Amharic

 Beti and Amare

Directed by Andy Siege

(Ethiopia/Germany/Canada, 2014, 94 min.)

In 1936 Ethiopia, Beti, a young woman, has escaped Mussolini’s invading troops and found refuge in the peaceful south of Ethiopia with her uncle. But as the Italians march ever closer, Beti has to battle hunger, thirst and the unwelcome sexual advances of the local militia.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 14, 9:15 p.m.,

Mon., March 16, 9:20 p.m.

Triangle – Going to America

Directed by Theodros Teshome

(Ethiopia, 2014, 90 min.)

Kaleab and Jemal, like many of their fellow countrymen, are willing to risk everything in hopes of finding a better life in America. On the arduous journey, they meet the beautiful Winta, a fellow migrant from neighboring Eritrea. Kaleab and Winta fall in love and endure tragedy as they make their way from East Africa through Libya, Italy, Mexico and finally to America (opening night of the New African Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Thu., March 12, 7:15 p.m.,

Sat., March 14, 6:30 p.m.

Azerbaijani

 Ashik Kerib

Directed by Sergei Paradjanov

(U.S.S.R., 1988, 78 min.)

When Ashik Kerib, a poor singer and saz (Turkish guitar) player, is denied the hand of the woman he loves, he sets out on a 10-year journey (screens with “The Legend of Suram Fortress”).

Freer Gallery of Art

Sun., March 15, 3:45 p.m.

English

B’ella

Directed by Tawonga Taddja Nkhonjera

(Malawi, 2014, 111 min.)

In the small Malawi village that 17-year-old B’ella calls home, AIDS is an ever-present danger. She goes to school and struggles with teenage life and all its problems: stormy relationships with friends, jealousy and the yearning for love and intimacy.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sun., March 15, 2:30 p.m.,

Tue., March 17, 5:15 p.m.

Black November

Directed by Jeta Amata

(Nigeria/U.S., 2015, 96 min.)

A volatile, oil-rich Nigerian community wages war against their corrupt government and a multi-national oil corporation to protect their land from being destroyed by excessive drilling and spills.

AFI Silver Theatre

Fri., March 13, 9:30 p.m.,

Tue., March 17, 9:45 p.m.

Bye Bye Car

Directed by Martijn Kieft

(Netherlands, 2014, 50 min.)

Investigating the first spectacular signs of the future of mobility, director Martijn Kieft speaks with a variety of users, experts, business representatives and engineers to find out what they think the future of transportation has in store for us (Environmental Film Festival).

Royal Netherlands Embassy

Wed., March 18, 6 p.m.

Charlie’s Country

Directed by Rolf de Heer

(Australia, 2014, 108 min.)

Living in a remote Aboriginal community in northern Australia, Charlie is a warrior lost between two cultures and ways of life. Modern society offers survival but the government’s stranglehold restricts all his power and independence (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of Australia

Tue., March 17, 6:45 p.m.

A Dangerous Game

Directed by Anthony Baxter

(U.K., 2014, 98 min.)

Our ability to protect what’s left of our vanishing and fragile world is threatened when rapacious developers build golf courses on fragile and historically significant lands, often in cahoots with local officials (Environmental Film Festival).

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Wed., March 18, 7 p.m.

E-Waste Tragedy

Directed by Cosima Dannoritzer

(Spain, 2014, 86 min.)

Every year millions of tons of discarded electronic waste — computers, television sets, mobile phones, household appliances _ are shipped illegally to India, China or Africa (Environmental Film Festival).

Goethe-Institut

Wed., March 25, 6:30 p.m.

Four Corners

Directed by Ian Gabriel

(South Africa, 2013, 114 min.)

Thirteen-year-old chess prodigy Ricardo, fatherless and raised by his grandmother, finds himself at a crossroads, lured in equal measure by the thrill of the chessboard and the seductive prestige of joining a powerful street gang (English and Afrikaans).

AFI Silver Theatre

Fri., March 13, 7 p.m.,

Thu., March 19, 9:05 p.m.

An Honest Liar

Directed by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein

(U.S./Spain/Italy/Canada, 2014, 92 min.)

A story of cons and deceptions enacted for both good and evil, “An Honest Liar” follows the life of James “The Amazing” Randi, a world-renowned magician, escape artist and master skeptic who has entertained and educated the world for over 50 years.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Opens Fri., March 20

Journey to the Safest Place on Earth

Directed by Edgar Hagen

(Switzerland, 2013, 100 min.)

Lethal, highly radioactive nuclear waste from decades of nuclear power use will remain toxic for centuries. Locating a final repository for the most dangerous waste man has ever produced is one of the great challenges facing the world today (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of Switzerland

Thu., March 19, 6 p.m.

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story

Directed by Grant Baldwin and Jen Rustemeyer

(Canada, 2014, 75 min.)

