Packing a slate of more than 125 films and special guests, such as Oscar-nominated composer Nicholas Britell, the Virginia Film Festival is generating a lot of buzz.
It opens Wednesday and runs through Sunday in Charlottesville and includes screenings of anticipated releases such as "Frankenstein," "Hedda," "Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire" and "Springsteen: Deliver me from Nowhere."
The festival was originally named the Virginia Festival of American Film, featuring only American films. But now, in its 38th year, the event has evolved to include storylines that appeal to diverse audiences, said Ilya Tovbis, the VAFF artistic director.
“We are looking for the best of contemporary cinema across a wide girth of genres,” he said. “A lot of what powers the festival is the breadth and the reach of the films.”
The festival is a program of the University of Virginia and programming was once based on a theme chosen by faculty. Jody Kielbasa, VAFF executive director and the vice provost for the Arts at UVA, said it's more important to present a festival that is immediate and current and screening the best in cinema each year.
Kielbasa, who has been with the festival for 17 years, said the focus is on films that haven’t been released yet in theaters or on a streaming platform.
“I think it makes for a compelling reason for audiences to show up,” Kielbasa said. “The festival was losing a lot of steam and losing its audience and the reason is you had a proliferation of streaming platforms ... and there was less reason to see the films on the big screen.”
This year, Kielbasa and Tovbis also focused on music as a character in film.
On Friday night, the movie "Jay Kelly," starring George Clooney, Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, will be screened and followed by a conversation with composer Britell, who received Oscar noms for "Don't Look Up," "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "Moonlight." Britell will also perform and it will be recorded for a special episode of the Awards Chatter podcast.
The Gala screening on Saturday is the blockbuster movie, "Sinners," with a performance by the guitar-playing star Miles Caton.
“In terms of bringing the film back, it was a real cultural touchstone and remains to be one for the year,” Tovbis said. “There are these elements that are really important about the film to bring it back to the big screen."
Last year, the festival screened the edgy film "Anora" about a New York City sex worker and her love affair with the son of a Russian oligarch. The film this year captured several Academy Awards including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Films such as "Jay Kelly" and “Anora” are giving VAFF street cred in Hollywood, making the festival an unexpected bellwether for award season.
The production industry in Virginia creates about $1.1 billion of economic activity each year. Andy Edmunds, the executive director of the Virginia Film Office, said the four-day event also benefits tourism. Charlottesville is known for its colorful fall foliage and the festival is a perfect way to show it off.
"What’s not to love about autumn in Charlottesville for a celebration of cinema and storytelling,” Edmunds said. “The VAFF is an iconic event each year that offers an amazing community experience.”
Filmmaker Melody Roscher took advantage of the state's picturesque scenery when shooting her latest project, "Bird in Hand." Shot in the Richmond area, the film follows Bird Rowe, a biracial woman whose recent engagement is the catalyst for finding her Black father. The project reflects Roscher’s personal struggles growing up as a biracial child in Chesterfield County without her father. The movie stars Oscar winner Christine Lahti as the mom and Alisha Wainwright as the bride-to-be.
Voices like Roscher’s aren’t normally visible in mainstream media, Tovbis said, and the democratization in filmmaking has resulted in an uptick of films submitted by women and other marginalized voices.
Taiwanese films such as "The Left-Handed Girl," which was shot on an iPhone, add a richness to the storytelling, making VAFF a vehicle for the exposure of diverse filmmakers.
“When I first started out, there were a lot of firsts in films like first female filmmakers from this nation,” Tovbis said. “It’s very positive that now we see a fourth or 10th. I think this is a festival not just for the community, but of the community.”
Visit virginiafilmfestival.org for tickets and more information.
