Weeklong event’s 19 movies includes cubicle cult classic
DC Labor FilmFest
Where: Venues across the region, primarily AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring
When: Tuesday through Oct. 19
Info: Prices vary per film, many are free; dclabor.org
Before heading out to the DC Labor FilmFest, be sure to practice your “O-face.” If you have no idea what that means, grab a copy of the classic film “Office Space” and watch. Immediately.
“Office Space,” the 1999 comedy written and directed by Mike Judge, is the highlight of the ninth annual DC Labor FilmFest, which opens Tuesday and runs through Oct. 19.
Stephen Root, who played Milton in “Office Space,” and Gary Cole, who was Bill Lumbergh, will be in attendance at the Oct. 17 screening of the film at AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the movie, the viewing will be complete with a trivia contest and raffle.
With memorable quotes and characters, “Office Space” has gained cult status.
“I use to think that it was kind of strange,” Root said of the film’s appeal. The popular character actor has been in dozens of movies and television programs, including “True Blood,” “NewsRadio,” “King of the Hill” and multiple Coen Brothers movies. Root spoke over the phone on set in California, where he’s filming episodes of “24.” “Then it started mushrooming; a little cult film turned into a big cult film.”
“Office Space” is complete with soul-sucking cubicle desperation. Milton is a spineless drone who doesn’t stand up when his desk is moved or his check doesn’t come, but he gets his in the end. Lumbergh in the out-of-touch, overbearing boss.
“It’s the underbelly of America,” said Root, 57. “It never goes out of style. There’s a guy like that in every office. Everyone who’s had a job can relate.”
Cole, another actor with credits ranging from popular television programs to movies, credits Judge for the success of the film.
“I was a fan of Mike,” said Cole, 53. “I was uncertain what it would be. I was not sure how it would come across.
“It is about a huge segment of the working population,” Cole continued. “I had a lot of jobs, but they were blue-collar or service jobs. I didn’t realize it hit a nerve with those who did.”
Cole, for one, gets a kick out of the cult status of “Office Space.”
“It’s very unusual,” he said. “A film you did 10 years ago, people still care about, it’s a flattering thing.”
While an “Office Space” party with Milton and Lumbergh is a movie lover’s dream, that is not all that the Labor FilmFest has to offer. There are 30 screenings of 19 films in seven days.
“We specialize in film about work and workers,” said Chris Garlock, director and founder of the festival. “It’s labor in the general sense.”
Garlock cites “Manufactured Landscapes” as a highlight of the festival. It’s a documentary dealing with the effect civilization has had on certain parts of the Earth.
“That’s going to be a great show,” Garlock said of the Tuesday showing at AFI. “It’s a wonderful film. It’ll be a real special night.”
“Bound for Glory,” about folk singer Woody Guthrie, is another film of note. The Oct. 19 showing at AFI will be followed by a Guthrie tribute featuring local act the U-Liners at McGinty’s Public House in Silver Spring, free with a donated can of food.
“It’s a wonderful film about a great folk singer,” Garlock said. “We’re excited about that. Guthrie’s music is very much alive.”
