“Politics on Film,” Washington’s first political film festival, debuts tonight with a downtown rooftop party just as the city gears up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

“We didn’t plan that on purpose,” says Gayle Osterberg, a festival co-founder. “But there certainly is some perfectly delightful synergy there.”

With all the Hollywood stars in town for the dinner, it seems a good fit to have a film festival underway. “We’re excited to have screenings going on all through the big party weekend,” Osterberg adds.

The fest will have its own stars in attendance — Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager”), Aasif Mandvi (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) and Peter Riegert (“Animal House,” “The Sopranos”). The three actors star in one of the festival’s featured films, “The Response.”

Festival schedule here.