Taking Stock of the Docs

I would have mentioned these items last week, but I was caught up in a blog from a galaxy far, far away.

The slate for this year's Silverdocs film festival -- the third annual celebration of the documentary form, to be held June 14-19 at the AFI Silver Theatre -- was officially announced last Wednesday. There's lots of fun stuff to explore this year, including the opening night screening of "Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream"; a doc about Sweet Honey in the Rock; the "God Save the Dirty Joke" event, which includes a screening of "The Aristocrats"; and a film that I'm particularly looking forward to, "9:30 F Street," about the history of the 9:30 Club. Tickets for most films are $9 and a couple of outdoor events are free.

In other news, the line-up for this year's Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore (Aug. 12-21) is now official. Among the movies to be shown for free on the big outdoor screen adjacent to Rockville Pike: "Shrek 2," "Grease," "West Side Story," "Million Dollar Baby" and "Ray." Nothing says summer like sitting on a blanket and watching a movie while mosquitos nibble at your knees. Hey, isn't that a lyric from "Grease's" "Summer Nights?"

--Jen