Silverdocs 2008: True Stories

FOR ALL THE TALK of Silver Spring's being revitalized, there still aren't a lot of reasons for people to venture out of the District or Virginia to enjoy the scene.

The AFI Silver Theatre is an exception to the Red Lobsters of Silver Spring's chain-dominated downtown, and its annual Silverdocs documentary film festival is the cinema's giant diamond tiara.

Silverdocs has been expanded to a week — it started on Monday — but the number of films (about 100) remains the same, meaning more screenings have been added for certain movies.

Washington Capitals owner and documentary film producer Ted Leonsis might be relatively new to the cinema scene, but the well-connected gent knows how special Silverdocs has become.

"What they're doing is very, very needed. ... It's incredibly important for nonfiction films," said last year's Silverdocs keynote speaker. "It's top tier. I would say Sundance, Tribeca, Silverdocs ... and South by Southwest, those are the ones that are all mentioned very highly" among American film festivals.

Leonsis' latest production, "Kicking It," screens at Silverdocs (Sat., 11:30 a.m.) before it opens in D.C. on June 27. Directed by local Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker Susan Koch, "Kicking It" covers the 2006 Homeless World Cup held in Cape Town, South Africa.

The compelling flick combines the drama of sport with the harsh realities of the homeless players who've trekked from across the world to participate in this potentially life-changing soccer competition.

Several other Washington-area filmmakers' work will appear at Silverdocs, too, including director Karim Chrobog's "War Child" (pictured at top), which profiles Sudanese child-soldier-turned-rap-artist Emmanuel Jai (Thu., 11:30 a.m.), and "A Powerful Noise" (Fri., 5:15 p.m.) — executive-produced by BET co-founder Sheila Johnson — which follows three women from Vietnam, Serbia and Mali who are making a difference in their communities.

There are also D.C.-Baltimore-related films, including "Kassim the Dream" (Fri., 10 p.m.; Sun, 5:15 p.m.) — which covers the journey of Ugandan child-soldier-turned-boxing-champ Kassim Ouma (pictured left), who trained at Virginia's Arlington Boxing Club — the short "You Cannot Hide From Allah" (Sat., 11:30 a.m.) — featuring former D.C. driver Ihsan Khan, who won a $54 million lottery jackpot and returned to his village in Pakistan to become mayor — and "Hard Times at Douglass High" (Fri. 2 p.m.), which chronicles a year at Baltimore's Frederick Douglass High School. (The movie debuts June 23 on HBO.)

"Hard Times" was directed by Alan and Susan Raymond, the pioneering documentarians whose "An American Family" was a "reality TV" smash in 1973. The entire series, plus two specials — 14 hours in all — will be screened during Silverdocs, culminating in a panel session (Sat., 12:30 p.m.) with the filmmakers.

Surprisingly, the Raymonds' work has never been in the six-year-old festival.

"This is our first time," Susan Raymond said. "We're very happy to be in Silverdocs; it's really thrilling for us."

» AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; through Mon.; 877-362-7849. (Silver Spring)

MORE SILVERDOCS COVERAGE ON READEXPRESS.COM
» "Hard Times at Douglas High" [interview with directors Alan and Susan Raymond]
» "Kicking It" [interview with producer Ted Leonsis]
» "Holy Land Hardball" [interview with directors Brett Rapkin and Erik Kesten]
» Screen for Your Health [profiles on health-related documentaries]

Photos courtesy AFI Silver