Nearly 50 percent of food, worth billions of dollars, is discarded in North America each year. The film explores our nation’s systemic and ruinous obsession with expiration dates and perfect produce, ultimately revealing the devastating consequences of our habits across the globe (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of France

Wed., March 25, 7 p.m.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner

(U.S., 2015, 105 min.)

A Japanese woman discovers a VHS copy of “Fargo” and, believing it to be a treasure map of a hidden stash of money, escapes her life in Tokyo for the frozen tundra of North Dakota in search of fortune (English and Japanese).

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Opens Fri., March 27

Lago Enriquillo … A Prelude to Climate Change

Directed by Fernando Báez

(Dominican Republic, 2014, 73 min.)

Flora, fauna and legends are overshadowed by the effects of climate change in the largest lake in the Antilles (Environmental Film Festival).

GALA Hispanic Theatre

Wed., March 20, 8 p.m.

Love Hunter

Directed by Branislav Bala and Nemanja Bala

(U.S., 2014, 86 min.)

Manhattan cab driver, who is an idolized rock ‘n’ roll icon and political activist back home in Serbia, spends nights behind the wheel to finance his faltering dream of achieving musical stardom.

West End Cinema

Thu., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

Marmato

Directed by Mark Grieco

(Colombia, 2014, 87 min.)

The small Colombian mining town of Marmato sits on $20 billion dollars in gold and the new global gold rush miners have taken notice (English and Spanish; Environmental Film Festival).

National Museum of Natural History

Sat., March 28, 12 p.m.

Merchants of Doubt

Directed by Robert Kenner

(U.S., 2014, 96 min.)

This documentary lifts the curtain on a secretive group of highly charismatic, silver-tongued pundits-for-hire who present themselves in the media as scientific authorities, yet have the contrary aim of spreading maximum confusion about well-studied public threats ranging from toxic chemicals to pharmaceuticals to climate change.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Opens Fri., March 13

Monsoon

Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson

(Canada/France, 2014, 106 min.)

The annual rains that descend upon India alternately result in disastrous and beneficial impacts on Indian society, economy, agriculture and individual lives (Environmental Film Festival).

National Museum of Natural History

Fri., March 27, 7:15 p.m.

Population Boom

Directed by Werner Boote

(Austria, 2013, 87 min.)

The world’s current total of 7 billion residents might double in 61 years. The production of food and consumer goods would have to increase considerably to satisfy the new demand, and the amount of refuse and pollution would grow as well (English and German; Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of Austria

Wed., March 25, 7:30 p.m.

Queen and Country

Directed by John Boorman

(U.K./France/Romania, 2015, 115 min.)

A decade after a young Bill Rohan rejoiced in the destruction of his school by an errant Luftwaffe bomb, he begins basic training in the early 1950s, during the Korean War. He is joined by a trouble-making army mate, but they never get near Korea, instead engaging in a constant battle of wits.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Opens Fri., March 13

Riverblue

Directed by David McIlvride

(Canada, 2015, 83 min.)

Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, blue jean manufacturing has destroyed rivers and distressed the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival (Environmental Film Festival).

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Sun., March 22, 3 p.m.

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Directed by John Madden

(U.S./U.K., 2015, 122 min.)

The gang of British retirees reunites as hotel owner Sonny pursues his expansionist dreams in India, making more claims on his time than he has available while romance blooms for his tenants.

Angelika Mosaic

Opens Fri., March 6

See No Evil

Directed by Jos de Putter

(Netherlands, 2014, 70 min.)

Three retired apes: a film star, a scientist and a cripple look back at their lives and the intriguing relationship between humans and apes in this poetic, painful documentary (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of France

Tue., March 24, 7 p.m.

Thule Tuvalu

Directed by Matthias von Gunten

(Switzerland, 2013, 98 min.)

With Thule’s glacial ice melting at record levels and Tuvalu’s landmass sinking below the rising sea, the inhabitants must respond to climate change or perish (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of France

Mon., March 23, 7 p.m.

Veve

Directed by Simon Mukali

(Kenya/Germany, 2014, 95 min.)

This film follows the lives of multiple characters trying to find themselves in a world of political intrigue, revenge, love and longing for success — set against the backdrop of the thriving yet unregulated veve business (veve, or chat, is a mildly narcotic East African crop).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sun., March 15, 9 p.m.,

Thu., March 19, 7:10 p.m.

What We Do in the Shadows

Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi

(New Zealand, 2014, 96 min.)

In this hilarious comedy, an endearingly unhip quartet of flatmates — and vampires — squabble over household chores, struggle to keep up with the latest trends, antagonize the local werewolves and deal with the rigors of living on a very, very strict diet.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Where the Road Runs Out

Directed by Rudolf Buitendach

(Equatorial Guinea/South Africa/Netherlands, 2014, 91 min.)

