Morning Notes
Highest Percentage of Commuters in U.S. — At 76.6 percent of its total workforce, Arlington County has the highest percentage of commuters in the nation. Arlington is even ahead of D.C. (71 percent) and New York City (69.5 percent). Nearly 150,000 people commute into Arlington on a typical weekday, and most don’t pay any county taxes. [Governing]
Taste of Arlington Road Closures — A number of roads in Ballston, including a stretch of Wilson Blvd, will be closed for most of the day on Sunday for the annual Taste of Arlington festival. As a reminder, the Ballston and Virginia Square Metro stations will be closed throughout the weekend and additional shuttle buses will be provided for festival-goers at the East Falls Church and Clarendon Metro stations. [Arlington County]
Rosslyn Outdoor Movies Start Tonight — The annual Rosslyn outdoor summer film festival starts tonight. The theme of this year’s festival is “Summer School” — films that use high school as a backdrop. Tonight’s flick is the 1985 classic The Breakfast Club. This and every other Friday showing through Aug. 30 starts at dusk at Gateway Park. [Rosslyn BID]
Tight Inventory in Home Market — Arlington’s residential housing market is still afflicted by a dearth of inventory. There are more buyers in the market than there are homes to buy. [Sun Gazette]
Photo via @BallstonBID. Disclosure: Ballston BID and Rosslyn BID are ARLnow.com advertisers.
Rosslyn Film Fest Theme: Summer School
Rosslyn’s annual outdoor film festival starts in two months. This year’s theme: “Summer School.”
The movies will run on Friday nights from May 17 to August 30, in Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway). This summer’s festival features 16 well-known high school movies, starting with the 1985 classic The Breakfast Club.
This year’s scheduled is as follows.
- May 17: The Breakfast Club (1985)
- May 24: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
- May 31: Clueless (1995)
- June 7: Risky Business (1983)
- June 14: Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
- June 21: Easy A (2010)
- June 28: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
- July 5: Bring It On (2000)
- July 12: Pretty in Pink (1986)
- July 19: She’s All That (1999)
- July 26: Fame (1980)
- August 2: Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
- August 9: Sixteen Candles (1984)
- August 16: High School Musical 3 (2006)
- August 23: American Graffiti (1973)
- August 30: Grease (1978)
While most movie-goers walk or take Metro, parking is available in the nearby Atlantic Parking Garage, next to the Continental on N. Moore Street, for $3.
The theme of last year’s Rosslyn film fest was “Election Night.”
Morning Notes
Man Busted for Meth Lab Worked for USA Today — One of the men arrested in connection with a suspected meth lab in a Virginia Square apartment building used to be a journalist who was regularly published in USA Today. Leonard Fischer, 44, was formerly a technology reporter for Gannett News Service. [Jim Romenesko, Kenneth in the 212]
Arlington Unemployment Rate Declines — Arlington still has the lowest unemployment rate in Virginia. Arlington’s jobless rate dipped from 3.7 percent in June to 3.5 percent in July, according to newly-released data. The average in Virginia is 6 percent, and the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent. [Sun Gazette]
Outdoor Movie Lineup Announced — Crystal City’s lineup of outdoor movies for 2013 has been announced. The series — with the theme of “Blockbusters” – will kick of with E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial on June 3, 2013 and will wrap up with Jurassic Park on Aug. 26, 2013. The lineup was chosen via online vote by members of the public. [Crystal City]
Morning Notes
Building Boom in D.C., Arlington — In 2011, an otherwise slow year for residential construction, Arlington and the District of Columbia captured a disproportionately large portion of local building projects. According to the Washington Post: “… while the District and Arlington County have historically accounted for only about 8 percent of the region’s residential building permits over the past two decades, these two jurisdictions accounted for 36 percent of the building activity in 2011.” [Washington Post]
Moran Horse Slaughter Ban Passes Committee — A bill championed by Rep. Jim Moran (D), which would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for food, has passed the House Appropriations Committee. Moran tried to insert language banning horse slaughter in an agriculture bill last year, but the provision was ultimately removed. [Office of Rep. Jim Moran]
Mid-Week Movie at Westover Library — Looking for a way to beat the heat today? The Westover branch library (1644 N. McKinley Road) will be screening the film Pride as part of its summer mid-week movie series. The series features movies with “sporting themes,” in honor of the Summer Olympics. [Arlington Public Library]
Flickr pool photo by ddimick
Morning Notes
Rosslyn Outdoor Movies Start Tonight — The season of weekly, political-themed outdoor movies in Rosslyn starts tonight with the 1999 Matthew Broderick/Reese Witherspoon flick “Election.” The movie is scheduled to start at dusk.
