Virginia
DC Shorts celebrates 21st birthday by expanding from DC to Virginia – WTOP News
The 21st annual D.C. Shorts International Film Festival returns this Thursday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 8.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews the DC Shorts Film Festival (Part 1)
How did you celebrate your 21st birthday? A beloved local film festival blows out 21 candles this week!
The 21st annual D.C. Shorts International Film Festival returns Thursday through Sunday.
“Let’s be honest, when you turn 21, your life gets wild and I think that’s D.C. Shorts Year 21, we’re about to get wild,” Program Director Joe Carabeo told WTOP. “The films are more in your face, they’re more impactful, you’ve never seen these filmmakers make these types of films before.”
This year’s festival will once again be held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on Bryant Street in Northeast D.C., as well as a new location at Crescendo Studios in Falls Church, Virginia.
“We’re trying to bring people out this direction and try to include more of the local scene,” Festival Director Anavic Ibanez Canlas told WTOP. “We’ve got 11 showcases, 14 world premieres, 12 U.S. premieres and 52 Washington, D.C., premieres, so please come out and support your creatives from the filmmaking industry.”
The festival kicks off with short documentaries ranging from the family-friendly to the risqué.
“We always start with kickass documentaries,” Carabeo said. “There’s one called ‘Entering Pornland,’ you basically follow a girl on her journey entering pornography. To counterbalance that, there’s a film called ‘Pet Store’ about a pet owner who takes in sloths. … I’ve gotta give you the two contrasting ones, that’s the diversity that we have! We also have Yoichi’s White House, a documentary on one of the main photographers in the White House.”
Friday is the best day for fans of so-called “genre flicks,” such as action, sci-fi, fantasy and horror.
“There is a film called ‘Dummy’ where someone falls in love with a dummy,” Carabeo said. “‘Leverage’ is an action movie about a down-and-out Santa Claus. We have international heist films that take place in Paris. We have ‘The Soul Trader,’ which is a socialite taking souls in Hollywood.”
Saturday brings animation, drama and rom-coms, followed by the annual LGBTQ+ showcase.
“You start your day with animation, then you want to bring it down a little with ‘Did You Feel Something?’, that’s our dramas, ‘Rom Com Is Not Dead,’ which is romance and comedy, then ‘Wonderful As You Are’ is always one of the most popular screenings because pride is strong in D.C.,” Carabeo said. “‘Tennis, Oranges,’ one of those Rumbas escapes a hospital and tries to live a normal life but discovers life on the outside is not nice.”
It all culminates Sunday with local films and the fan-voted awards ceremony.
“The first block is called ‘Oh, I Can Do That,’ essentially a block of films about creators, people who are musicians, filmmakers, artists,” Carabeo said. “Then to follow that up afterwards is a block called ‘Why Not Make It Here?’ which is our local filmmakers block. … There are so many people out there like, ‘You can’t make movies in the DMV,’ and we have proven that this is a go-to place to make movies.”
Find more information here.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews the DC Shorts Film Festival (Part 2)
Listen to our full conversation here.
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Virginia
Annandale teen and grandmother killed in Christmas day crash
A Fairfax County family is demanding justice, saying the driver who caused a crash that killed a grandmother and a high school student is out free while they’re grieving an unimaginable loss.
The Vu family, from Annandale, was at a holiday dinner on Christmas day, but on their drive home, Virginia State police say another driver rear-ended the Vu family’s van on the Beltway in Fairfax County.
Duy Cao was driving the van — her 75-year-old mother, Su Nguyen, and her 15-year-old daughter, Annie Vu, were killed.
The family said according to Virginia State police, the driver who hit them was going more than 100 miles per hour.
“I don’t know how to, how to live,” Cao said, sitting alongside her husband An Vu, as the couple
gasped through their grief and recover from their own injuries.
There were six people in their van, and everyone was rushed to the emergency room, including their son, Annie’s brother, 12-year-old Andy.
