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The sixth annual SilverDocs documentary film festival, sponsored by the American Film Institute and Discovery Channel, kicked off its weeklong run at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center on Monday night. To mark the occasion, Discovery opened up its nearby headquarters, as it had in previous years, after the nighttime showing of All Together Now, a film about Love, the Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas.

For Elika Hemphill, Discovery Communications' director of global events, the evening's look was an obvious choice. "The Cirque theme in and of itself is very celebratory, so it was important that the thread of the party had the same thread as the film," she said. "We definitely wanted the event to feel theatrical and circus-themed in an elegant way."Once the film let out at 9:30 p.m., the 650 guests headed across the street into the ground level of the Discovery building. Brown velvet banquettes added a lounge feel to the raw space, while polka dotted and striped linens brought in the circus vibe. Stiltwalkers directed the crowd toward the outdoor garden and adjacent conference area, which glowed with a rainbow's array of lighting and offered a buffet of Asian noodles, carrot and zucchini fritters, sweet potato fries, and chocolate-covered Chinese noodle nut clusters for dessert. Most guests hungrily rushed to the tables, while others took in the 10-story atrium space.

"One thing that's really important for us is accenting this beautiful building," said Hemphill, adding that the 540,000-square-foot headquarters received a LEED platinum certification in December. Staying eco-friendly translated into the planning, as well. To maximize efficiency, Hemphill chose items such as hardy orchid and calla lily centerpieces and staging equipment that could be stored on site to use at Discovery's second event on Thursday night for the festival's Charles Guggenheim Symposium and its honoree Spike Lee.

However, a few things were just for Monday night, including the hour-long performance from singer-songwriter Matt White and tie-dye-colored beach balls, which were scattered on the outdoor lawn, inspring some guests to kick them around—even with martinis in hand.