Hurry Up, Silverdocs!
This is to be the registration area for Silverdocs, where attendees will pick up their passes. It used to be a storefront for Pyramid Atlantic to sell its arty tschotchkies, and apparently will be again once Silverdocs is over. But as of late afternoon Sunday, it still resembles a Tschotchky Hut more than a hip festival site. Other than some Silverdocs posters taped to the window, there’s not much in the way of happ’nin’ vibe. Perhaps the space doesn’t need to be anything more than a spot to store boxes of ID badges, but previous Silverdocs’ (Silverdocses?) paid attention to party detail. Not much time left to properly install a DJ booth, is there?
Silverdocs has always provided a “Cinema Lounge,” where all the doc wonks and hangers-on can cool out between screenings and networking. Last year, this Ellsworth Drive building was the lounge spot and it was quite handy, right across from the fountain, a quick jaunt from the Silver Theater and Discovery HQ. This year’s official watering hole has been designated to be the trendy Jackie’s Restaurant. But Jackie’s is nearly a mile north from festival central and all the locations (and competing restaurants) where film wonks will be getting their doc on.
I also recall open bar situations, which was much appreciated. Not sure how that will play out at Jackie’s. A shuttle is reputedly in the works—which will be a good thing should there be open bars. We shall see.
Tags: silver spring
June 15th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Four-tenths of a mile, Dave, and shuttle is happening. More importantly: Open bar happening too! I have a press release here someplace, if I may quote at length… Ah, here we go. This is only for passholders of course.
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Jackie’s Restaurant Selected as AFI Silverdocs 2009 “Cinema Lounge”
June 10, 2009–Jackie’s Restaurant is proud to announce it is a major sponsor of the AFI/Discovery Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival and will be donating the restaurant facilities to be used as the site for the 2009 Cinema Lounge. The social and entertainment hub of the festival, the Cinema Lounge is the primary location for Silverdocs parties, from daily happy hours for pass holders to hosted receptions for filmmakers, film production companies, film cast members and stars, press, and VIP’s.
Jackie’s, a critically recognized restaurant known for serving seasonal, local, organic American cuisine, has been considered one of DC’s top 100 restaurants since opening in 2004. Chef Sam Adkins will be creating unique nightly menus showcasing his commitment to fresh preparations of pristine ingredients to more than 1,000 invited guests at various receptions over the week long festival (June 15-22). “This is a chance to show visitors from all over the globe that DC ranks among the great food towns,” Chef Adkins commented. “This region has such wonderful local ingredients from some really fine farms, it’s a joy to cook here.”
Jackie’s hosts the Jury Welcome Dinner and the Jury Deliberation Dinners during the week, over which the jurors decide the winning films. Weekly highlights at the Cinema Lounge include:
Tuesday: Silverdocs conference kickoff party, followed by a reception hosted by the Maryland Film Office featuring an Eastern Shore inspired menu of local seafood, Maryland crab soup, and other specialties.
Wednesday: ACE Award in Films Reception (Humane Society) for which Chef Adkins has designed an inventive vegan menu based on local vegetables from Tuscarora Family Growers, and the Sheffield (England) Documentary Film Festival Reception featuring a twist on British pub food including housemade sausage for “bangers and mash.”
Thursday: Women Who Make Movies and Tribeca All Access happy hour
Friday: AFI hosted “block” party with a live country band on an outdoor stage in front of Jackie’s. The menu, grilled outdoors, will consist of good old fashioned Low Country cooking featuring local farms and grass fed Virginia beef.
Saturday: Closing Night Film Reception with Marion Barry with outdoor stage, live music, and a menu of Washington’s favorite foods, followed by the Closing Night After Party known for its home cooked midnight brunch.
The Cinema Lounge culminates with Silverdocs’ Closing Night parties. The night at Jackie’s kicks off with the reception for the Closing Night Film “The Nine Lives of Marion Barry” on Saturday, June 20 at 10 pm. Live DC go go music will set the tone for the evening’s tribute to Washington. The menu will feature DC soul food inspired with mini half smokes, “sardines, and pork and beans” - a salute to the song by DC go go legends the Junkyard Band - as well as Jackie’s Restaurant’s celebrated Southern fried chicken. Mayor Barry will be on hand, along with local pols, press, and guests.
Silverdocs wraps up with it’s traditional Closing Night After Party, sponsored by Jackie’s for the 3rd year, featuring a popular midnight brunch (housemade bacon, sausage patties, biscuits and bread, plus eggs, challah French toast, and more), and attended by up to 400 guests, including pass holders, festival award winners, film jurors, Silverdocs sponsors, and AFI staff, production crew, and volunteers celebrating the close of the festival.
This marks the 4th year Jackie’s Restaurant has sponsored Silverdocs, and signals its increased support to “major sponsor.” Jackie’s and the AFI have shared a close friendship since Jackie’s opened in 2004, commencing with Jackie’s hosting the East Coast Premier in 2005 of the Academy Award Winning Film “Crash,” with Director Paul Haggis and stars Brendan Frasier and Michael Pena in attendance, and continuing with numerous joint events sponsored by the restaurant in ensuing years. The Quarry House Tavern, also owned by the proprietors of Jackie’s Restaurant, returns as a Silverdocs sponsor for the 3rd consecutive year as the official Silverdocs “Late Night Lounge.”
Jackie’s Restaurant
8081 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-9700
http://www.jackiesrestaurant.com
http://www.silverdocs.com
http://www.quarryhousetavern.com
June 15th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Only 4/10ths?! Obviously, my sense of distance is skewed. Must be all those open bars.
Thanks for the elaboration. Hope to see you at one of the parties.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Wonder if the Quarry House’s infamous Tater Tots will be on offer at the Happy Hours…