usher or photographer. Volunteers get tickets to one screening plus an invitation to the Grand Bash and a private post-event thank you party.

Use these tips to get the most out of your DC Shorts experience. It only comes around once a year - enjoy it!