Gaithersburg Film Festival 2026 – Friday Opening Night Reception and Short Film Block

Gaithersburg
Film Festival – April 10, 2026

Friday
Opening Night Reception and Short Film Block 

This
pass includes access to the opening night reception and the short film block
featuring documentary films Steeped in Time and Natural Capital,
along with narrative shorts Dobrina, Night Light, Mandy's
Voice, The Hitman's Laundromat, and Sip. The evening
concludes with a post‑screening talkback panel with with Steeped in Time,
Natural Capital, and The Hitman's Laundromat. Recommended for audiences 18 and older. Online
sales end one hour prior to the listed performance time. If available, tickets
may be purchased in person at the Arts Barn or by calling the Arts Barn box
office at 301-258-6394. Box office hours are Tue-Sat 1-5 p.m. and one hour
prior to the performance. ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

 6:30 p.m. – Opening
Night Reception
 7:30 p.m. – Short Film Block

 9:00
p.m. – Filmmaker Panel/Talkback with Steeped in Time, Natural
Capital, and The Hitman's Laundromat

See film
descriptions below

Steeped
in Time

Director: Linus Manchester | Country of Origin:
United States | Runtime: 3:58

Synopsis:
Mark Adler is fascinated by details. He spent decades as a
lawyer, where focus and patience held high-stakes consequences. But in
retirement, Mark’s love for details found an unexpected outlet: painting on
recycled tea bags.

Natural
Capital

Director: Kevin Cartwright| Country of Origin:
United States | Runtime: 27:09

Synopsis:
Washington, DC is widely known for its political side. But
its natural side has a rich story of its own. For hundreds of years, the land
beneath the nation’s capital was celebrated for its beauty and ecological
diversity. Over time, however, it faced extensive deforestation, agriculture,
and urbanization. Today, thanks to the sustained efforts of those committed to
its restoration, DC’s natural landscape is slowly but steadily making a
comeback.

Dobrina

Director: Hannes Rall | Country of Origin:
Germany| Runtime: 5:00

Synopsis:
In a sun-drenched New Mexican town, a fiery love triangle
ignites, told through the enchanting silhouettes of Lotte Reiniger against the
vibrant backdrop of a Sergio Leone Western.

Night
Light

Director: Luke Baker | Country of Origin: United
States | Runtime: 4:35

Synopsis:
A young woman, feeling the pressures of the outside world,
has a panic attack while trying to fall asleep. Now, she must look for the
light to overcome her struggle.

Mandy's
Voice

Director: Roxanna Lewis | Country of Origin:
United States | Runtime: 9:59

Synopsis:
Mandy, a curious and intelligent nonspeaking girl with
autism, struggles to communicate. Her mother is desperate to provide the
necessary tools for survival in a world where, if one is perceived as without a
voice, one is perceived as invisible. Lives are changed and bonds strengthen as
both daughter and mother take on seemingly endless challenges to move beyond a
life where Mandy feels isolated and locked inside her body with a voice
unheard.

The
Hitman's Laundromat

Director: Kelly Kimbis | Country of Origin: United States | Runtime: 14:33

Synopsis:
Cassie Cosenza, hitman and daughter of a notorious crime
boss, faces a moral roadblock when she's ordered to kill her uncle in his
beloved laundromat. Her faith and family bonds are tested in an exploration of
genre conventions, loyalty and love.

Sip

Director: Rachel Chelsea Foster| Country of Origin:
United States | Runtime: 15:58

Synopsis:  After finding
herself living in a reality far different than the one she once imagined, a
young woman reflects on her journey to motherhood and grieves the life she lost
along the way.