From an illustrious scientific career in the lecture halls of Europe, professor George Mensa finds himself back in Africa when a friend unexpectedly passes away. Inheriting a field station in the mosquito-infested jungle, George soon learns that challenges come in all sizes — especially when a local orphan boy shows up at his doorstep.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sun., March 15, 4:45 p.m.,

Wed., March 18, 8:30 p.m.

Finnish

My Stuff

(Tavarataivas)

Directed by Petri Luukkainen

(Finland, 2013, 80 min.)

Petri is in the middle of an existential crisis when he decides to start an experiment on himself: He puts all his belongings in a storage container and for one year, allows himself to retrieve only one item per day (Environmental Film Festival).

Embassy of Finland

Wed., March 18, 6:30 p.m.

Flemish

The New Wilderness

Directed by Mark Verkerk and Ruben Smit

(Netherlands, 2013, 94 min.)

In one of the most densely populated and manipulated countries of Europe lies the Oostvaardersplassen, a unique experiment in letting nature run wild. This documentary charts the cycle of life through the course of four seasons in this thriving, verdant wetland (Flemish and Dutch; Environmental Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 28, 3:10 p.m.

French

The Fox and the Child

(Le renard et l’enfant)

Directed by Luc Jacquet

(France, 2007, 92 min.)

A 10-year-old girl sees a fox up close on the way to school. He sits as she watches. Over the summer, while following the fox, the girl lives through many adventures and learns to appreciate the beauty of the natural world (Environmental Film Festival).

West End Cinema

Sun., March 22, 12 p.m.

Goodbye to Language 3D

(Adieu au langage)

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

(Switzerland/France, 2014, 70 min.)

Jean-Luc Godard’s sensorially immersive experience employs verbal and visual poetry via 3D technology to mind-expanding effect, as a married woman and a single man meet. They love, they argue, fists fly, a dog strays between town and country, the seasons pass and then a second film begins — the same as the first, and yet not.

Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Opens Fri., March 20

Left Foot, Right Foot

Directed by Germinal Roaux

(Switzerland/France, 2013, 105 min.)

Marie, 19, is attracted to easy money and, without realizing it, becomes involved in prostitution. She doesn’t tell her friend Vincent, a nonchalant 21-year-old skater who owes everyone money and just can’t seem to grow up — both of them caught up in a society where money, appearance and perpetual self-delusion are everything.

West End Cinema

Tue., March 10, 7 p.m.

March of the Penguins

Directed by Luc Jacquet

(France/U.S., 2005, 80 min.)

Emperor penguins overcome formidable obstacles to return to their breeding grounds for mating season in this Oscar-winning film by Luc Jacquet (French and English; Environmental Film Festival).

Avalon Theatre

Sat., March 21, 10:30 a.m.

National Diploma

Directed by Dieudo Hamadi

(Congo/France, 2014, 92 min.)

Filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi follows a group of young Congolese high school students struggling to graduate and pass their exam in this captivating documentary (French and Lingala).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 14, 12:45 p.m.,

Wed., March 18, 5:15 p.m.

Run

Directed by Philippe Lacôte

(Côte d’Ivoire/France, 2014, 102 min.)

In his ambitious narrative feature debut, director Philippe Lacôte balances fantasy with vérité to illuminate the frayed world of a fatherless young man growing up in the Ivory Coast.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 14, 2:45 p.m.,

Mon., March 16, 7:15 p.m.

Soleils

Directed by Dani Kouyaté

(Burkina Faso/France, 2014, 96 min.)

Part road trip through time, part heroine’s journey through memory, this film is a beautifully rendered meditation on the wisdom of Africa, as a young woman is initiated into the roots and legacy of her heritage.

AFI Silver Theatre

Sun., March 15, 6:45 p.m.,

Mon., March 16, 5:15 p.m.

Timbuktu

Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako

(France/Mauritania, 2014, 97 min.)

Mauritania’s first-ever official entry for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award consideration looks at the brief occupation of Timbuktu by militant religious fundamentalists. Not far from Timbuktu, Kidane lives peacefully in the dunes with his family, but their destiny changes when Kidane accidentally kills the fisherman who slaughtered his beloved cow and he has to face the new laws of the foreign occupants (French, Arabic, Bambara, English and Songhay).

Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Gallegan

Costa da Morte

Directed by Lois Patiño

(Spain, 2015, 81 min.)

In this stunningly photographed documentary, craftsmen wage an intimate battle while fishermen and loggers dig into the mystery of the landscape interwoven with the region’s history and legends (Environmental Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Mon., March 23, 7:10 p.m.

Georgia

Blind Dates

Directed by Levan Koguashvili

(Georgia, 2013, 95 min.)

