Not interested in paying high ticket prices for the summer blockbusters? We understand -- there are just so many ways we'd rather waste 20 bucks. (Like on Guinness.) So you're in luck that you're facing down two outdoor film festivals that offer a fun and affordable alternative, Wednesday nights for most of the summer.
This week, the NOMA Summer Screen kicks off on L Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues NE. Keep your lawn chairs and blanket in the front of the closet -- this event's free, outdoors, and every week through July 29. This year's theme is "Music in Pictures," featuring narratives and documentaries about bands and musicians. Opening night, June 10, catch Martin Scorsese's "No Direction Home," following Bob Dylan's evolution. The lineup is a mix between the popular -- think "Ray and Lady Sing the Blues" -- and lesser known, yet critically acclaimed films. You'll also find barbecue food and music by Fatback. Wednesdays 7-11 p.m., June 10-July 29. Full schedule here.
Stuck way up in the 'burbs? Every Wednesday at dusk (around 8:45 p.m.), check out the free screenings at Rockville Town Square Plaza (100 Gibbs St., Rockville, MD). Start getting in on the fun this Wednesday with a screening of "Casablanca," followed up with popular flicks such as "Hairspray" (June 17), "Twilight" (July 1), "The Dark Night" (July 8) and "Mamma Mia!" (July 22). No need to eat beforehand, since restaurants will be offering boxed dinner delivery services during the movies, with movie-night specials. Wednesdays at dusk, around 8:45 p.m. Now through Aug. 12. Free parking after 7 p.m. Full schedule here.
It's not free, but Wednesday also marks the final night of the Korean Film Festival with the screening of "Epitaph" at the AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD). In Korean with English subtitles, "Epitaph" is a thriller with plots twists that run far from predictable. The flick is "certain to give you goose bumps and have you peering over your shoulder with every ghastly twist," says the festival's Web site. Take that Jerry Bruckheimer! $10, June 9 & 10, 9:20 p.m.