Called the "premier showcase for documentary films" by the Hollywood Reporter, the American Film Institute SILVERDOCS festival brings a full slate of documentary films and the International Documentary Conference to Silver Spring, Md.

Across the country, resurgent interest in things handmade is redefining craft-making for the 21st century. Quilts are cutting-edge outlets for self-expression, and samplers carry messages of anti-consumerism, environmentalism and feminism.