Anti-Harassment Ads at Metro Stations — WMATA has placed anti-sexual harassment public service announcements in 28 Metro stations. In Arlington, the ads can be found in the Ballston and Clarendon Metro stations. [Stop Street Harassment]
Opening of Refurbished Affordable Apartments — Community members, local elected officials and affordable housing advocates gathered Wednesday to celebrate the preservation and renovation of Buckingham Village 3 — now renamed “Buckingham Gardens” — as committed affordable rental housing. Ninety-two apartments have been renovated and a new community center has been built as part of the project. [Arlington Mercury]
Margot MacDonald to Play Encore -- Arlington’s own singer/songwriter Margot MacDonald will be performing at Encore Stage, a local youth-oriented theater. The performance will take place this Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Road). “Join us for an evening of Margot’s own eclectic rock and favorite covers,” Encore says on its website. “Recommended for ages 10 and up.” [Encore Stage & Studio]
H-B Woodlawn Grad Wins Big at Sundance Film Fest
H-B Woodlawn grad Cutter Hodierne has emerged the big winner in the short film category at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.
Out of more than 7,500 submissions and some 64 short films screened at the festival, Hodierne’s Fishing Without Nets has earned the top jury prize for Short Filmmaking. The jury, which included Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge, said Fishing Without Nets provided a unique perspective on the issue of Somali piracy.
“By approaching a story of epic scope with an intimate perspective, this visually stunning film creates a rare, inside point of view that humanizes a global story,” the jury said. The jury award was announced last night. Hodierne will be formally honored at Sundance’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by actress Parker Posey, on Sunday.
Fishing Without Nets was written, directed, produced and edited by Hodierne. Filmed in Kenya, the 17-minutes film is a fictional story about Somali pirates, told from the perspective of the pirates.
Hodierne is now working on a feature-length version of the film.
H-B Woodlawn Grad Selected for Sundance Film Fest
When Cutter Hodierne got the call, at 11:00 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving, he assumed it was a prank.
The voice on the other end congratulated him for his short film, Fishing Without Nets, being selected to the Sundance Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. After the caller repeatedly assured Hodierne that he wasn’t being pranked — “that’s what everybody I call says” — the realization set in: this 24-year-old H-B Woodlawn grad and college dropout was mere weeks away from presenting his film at the festival that had helped the careers of indie film icons like Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Soderbergh.
“This is just a big dream since I picked up a camera for the first time,” said Hodierne, 24, in a phone interview.
Fishing Without Nets was written, directed, produced and edited by Hodierne. It is a fictional story about Somali pirates, told from the perspective of the pirates. Filmed in Kenya, utilizing amateur Somali actors, the short is a testament to Hodierne’s perseverance and resourcefulness.
Together with producing partners Raphael Swann (another H-B Woodlawn grad), John Hibey (also a co-writer), Harold Otieno and Abubakr Mire, Hodierne managed to overcome challenge after challenge over the course of three months to complete the filming of the 17-minute film.
First, there was the casting of the film. Mire, who Hodierne described as a one-man Kenyan talent agency, helped to round up a bunch of Somali immigrants for auditions in a nightclub.
“Most of the guys cast as pirates were just local Somali guys living in Kenya who looked the part,” Hodierne said.
Then there was the matter of obtaining guns from the police for the filming. The Kenyan government, which has strict gun laws on its books, was not easily persuaded that Hodierne and his small crew were trustworthy enough to be given (real) automatic weapons.
“People are very suspicious of anybody trying to rent a bunch of guns from the police,” he said with a laugh. Eventually, Hodierne got his way — and his guns.
Then Hodierne found himself in a real-life life-and-death situation. He and his producing partners were robbed at gunpoint by a group of men. After giving the armed men everything they had, Hodierne and company were marched out to the ocean.
