Virginia Film Festival returns to Charlottesville in November

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Virginia Film Festival is just around the corner, returning for its 35th year.

“The return of the festival shows a great deal of resiliency, that we’ve been around for a while, and that we’re going to continue. We’re back in person this year with a slate of over 150 films and a number of guests artists coming in, and we’re ready to be back. We are definitely ready to be back,” Festival Director Jody Kielbasa said.

Organizers say that they are doubling down on their focus on community.

“The community is thrilled to come back to the festival again this year. We’re looking to have full theaters at the Violet Crown, at the Paramount, at Culbreth on Grounds, and at Light House Studio,” Kielbasa said.

Kielbasa is also UVA’s vice provost for the arts, and he says the festival is an exciting way to connect the university with a Charlottesville tradition.

“In the past, we’ve had people like Christoph Waltz, Spike Lee, Meg Ryan, and major film stars come in for a conversation about their films and their careers, along with up to 150 filmmakers all here,” Kielbasa said.

The entire program schedule will be announced on October 11 and October 18. The films will go on sale to the general public.

“We pride ourselves on the diverse slate of films and film artists that we bring in, and we’re hoping the festival is accessible to everybody in our community,” Kielbasa said.

The festival will began on Wednesday, Nov. 2 and run through Sunday, Nov. 6.

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