Now in its third year, the GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C is dedicated to honoring  American troops and veterans by showcasing films that tell stories of military life and sacrifice. With a history of premiering high-profile Hollywood efforts like The Great Raid, Forrest Gump, and a never-before-released version of the Civil War epic Gods and Generals, the GI Film Festival has announced 48 documentary and narrative premiere films for its May 11-17 run, including:

• Sixteen feature-length films: Perfect Valor, Lioness; The Way We Get By; Jerabek; Triangle of Death; Bedford: The Town They Left Behind; America’s Marine Aviators; Inheritance of War; The Divided; Seal Team VI; Everyman’s War; Warriors in their Own Words, Injury Slight…Please Advise; Art in the Face of War; My Vietnam, Your Iraq; The Lesson is Priceless
• “Work in Progress” screening of the feature documentary Lt. Dan Band: A Tribute regarding actor Gary Sinise’s efforts to inspire and entertain our troops. The film is directed by military veteran Jonathan Flora
• World Premiere of Citizens United Production’s Perfect Valor, featuring former Senator Fred Dalton Thompson; produced by David Bossie (Border Wars)
• GI Film Festival red carpet premiere of HBO’s Taking Chance, starring Kevin Bacon;
• GI Film Festival red carpet premiere for “Wounded Warriors” of MGM/UA’s Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise
• World Premiere of the feature documentary America’s Marine Aviators
• Special private screening for Members of Congress of the GI Film Festival’s 2008 “Best Feature Documentary,” Brothers at War

From the recent indie documentary Brothers at War to the big-budget Valkyrie, this year’s festival covers a wide spectrum of military films, ranging from Civil War to current-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Admission for premiere films is $10. For primetime events, which include film screenings and receptions, tickets run $50. Full festival passes with all the trimmings are available for $250. If you’re a military film buff and in the D.C. area, be sure to save the date and catch some of these great tributes to servicemen from all over the world.

For more information, visit the GI Film Festival website.