This weekend’s Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival will feature 25 films in 27 languages. Explore film, food, culture and community all weekend long across the D.C. region.
Travel without a plane ticket at the 11th annual Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival.
The event, which runs Thursday through Sunday, features 25 films in 27 languages from 14 regions of the world. All of the programs are free with locations across the District.
This year brings more directors, producers and writers than usual to the festival in person and virtually for Q&As following the screenings. One of the films, “La Raya,” is about a mysterious refrigerator that triggers strange events, while the story features themes like migration and belonging.
There is also “Imaginero,” a 1970 ethnobiography of self-taught woodcarver and painter Hermógenes Cayo, by filmmaker Jorge Prelorán.
Another notable film at this year’s event is “Runa Simi,” a documentary about a father and son with a mission to translate “The Lion King” into Quechua, an endangered language spoken in six countries of the Andes mountains.
“Hopefully, it would leave you with a sense of how your language is worthy, how your language is part of your identity and how it also has a place at the table where that language can participate in places like festivals like ours,” festival co-director Amalia Cordova said of “Runa Simi.”
Find the full festival schedule on the official website here.
Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the DC area.
Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area:
DC
Comedy Across the River
As part of their Culture Series of events, the Southeast D.C. location of Busboys and Poets is hosting a comedy event Thursday. The event includes stand-up performances, plus a panel discussion after.
Black History Film Festival
Celebrate Black history through film, art, music and culture Friday at the Lincoln Theatre. The Black History Film Festival is free to attend with 15 film projects featured.
Cupid’s Undie Run
This Saturday, the Cupid’s Undie Run event is returning to The Wharf for underwear-clad participants to walk or run with the goal to fundraise for the fight against neurofibromatosis. A party follows at Union Stage.
Year of the Horse Festival
The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum are hosting a free Lunar New Year event on Saturday with traditional dance performances and family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon.
Lunar New Year Parade
Head to D.C.’s Chinatown this Sunday for the Lunar New Year Parade. Expect vibrant cultural performances, a special ceremonial program and a firecracker finale, hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Maryland
Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week
From Thursday through March 1, savor the best, most cost-efficient restaurant specials possible in Bethesda, Maryland. Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week includes deals for $10, $20 and $35 with nearly 40 businesses participating this year.
“The Alchemist”
The Lumina Theatre Group is presenting “The Alchemist,” a hilarious farce first performed in 1610, written by Ben Jonson. Featuring a series of ridiculous disguises and a timely appearance from the Queen of the Fairies, the show can be seen at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre on Thursday through Saturday.
The Black Business Collective Bazaar
Shop from a wide selection of Black-owned businesses in honor of Black History Month. National Harbor is presenting the bazaar with free admission this Saturday.
Virginia
Lunar New Year Celebration
At Rosslyn’s Central Place Plaza, expect an early evening Lunar New Year celebration with traditional dance performances, photo souvenirs and a variety of vendors. The event on Thursday is free to attend.
Garage Racing National Championships
Get your bike helmets ready because National Landing in Arlington, Virginia, is set to host the annual Garage Racing National Championships on Saturday. This championship involves 10 bicycle races throughout the day across two levels of an underground parking garage. It’s more of a fun party than a fierce competitive battle, and spectators can attend for free.
“The Everyday Supernatural”
This Profs & Pints event at Highline RxR bar in Crystal City will leave guests wondering about the unknown. On Sunday, English professor at George Mason University, Benjamin Gatling, is presenting a talk on “how the supernatural isn’t something strange or extraordinary.” Tickets cost approximately $15 per person.
RacletteFest
Say cheese! Cheesetique in Alexandria, Virginia’s Del Ray neighborhood is celebrating all things melted at RacletteFest. From Sunday through March 15, the restaurant offers a limited-time menu of lodge-inspired cocktails, warm pretzels and entrees featuring raclette cheese.
Warrenton Restaurant Week
Starting Monday, Warrenton Restaurant Week begins with a variety of restaurants participating with specials through March 1.
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