A shining example of contemporary Georgian cinema, this romantic tragicomedy tells the story of forty-something Sandro, who lives with his parents and has no luck finding love while his best friend meets and dates various women.

Freer Gallery of Art

Fri., March 20, 7 p.m.

The Legend of Suram Fortress

Directed by Sergei Paradjanov and Dodo Abashidze

(U.S.S.R., 1985, 82 min.)

Based on a Caucasus Mountains legend that tells of the Georgian people’s efforts to construct a fortress against invaders, a fortune-teller recalls a prophecy that a handsome young man must be walled inside alive their fortress in order for the building to stand. The son of her own lover is the sacrificial lamb (screens with “Ashik Kerib”).

Freer Gallery of Art

Sun., March 15, 2 p.m.

The Way Home

Directed by Aleksandr Rekhviashvili

(U.S.S.R., 1981, 83 min.)

The way home for director Aleksandr Rekhviashvili is not charted in the conventional sense. It takes the viewer along some peculiar roads: Georgian history and legend, politics and social stratification, religion and ethics, wrapped in an allusive, stylized allegory from beginning to end.

Freer Gallery of Art

Fri., March 13, 7 p.m.

The Wishing Tree

Directed by Tengiz Abuladze

(U.S.S.R., 1977, 107 min.)

Folklore and legend shape this pastoral film set in a picturesque, pre-Revolution Georgia. Spanning four seasons in the lives of an assortment of village characters, more than twenty moral tales are folded into the narrative, centering on a beautiful young woman forced to marry a man she does not love.

Embassy of France

Tue., March 31, 7 p.m.

Gujarati

My Name Is Salt

Directed by Farida Pacha

(Switzerland, 2013, 92 min.)

For eight months of the year in India’s saline desert, Chhanabhai and his family live here without water, electricity or provisions, tirelessly working the salt fields. After months of rhythmic labor, they must harvest the salt before heavy monsoon rains wash their industry away (Environmental Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 28, 5:15 p.m.

Hebrew

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Directed by Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz

(Israel/Germany/France, 2014, 115 min.)

An Israeli woman seeking to finalize a divorce (gett) from her estranged husband finds herself effectively put on trial by her country’s religious marriage laws, in this powerhouse courtroom drama (Hebrew, French and Arabic).

Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Japanese

Appleseed: Alpha

Directed by Shinji Aramaki

(Japan, 2013, 93 min.)

In this prequel to the “Appleseed” anime films, female soldier Deunan and her hulking cyborg partner Briareos roam a World War III-ravaged New York in search of the legendary city of Olympus, mankind’s last hope (screens with “Harlock: Space Pirate”).

Freer Gallery of Art

Sat., March 28, 3 p.m.

Grave of the Fireflies

(Hotaru no haka)

Directed by Isao Takahata

(Japan, 1988, 89 min.)

With their mother killed and father missing during World War II, two siblings fight for survival in an abandoned shelter and find respite and entertainment from fireflies lighting the sky overhead in this animated film (Environmental Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sat., March 21, 7 p.m.

Harlock: Space Pirate

Directed by Shinji Aramaki

(Japan, 2013, 115 min.)

This 3D sci-fi adventure with eye-popping CGI effects tells the story of a mysterious loner who battles the malevolent Gaia Coalition, which is bent on ruling the universe (screens with “Appleseed: Alpha”).

Freer Gallery of Art

Sat., March 28, 11 a.m.

Pom Poko

Directed by Isao Takahata

(Japan, 1994, 119 min.)

A community of magical, shape-shifting raccoon dogs desperately struggles to prevent their forest home from being destroyed by urban development (Environmental Film Festival).

AFI Silver Theatre

Sun., March 22, 1 p.m.

Sunshine Ahead

Directed by Toshio Lee

(Japan, 2010, 120 min.)

Kenji quits his job to grow and transplant coral in his hometown of Okinawa, attempting to revive the reefs, protect this resource for his children and change people’s view of the ocean (Environmental Film Festival).

Japan Information and Culture Center

Fri., March 27, 6:30 p.m.

Russian

Tangerines

Directed by Zaza Urushadze

(Georgia, 2013, 83 min.)

An elderly civilian finds himself caring for two wounded soldiers on opposite sides of battle in this Oscar-nominated antiwar parable, set during the notorious 1992 Georgian-Abkhazian conflict (Russian and Estonian).

Freer Gallery of Art

Sun., March 22, 2 p.m.

Swahili

White Shadow

Directed by Noaz Deshe

(Tanzania/Germany/Italy, 2013, 117 min.)

Alias, a young albino boy on the run after witnessing his father’s murder, is sent to find refuge in the city, far from the witch doctors who offer thousands of dollars for albino body parts (Swahili and English).

AFI Silver Theatre

Tue., March 17, 7:25 p.m.,

Thu., March 19, 5:15 p.m.