The popular DC Shorts Film Festival September 9-16 offers almost 100 comedies, documentaries, dramas, animations, and other films by local, national, and foreign filmmakers.

DC Shorts Film Festival, now in its seventh year, was named “Best Festival” by “Washington City Paper” in its 2009 "Best of D.C.” Readers' Poll, and “one of 25 festivals worth the fee,” by "MovieMaker" Magazine.

The films, from one to 20 minutes long, range in subjects from celebrity to elderly, Asian to African American, Jewish (you’ve just gotta see “Kosher Pig” and “Banana Bread”); Family friendly to midnight madness; LGBT; war; environmental, disability…

The fest is long on parties, too. At the opening night Celebrity Party Thursday September 9, mingle with more than 150 filmmakers, plus actors live and in wax, at Madame Tussaud’s.

On Friday September 10, join a “Grand Bash” with dancing at DC’s US Navy Memorial Plaza. Entertainment’s by Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Chistyles Bacon, ska band The Thrilltones, the 1980s band Eva Brontosaurus, and more.

Tix for each party are $10 -- must be 21 or older.

Headlining both evenings will be Oscar® winner Roger Ross Williams. He’ll screen his 2010 Best Documentary Short, “Music for Prudence”, on September 10 at 5 PM, followed by a Q&A session, and the bash at 9 PM.

“Music for Prudence” is a documentary about severely disabled Zimbabwean singer/songwriter Prudence Mabhena, who offers a message of hope through her music and her hauntingly beautiful voice.

Here’s a short sampling of the other shorts:
• “Gayby” (Comedy) -- A permanently single woman persuades her gay best friend to make a baby -- the old fashioned way.
• “Snowpocalyse: Day 6” (Experimental) – One family copes uniquely with confinement forced by last winter’s huge snowstorms.
• “Cigarette Candy” (Drama) – A traumatized teen Marine is forced to play the hero at his homecoming party.
• “Enter the Beard” (Documentary) – World Beard and Mustache Championships 2009.
• “Til My Voice Is Gone” (Music video with Ed Asner) – Love can happen, even in a nursing home.
• “The Cow Who Wanted to Be A Hamburger” (Animation) – Tragic tale of a bovine seduced by advertising.
• “I Got Mail” (Music Video) – Ever wondered what’d happen if you responded to all your spam e-mail?
• “Katrina’s Son” (Drama) – After losing his grandmother during Hurricane Katrina, a young boy searches for the mother who abandoned him.

The selections were chosen by 130 judges -- among the 800 films that were submitted.

The filmmakers can see the judges’ scores and comments, ranging from “’This is the best I’ve ever seen’ to ‘You’re the devil and I hate you,’” said festival director, founder, and filmmaker Jon Gann.

This festival has seminars, a retreat, free lodging, food and transportation for filmmakers, plus a large scriptwriting conference and competition.

So, to quote the 89-year-old man who farms a downtown Silver Spring, MD one-acre “Corner Plot” (film title), “You don’t get ‘em any better than that, no matter where you go.” Although he was talking about his red peppers, it’s true too of these red-hot films and the entire DC Shorts Film Festival.

For more info and tickets: DC Shorts Film Festival, www.dcshorts.com. Schedule, plot synopses, and tickets, http://www.dcshorts.com/complete-schedule. Two screening locations: Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and United States Navy Memorial Plaza and Burke Theater, 710 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Tickets for individual shows are $12; passes to multiple shows begin at $30 for three shows.