MISSION & OBJECTIVE:
Beyond the red carpets, Oscar-nominated films, and world-class independent filmmakers, the Washington West Film Festival is a movement of hope.
Our audiences themselves become story-creators as we give 100% of all box office net proceeds to support organizations committed to the health, welfare and education access of children and their families.
Please refer to our Vimeo page, which provides select videos of our annual charity projects and provides insight into the work we are passionate about and committed to: https://vimeo.com/user9701277.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
"#2 10Best Film Festivals in North America" - USA Today
"50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" - MovieMaker Magazine
Anchored just west of the beautiful and diverse Washington, DC, the Washington West Film Festival invites filmmakers, film lovers, industry professionals, and media alike to experience a breathtaking autumn in and around one of the most influential places on earth. We are set to screen some of the best films 2024 has to offer.
In our first thirteen years, upon helping introduce the world to some of its favorite new films and earning attention from some of Hollywood’s biggest names, Washington West has emerged as a major up-and-coming festival. Washington West has screened films produced by Ava DuVernay, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Madonna, HBO, Universal Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios. The festival has hosted Q&A sessions with the legendary Academy Award-winning Robert Duvall, Star Wars original cast member Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), 9-time Emmy Award-winning Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep, Seinfeld), Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young (Arrival, Selma, Solo: A Star Wars Story), Academy Award-winning actor and musician Common, multi Grammy Award-winning record producer Clive Davis, Emmy Award-winning Modern Family actor Ty Burrell, Tony Hale (Toy Story 4, Veep, Arrested Development), Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), director/writer Tom Shadyac (Patch Adams, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty), Pulitzer Prize-winning Ron Suskind (Life, Animated), award-winning producer Bruce Cohen (Silver Linings Playbook, American Beauty), Bleed For This (Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart) director Ben Younger, Sound of Music stars Heather Menzies Urich and Nicholas Hammond, Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward, Phil Keogan (The Amazing Race), the cast of Back to the Future, and 7-time Emmy winning actor Ed Asner.
Some highlight moments from previous years include: In Conversation with Robert Duvall; In Conversation with Bradford Young & Common, a 40th anniversary screening of All The President’s Men with special guest Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Bob Woodward; an advanced screening of a never-before-seen Modern Family episode with Ty Burrell, Advanced Screening of Sundance-winner Burden (Forest Whitaker, Usher), DC premiere of Bleed For This (Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart); 30th anniversary screening of Back to the Future with special guests Christopher Lloyd and Bob Gale; a kid-focused voice acting workshop with Roger Bumpass (Squidward in Spongebob Squarepants) and Ed Asner (Mr. Frederickson in Up); a live, interactive scoring workshop with Golden Globe-winning composer W.G. Snuffy Walden (Nashville, Friday Night Lights, The West Wing); and a screening event at the National Press Club with NPC President and the Ambassador of Afghanistan.
In addition to catching the eye of those in the film industry, Washington West has also inspired sponsors like Leidos, AWS and Adobe to join in our endeavor.
Awards have included: Best Narrative Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Short Film Director, Audience Award Best Short Film, Audience Award Best Feature Documentary, Audience Award Best Feature Narrative, Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Outstanding Directorial Debut, Sun City Storyteller of Hope, Metropolitan Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Film of the Year, and the Laura Hillenbrand Outstanding Literary Award. Winners will be announced and presented at Awards Night Gala with a Washington West crystal award.