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In the timely thriller 99 Homes, charismatic and ruthless businessman Rick Carver (Michael Shannon, Take Shelter, Boardwalk Empire) is making a killing by repossessing homes -gaming the real estate market, Wall Street banks and the U.S. government. When he evicts Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield), a single father trying to care for his mother (Laura Dern) and young son (Noah Lomax), Nash becomes so desperate to provide for his family that he goes to work for Carverthe very man who evicted him in the first place. Carver promises Nash a way to regain his home and earn security for his family, but slyly seduces him into a lifestyle of wealth and glamour. It is a deal-with-the-devil that comes with an increasingly high coston Carver’s orders, Nash must evict families from their homes. As Nash falls deeper into Carver’s web, he finds his situation grows more brutal and dangerous than he ever imagined. Directed and co-written by Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo).

A spellbinding mystery of identity, illusion and deception unfolds against the turmoil of post-World War II Germany in the stunning new film from acclaimed writer/director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Jerichow). Berlin, 1945: Nelly (Nina Hoss, A Most Wanted Man), a German-Jewish, ex-nightclub singer, has survived a concentration camp. But, like her country, she is scarred, her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with a new face, one similar but different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesnt recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have been the one who betrayed her to the Nazis. Submerged in shadowy atmosphere and the haunted mood of post-war Berlin, Phoenix weaves a complex, Hitchcockian tale of a nations tragedy and a womans search for answers as it builds towards an unforgettable, heart-stopping climax. (Partially subtitled)

Advance tickets may be purchased here: https://www.landmarktheatres.com/Booking/bethesda-row-cinema/1991090 Bethesda Row theatre features assigned seating. The host will be sitting in row F, but feel free to sit wherever you like. The group will meet back in the upstairs lobby after the film before proceeding to dinner.

This showcase runs approximately 90 minutes and includes all of the films listed on the page. These films are appropriate for ages 15+.

Tickets must be pre-purchased at: http://festival.dcshorts.com/screening_category/showcase-6/

Synopsis of shorts:

Chasing Daycare Comedy Germany 15 minutes A successful businesswoman desperately tries to get her unborn child into daycare.

Good Morning Comedy Poland 10 minutes After hanging himself, a man finds himself in a bizarre, shared afterlife.

The Dive Drama France 7 minutes A young boy, embarrassed by his inability to swim, discovers a way to get out of a swimming lesson.

An Unlikely Correspondence Documentary Experimental United States 4 minutes A teacher’s written correspondence with a death row inmate has profound implications for both parties.

The Fly Comedy United Kingdom 7 minutes While waiting for his accomplices, a getaway driver is tormented by a persistent fly.

The Last Girl Drama Denmark 14 minutes A man chooses to live a life that manifests his true self – and realizes he will also suffer a great loss.

The Wait: A Mural by Nekisha Durrett Documentary United States 12 minutes A local artist paints a gentrification-inspired mural on the side of a Park View diner.

Monster Animation Horror/Suspense United States 10 minutes Despite warnings, five little girls wander into the forbidden swamp forest and become lost.

Election Night Drama United States 12 minutes Waiting for poll results on election night, a political family must deal with more pressing matters.

Tickets must be pre-purchased at: http://festival.dcshorts.com/screening_category/showcase-6/

With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat — called the Syndicate — soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.

In the acerbic comedy Grandma, Lily Tomlin stars as Elle Reid, a misanthropic grandmother who has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend. Thats when her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) unexpectedly shows up needing $600 before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash by making unannounced visits to old friends and flamesrattling skeletons and digging up secrets in the process. Also starring Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, Sam Elliott, Nat Wolff and John Cho, Grandma is written and directed by Paul Weitz (About a Boy, In Good Company, American Pie).

Landmark Bethesda Row features assigned seating. Tickets may be purchased here: https://www.landmarktheatres.com/Booking/bethesda-row-cinema/1900291 The group will be sitting in row F, but if you prefer to sit elsewhere we will meet back in the upstairs theatre lobby after the movie ends to proceed to dinner.

In Mistress America, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig) – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes.

The End of the Tour tells the story of the five-day interview between novelist and Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallaces groundbreaking epic novel, Infinite Jest. As the days go on, a tenuous yet intense relationship seems to develop between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave around each other, sharing laughs and also possibly revealing hidden frailtiesbut its never clear how truthful they are being with each other. Ironically, the interview was never published, and five days of audio tapes were packed away in Lipskys closet. The film is based on Lipskys critically acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter, written following Wallaces 2008 suicide. Both Segel and Eisenberg reveal great depths of emotion in their performances and the film is directed with humor and tenderness by James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now), from Pulitzer Prize-winner Donald Margulies insightful and heartbreaking screenplay.

Mr. Holmes is a new twist on the world’s most famous detective. 1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days tending to his bees, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger. Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement, and searches for answers to the mysteries of life and love – before it’s too late.

TRAILER ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (PG13) 1 hrs, 44 mins RELEASE: 06/12/2015 CAST: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, R.J. Cyler, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal, Connie Britton DIRECTOR: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the uniquely funny, moving story of Greg (Thomas Mann), a high school senior who is trying to blend in as anonymously as possible, avoiding deeper relationships as a survival strategy for navigating the social minefield that is teenage life. He even describes his constant companion Earl (R.J. Cyler), with whom he makes short film parodies of classic movies, as more of a ‘co-worker than a best friend. But when Gregs mom (Connie Britton) insists he spend time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke)a girl in his class who has just been diagnosed with cancerhe slowly discovers how worthwhile the true bonds of friendship can be. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Tickets may be purchased in advance here: https://www.landmarktheatres.com/Booking/west-end-cinema/1778142

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.