Plenty of Holiday Events in Arlington This Weekend
There’s going to be plenty of Christmas cheer to go around in Arlington this weekend. A sleigh-ful of holiday events are planned around the county. Among them:
- Winter Wonderland in Clarendon — This event will feature family-friendly holiday activities and entertainment, including strolling carolers, professional ice sculptors and free photos with Santa. Mix 107.3 FM will be broadcasting live and the Marine Corps will be collecting toys and cash for their Toys for Tots campaign.
- Saturday, 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., Market Common Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd)
- The Gift of Art Reception — Support local artists and buy a unique, artful gift at this holiday showcase event.
- Saturday, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Arlington Arts Gallery (5179 Lee Highway)
- Shirlington SantaCon — This daytime bar crawl encourages participants to come dressed as Mr. or Mrs. Claus as they go from bar to bar in Shirlington Village. The $15 registration fee will benefit the charity Dreams for Kids.
- Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Shirlington Village (2700 S. Quincy Street)
- Good Sports Holiday Party — Good Sports of Arlington will be holding its 6th Annual Holiday Party to benefit its Scholarship Fund for Arlington students. This year’s event will feature a raffle with prizes such as Capitals tickets, Presidents Club seats to a Nationals game, and a weekend getaway to Virginia’s brewery and vineyard area outside Charlottesville.
- Saturday, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Crystal City Sports Pub (529 S. 23rd Street)
- National Chamber Ensemble Holiday Concert — The National Chamber Ensemble and talented young guest musicians play seasonal favorites as well as a traditional carol sing-along. Tickets are $28 for adults and $15 for students.
- Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Artisphere Spectrum Theatre (1101 Wilson Blvd)
- Holiday Concerts and Sing Along — The award-winning, all-female Potomac Harmony Chorus will present its annual Holiday Concert and Sing-Along. Admission is free, but donations will be collected on behalf of Doorways for Women and Families.
- Sunday, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., NRECA Conference Center (4301 Wilson Blvd)
- Christmas Movie Festival — Christmas-themed movie classics are shown at the big screen at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. The lineup includes: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Scrooged, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
- Sunday, 12:00 to 9:00 p.m., Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Student Film Nominated for Award
A film made by a group of students from Yorktown High School and the Arlington Career Center was nominated for an award at a local film festival over the weekend.
The film, “Not Yet,” examines an important decision some high school students face: whether to apply to college or stay home and help one’s family.
It was nominated for a Best Student Film award at the 72 Hour Film Festival in Frederick, Md. The festival challenges filmmakers to write, record and edit an original film in only 72 hours.
Directed by students Jeremy Cannon and Charlotte Pence, and starring Maddie Richhart, Steven Duffy, Nick McNulty and Ariel Cadby-Spicer, the film was shot in an Arlington home and at Yorktown High School and Tuckahoe Park.
In the end, “Not Yet” was a runner-up; a film by a group of college students won the award.
Next Year’s ‘Crystal Screen’ Theme: RomComs
The final screening of this year’s Crystal City outdoor summer film festival took place last night, but not before the theme for next year’s festival was revealed.
The festival, which is coming up on its sixth year, will host an entire summer of romantic comedies in 2012. Dubbed ‘Crystal Screen: Date Night Crystal City,’ the movie series will again start in June and wrap up at the end of August.
Films set to be shown under the stars next year include: Sex and the City, The Wedding Singer, Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sleepless in Seattle, The Proposal, Bridget Jones’s Diary, You’ve Got Mail, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Love Actually, Pretty Woman and When Harry Met Sally.
“The audience has selected a great line up of movies, and I know that everyone is looking forward to a romantic night under the stars in Crystal City,” Crystal City BID President Angela Fox said in a statement. The past two ‘Crystal Screen’ themes were ‘By the Numbers’ — movies with numbers in the title — and ‘Star Trek’ — an entire summer of Star Trek films.
Outdoor Movie Coming to the Pike
Crystal City has ‘em. Rosslyn has ‘em. Now Columbia Pike is getting in on the act.
On Saturday, Aug. 27, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization will host its first outdoor movie. The inspirational football flick The Blind Side will be screened at the new, grassy public square at the Penrose Square development, starting at 8:00 p.m. Giant is co-sponsoring the family-friendly movie night.
CPRO Executive Director Takis Karantonis says the screening is a trial of sorts — a one-time event that will hopefully lead to a full-fledged outdoor summer film festival on the Pike next year.
