Va Film Festival


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ABOUT THE VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL


Each October, amid the fall colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Virginia Film Festival takes the stage at Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In its first eighteen years, the Festival has attracted national recognition for its unique mix of entertainment and education. The nineteenth annual event is scheduled for October 26-29, 2006.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST
  1991: Movie Made in America
  1992: The Reel South and Other Worlds
  1993: Film Noir
  1994: Love and Other Obsessions
  1995: U.S. and Them
  1996: Wild Spaces, Endangered Places
  1997: Caged!
  1998: Cool
  1999: TechnoVisions
  2000: Animal Attractions
  2001: Masquerades
  2002: Wet
  2003: $$$
  Speed
  In/Justice
  Revelations
 
A NEW THEME EACH YEAR
The Festival designs its program to resemble a huge comprehensive course on a cultural theme, which illuminates the social and artistic impact of moviemaking. Festival themes have included Music and the Movies (1990), The Reel South (1992), Love and Other Obsessions (1994), U.S. and Them (1995), and Cool (1998). Over 60 films are shown in just four days, with nearly one hundred speakers. Directors, actors, scholars, and writers enrich the Festival experience and welcome the opportunity to reflect with audiences on the art and purposes of filmmaking. Critic Peter Brunette wrote: “The audiences at the Virginia Film Festival are the most intelligent I’ve seen at any festival, bar none, and the post-screening Q&A sessions often last longer than the films they’re about.”

FROM CLASSICS TO PREMIERES
Festival selections range from Hollywood premiers to classic, documentary, and experimental films and videos. Through the presentation of rare classics restores by archives and studios, the Festival calls attention to the importance of preserving America's film heritage, and of displaying early films with the proper screening equipment and musical accompaniment for which they were designed. Reflecting Charlottesville's lively literary climate, the Festival gives special attention to the perspectives of noted screenwriters, novelists, and critics.

Celebrations of classic films and their creators have included a study of film noir, opening with Out of the Past and its star Robert Mitchum; a 25th Anniversary tribute to In the Heat of the Night and Sidney Poitier; Distinguished Filmmaker presentations to Robert Altman, John Sayles, Emile de Antonio, and Arthur Penn; and Roger Ebert's "shot by shot" workshops on classics such as Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard, and The Third Man. Memorable premiere events have included an advance screening of The War Room with filmmakers D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus joined by George Stephanapolous; and The Fever presented by actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Carlo Nero. Other guests have included Jimmy Stewart, Anthony Hopkins, Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Gena Rowlands, Sigourney Weaver, William Styron, and Ross McElwee.
BRINGING FILMAKERS AND TOURISTS TO VIRGINIA
Working closely with the Virginia Film Office, the Virginia Film Festival brings filmmakers from throughout the United States and abroad to Virginia to take advantage of its outstanding locations, communications, and talent. Filmmakers find the Virginia Film Festival a rare opportunity to screen and discuss their work with colleagues and bright, appreciative audiences. The Festival also brings many visitors to Charlottesville, an increasing number from out-of-state, producing a significant impact on the local economy.

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF THE FILM FESTIVAL
Created in the late 1980s, the Virginia Festival of American Film (renamed The Virginia Film Festival) was endorsed by the state's Department of Economic Development and adopted by the University of Virginia. The intent was twofold: to stimulate economic development by encouraging film production in Virginia and increasing tourism, and to meld the creative interests and crafts of the American film industry with the intellectual resources of a nationally ranked university. The Festival has grown into an event of national significance, engaging a large number of University faculty and attracting substantial film industry and public attention.

In 1996, the University decided to make the Film Festival a more integral part of its academic program. The Festival was moved under the umbrella of the College of Arts and Sciences, where it would become the centerpiece of a year-round film studies and exhibition program. The focus on American film was retained, but expanded to encompass a broader range of international films which American cinema influences and reflects.

The Festival also expanded its year-round programs, including a very active Film Society that presents films and guest speakers at the downtown Vinegar Hill Theatre.
       

YOUR SUPPORT

Ticket sales and public and private underwriting do not currently meet budgetary needs. To succeed, the Festival must have the support of individuals, businesses, and organizations concerned and committed to the arts, film culture, and the economic climate of Central Virginia. Such support will provide the following benefits:

Assure the future of the Festival, offering an enhanced opportunity to further its regional and national reputation, and increase public participation.

Promote the significance of the Virginia Film Festival's exhibition, study, and preservation of classic films, and their essential role in inspiring future cinematic innovators and enlightened audiences.

Strengthen the Film Festival's role in economic development for the region.

Allow Festival staff to expand their vision and creativity in future programs.

As the Festival achieves financial stability, its economic impact will increase, its international reputation will grow, and it will become an ever-greater source of education and entertainment for a growing audience. Please join us in this exciting opportunity. You can ensure the intellectual growth and financial health of this special cultural resource. Lend your support to the Virginia Film Festival.