The DC Independent Film Festival’s lineup keeps things fresh

The festival includes a showing of “Snake River,” a 360-degree, full-immersion movie about mercenaries hired to retrieve a stolen biological weapon. (Emiliano Ruprah)

Deirdre Evans-Pritchard, director of the DC Independent Film Festival, knows you can go elsewhere for your movies.

“We are conscious that you can watch your movies at home in bed with your laptop, let alone on the bus on your way to work,” she says.

Festivals like hers have to offer something that is not compatible with an iPad. One standout attraction at this year’s event, which kicked off Wednesday, is “Snake River,” a 360-degree virtual-reality heist directed by Emiliano Ruprah, a grad student at American University. Audience members wear headsets that visually immerse them in the 20-minute film (which is showing Friday).

More important than that tech, Evans-Pritchard says, are the filmmakers. Part of DCIFF’s mission has always been to connect filmmakers — both with one another for professional development, and with their audiences. “All our screenings have a Q&A afterwards,” she says.

“All the feature directors are coming; all the directors of the feature documentaries are coming. That’s where we put our time, energy and cash.”

Expect quite a variety, says Evans-Pritchard, who is in her fourth year as the fest’s director.

“They are coming from a wider range of professions and life circumstances,” she says.

For example, some of the directors have to finish their homework before being allowed to work on their movie. “We have a high school film competition that’s now in its second year, and we received 150 applications for that,” she says. (The 14 films accepted will screen on Saturday.)

A large part of DCIFF’s continued success, Evans-Pritchard says, comes from having a bit more freedom than some other festivals.

“We only select from films that are submitted to us, [and] all films must be D.C. premieres,” she says. “[Then] we look at what we’ve picked, and then look at how to present it. Our audience knows our festival and trusts us to put on good films, fun events, discussion, music — anything interesting or weird that allows us to tap in and connect with audiences in ways that are, by definition, fresh.”

Independent Film Festival; through Sun., various locations, times and prices; see dciff-indie.org for details.

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