“When he came out of it, his first question was, you know, ‘Where is Annie?’” said Kathie Vu, Annie’s godmother.
She says Annie’s brother was just released from the hospital four days ago and is struggling to cope with losing his sister and grandmother.
“My mom, the best. My mom, she came here, 11-years-old. She takes care of my children,” Cao said.
Nguyen was a devout catholic who helped raise the kids while their parents worked. Annie was a bright student at Annandale High School, where the principal says grief counselors have been made available for students.
At the beginning of this school year, Annie introduced herself to her classmates in her AP Seminar class at Annandale High School. Her principal shared with News4 what she wrote about herself. She told her classmates to count on her to always be hard-working, respectful and collaborative. She talked about her family and how her grandmother taught her to speak some Vietnamese. She hoped to major in biology at the University of Virginia saying, “although I don’t know what to do in the healthcare field, I’m sure I want to help others.”
“The other day, I heard my brother-in-law say, ‘There will be no more Christmas now.’ They’re always going to come into this time of year thinking about what happened,” Kathie Vu said.
The Vu family is demanding answers about the man who hit their car. Virginia State Police have not released his name nor any charges. The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney says reckless driving charges were filed, but News4 hasn’t been able to confirm that via court records.
While News4 has not been able to confirm if reckless driving charges have actually been filed against the driver who allegedly caused this deadly crash, the prosecutor’s office says it is waiting for the results of a toxicology test. Once those results are back, it could determine what charges the driver might face.
The family says that misdemeanor charge isn’t enough, they want him tried for involuntary manslaughter.
“I want everybody to pray for my mother-in-law and for my daughter so they can, you know, in heaven,” An Vu said.
Virginia
Former Oklahoma Sooners DB transferring to West Virginia
The Oklahoma Sooners are fully in the swing of transfer portal season in early January, as they’re making additions to the roster and seeing former players land at their new schools. The portal officially opened on January 2nd, and it will be open until January 16th.
One of the latest players to find his new school is former OU defensive back Maliek Hawkins, who has committed to West Virginia. Hawkins is the son of former Oklahoma defensive back Mike Hawkins Sr., who played for the Sooners in 2002 and then played multiple years in the NFL. He’s the younger brother of former OU quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who started five games in Norman over the last two seasons. Both Hawkins brothers are now headed to Morgantown, with the older Hawkins hoping to win the starting QB job, and the younger Hawkins hoping to crack the rotation at cornerback.
Hawkins was a member of Oklahoma’s 2025 recruiting class, signing with the Sooners as a three-star recruit. He played in just one game during his true freshman season, and now arrives at WVU as a package deal with his older brother.
Despite the Sooners expecting to return starters Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory at the CB spots in 2026, the portal exits of Hawkins, Devon Jordan, Gentry Williams, and Kendel Dolby have thinned the depth at that position. With Jacobe Johnson also expected to return, Oklahoma will be looking to add a key rotational cornerback or two in the transfer portal ahead of next year.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
Virginia
Virginia state trooper injured in Beltway crash following pursuit
ALEXANDRIA, VA. – A Virginia State Police trooper was injured in a crash during a pursuit on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon, according to the Virginia State Police.
At 3:47 p.m., a trooper attempted to stop a Honda Accord for reckless driving on Interstate 495 westbound. The vehicle refused to stop, leading to a pursuit, a press release says.
The pursuit ended when the suspect’s vehicle exited at Van Dorn Street. The trooper terminated the pursuit to avoid a collision with another vehicle, resulting in the police vehicle going off the road and striking a tree.
Trooper’s condition and ongoing investigation
What we know:
The trooper involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, according to the release. The injuries are not considered life-threatening.
The incident is still under investigation by Virginia State Police to determine the exact circumstances and any potential charges against the driver of the Honda Accord.
What we don’t know:
The identity of the driver of the Honda Accord and whether they have been apprehended remains unknown at this time.
The Source: Information from a Virginia State Police press release.
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