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A 23-year-old Washington filmmaker brought his first feature film to the Avalon Theatre in D.C., where an enthusiastic crowd gave the Arlington-set “A Christmas Party” a standing ovation.

The premiere featured red-carpet photos, glittering gowns and lead actor Jaxon Keller in a blue-black velvet dinner jacket. Some attendees traveled nine hours from South Carolina or flew from Canada to see director Alex Helmer’s low-budget debut.

Helmer made the film for about $50,000 after spending time in Los Angeles learning the industry and building connections. He co-wrote it with Guy David Knoll, a collaborator since their years at Woodrow Wilson High School.

Nearly the entire movie unfolds inside an affluent Arlington home and its backyard, with one scene following a walk through Georgetown. Instead of relying on recognizable views of Clarendon, Key Bridge or other landmarks, the film establishes its Washington-area setting through conversations about politics, government work and international visitors.

The camera stays close to the characters as a sprawling holiday gathering descends into confusion. On-screen notices tracking the dinner’s estimated arrival time add humor, while more than five subplots contribute to the party’s deliberately chaotic atmosphere.

Keller plays Adam, a 19-year-old home from college who feels disconnected from his family and struggles with his feelings for Ally, played by Sarah-Grace Donnelly. Other performers include Max Cazier as Roman, a British boyfriend attending his first American Christmas party, and Joe Rashbaum as C.J.

The party itself is deeply dysfunctional. Dinner runs late, the roast looks questionable, the hostess grows increasingly stressed and several personal conflicts erupt. Adam does not get the girl, while a jealous husband directs his suspicions toward the wrong people.

Two Iranian women provide pointed commentary in Farsi throughout the gathering. Another tense moment arrives when a Black congressman appears during dinner and clashes with Ally, his staffer.

Helmer has described the film as an uplifting cult movie, and its blend of absurdity, discomfort and humor reflects that ambition. One comic sequence shows Roman being taught an aggressively American way to dip and eat a nacho.

The film leaves many of its questions unresolved, but returns to ideas of family, community, mentorship and love amid the characters’ mistakes and misunderstandings.

That emphasis on community also shaped the production. At the premiere, Helmer recognized the cast, crew and the families who helped make the project possible. Keller said members of the team would follow the director into future productions, including some who had previously worked on one of his short films.

“A Christmas Party” is expected to appear on the film-festival circuit in the coming months.