“We are trying to find ways to use the public spaces” along the Pike, Karantonis said. “We can’t put pressure to create new public spaces if we don’t use the ones we have.”
Halloween in August?
The leaves are still green and the air is still humid, but Count Gore De Vol will be donning his white makeup to present a special sneak preview for the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival this weekend.
De Vol (television legend Dick Dyszel) will be hosting “Spooky Shorts,” a three-hour screening of “thirteen of the wildest short films from around the world,” at Artisphere on Saturday.
The screening starts at 8:00 p.m. in the Artisphere’s Dome Theater. Tickets are $10.
The shorts will serve as an “exclusive preview” for the 6th Annual Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival, which will be held from Oct. 13-16 this year. Additional summer spooky movie screenings are planned for Aug. 20 and Sept. 3.
Morning Notes
Car Doesn’t Let Accident Slow it Down — A single-vehicle accident occurred last night around 2:00 a.m. near the merge from Rosslyn to Route 110. A Ford Crown Victoria slammed into a concrete barrier, losing its front bumper and license plate in the process. Incredibly, despite the airbags deploying, the driver — and his passengers — decided to keep going. Police eventually caught up with them at the King Street exit of I-395.
Rosslyn Outdoor Movie Canceled — Tonight’s scheduled screening of “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” in Rosslyn has been canceled due to the extreme heat.
Local Kid Sets Stacking Record — A 10-year-old from the Penrose area has set a world record for “sport stacking.” William Polly stacked and unstacked three three-cup pyramids in 1.68 seconds. [Pike Wire]
The ‘Best of Arlington’ — Do you agree with this list of the best restaurants and food in Arlington? [Clarendon Culture]
Favola Fires Back at Areizaga-Soto Criticism — Following the accusation that she violated Arlington County’s Code of Ethics by accepting a $2,500 donation from a towing company owner five days before a County Board vote on towing fees, state Senate candidate Barbara Favola’s campaign is firing back at her Democratic primary opponent. “Jaime [Areizaga-Soto] just keeps exaggerating,” her campaign manager said. “Ms. Favola’s vote is not and never has been for sale. Everyone knows where Barbara gets her campaign contributions because it’s posted on-line, but Jaime has yet to come clean about where he made the money he is using to fund his campaign.”
Man Struck By Car in Rosslyn During Outdoor Movie
A 22-year-old man was struck by a car on N. Lynn Street as moviegoers gathered in nearby Gateway Park for Rosslyn’s outdoor film series Friday night. Police issued the following press release about the incident.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a pedestrian accident that occurred in the 1100 block of North Lynn Street. At approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, July 1, 2011, a Honda Civic struck a man walking through traffic.
The pedestrian, a 22 year-old man, was transported to a local hospital. His wounds do not appear to be life threatening at this time. The driver of the vehicle stayed onscene and is cooperating with police.
There was a large number of people and vehicles in the area at the time of the accident because of an outdoor movie. Only one set of witnesses stayed to wait for police. The Arlington County Police Department reminds people who witness a serious accident or crime to stay in the area in order to provide important information.
Anyone who has additional information about this accident is asked contact Detective Robert Icolari at (703) 228-4240. Det. Icolari can also be contacted via e-mail at Ricolari@arlingtonva.us. Witnesses can also call the Arlington Police Tip-Line at (703) 228-4242.
Summer Movies at Westover, Shirlington Libraries
Two Arlington libraries recently announced their own weekly movie nights.
The Shirlington Branch Library will be screening family-oriented movies all summer, starting this week. At 2:00 p.m., every Friday through the end of August, the library will show a different kid-friendly flick. The selections include Tangled, How to Train Your Dragon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Sword in the Stone, Cars, Shrek Forever After, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland (1951 version) and The Tale of Despereaux.
For adults, the Westover Branch Library will be taking moviegoers on a cinematic tour of the world. The library will screen the “mid-week movies” every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., starting on July 6 and ending on August 10. The schedule includes Chariots of Fire, Motorcycle Diaries, Out of Africa, the Joy Luck Club, Under the Tuscan Sun and Enchanted April.
Westover will also be screening three family movies this summer: Princess and the Frog, Ponyo and Ratatouille. See the library blog for dates and times.
