We invite you to join us for the eleventh annual Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival! Enjoy the free in-person events at venues on or near the National Mall in Washington D.C. from Thursday, February 19, through Sunday, February 22. The festival will spotlight new feature length films and short film programs followed by Q&A sessions with directors. 

A few of the festival highlights include our opening night screening of Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), that follows the lives of star-crossed teenage lovers Kaujak and Sapa in 2000 B.C.E. Igloolik, Nunavut. Our closing night film, Runa Simi, is a documentary about a Peruvian father and son who embark on an ambitious mission to translate Disney's The Lion King into Quechua, an endangered language spoken in countries of the Andes. 

You can find the full schedule, film details and trailers, as well as the venue map on the website (in both English and Spanish). The films are either open captioned or subtitled in English unless otherwise noted. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided for all introductory remarks, Q&As, and discussions. All venues are wheelchair accessible. Lastly, all programs are free and open to the public.