Virginia Film Festival facts for kids
The Virginia Film Festival is a cool event that happens every year in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's part of the University of Virginia. This festival usually takes place for four days in late October or early November. It's a great chance to see lots of different movies!
History of the Film Festival
The Virginia Film Festival started in October 1988. It was first called the Virginia Festival of American Film. The state government and the University of Virginia supported it.
Why the Festival Started
The festival had two main goals. First, it wanted to help Virginia's economy. It aimed to get more movies made in Virginia. It also wanted to bring more tourists to the state. Second, it wanted to connect the movie industry with the smart people at the university. It was a way to share ideas about filmmaking.
How the Festival Grew
Over the years, the festival changed where it was based at the university. In 1996, it worked with the drama department. Later, it moved to the College of Arts and Science. Then it moved to the media studies department.
The festival also started showing more movies from all over the world. It began having programs throughout the year. A special group called the Film Society started showing films. They also invited guest speakers to the Vinegar Hill Theatre.
First Movies Shown
The very first movies shown at the festival were Child's Play and Mystic Pizza.
New Leadership and Themes
In 2009, Jody Kielbasa became the new director. He had also started the Sarasota Film Festival.
From 1990 to 2009, the festival picked a different theme each year. All the movies shown would fit that theme. But starting in 2010, they stopped using themes. This allowed them to show a wider variety of films. The festival celebrated its 25th birthday in 2012.
Past Festival Themes
- 1990 - "Music & The Movies"
- 1991 - "Movie Made In America"
- 1992 - "The Reel South & Other Worlds"
- 1993 - "Film Noir"
- 1994 - "Love & Other Obsessions"
- 1995 - "U.S. & Them"
- 1996 - "Wild Spaces, Endangered Places"
- 1997 - "Caged!"
- 1998 - "Cool"
- 1999 - "Techno Visions"
- 2000 - "Animal Attractions"
- 2001 - "Masquerades"
- 2002 - "Wet"
- 2003 - "$$$"
- 2004 - "Speed"
- 2005 - "In/Justice"
- 2006 - "Revelations"
- 2007 - "Kin Flicks"
- 2008 - "Aliens!"
- 2009 - "Funny Business"
Festival Locations
Many places in Charlottesville have hosted the festival. These include the Paramount Theater. Other venues are the Violet Crown and Vinegar Hill theaters. Some events also take place at the University of Virginia.
Movies and Special Guests
The Virginia Film Festival has shown many important movies. It has also welcomed famous people from the film world.
Notable Screenings
Some special movie showings include a tribute to In the Heat of the Night. This was for its 25th anniversary and honored Sidney Poitier. Famous directors like Robert Altman and John Sayles have also been honored.
Film critic Roger Ebert used to lead workshops. He would break down classic movies scene by scene. Some of these movies were Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard, and The Third Man.
The festival has also had special premiere events. For example, an early showing of Mother & Child happened. Actress Cherry Jones and director Rodrigo Garcia were there. Another event featured the creator of True Blood, Alan Ball. He talked about the show live.
Famous Guests
Many well-known actors, directors, and writers have visited the festival. Here are some of them:
- Jimmy Stewart
- Fay Wray
- Gregory Peck
- Ossie Davis
- Nick Nolte
- Norman Mailer
- Sissy Spacek
- Sandra Bullock
- Nicolas Cage
- Anthony Hopkins
- Robert Mitchum
- Kathleen Turner
- Sigourney Weaver
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Gena Rowlands
- Matthew Broderick
- John Waters
- Norman Jewison
- Robert Duvall
- Christoph Waltz
- Ethan Hawke
- Annete Bening
- Vince Gilligan
- John Grisham
- Martha Plimpton
Awards Given at the Festival
The Virginia Film Festival gives out awards each year. These awards recognize great movies and talented people.
36th Virginia Film Festival (2023)
- 2023 VAFF Audience Award - Narrative Feature - Origin (Ava DuVernay)
- 2023 VAFF Audience Award - Documentary Feature - American Symphony (Matthew Heineman)
- 2023 VAFF Audience Award - Narrative Short - Dreams of Home (Justin Kaminuma)
- 2023 VAFF Audience Award - Documentary Short - Black Godfather of Scuba (Matt Kay)
- 2023 Programmers' Award - Narrative - American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)
- 2023 Programmers' Award - Documentary - No Ordinary Campaign (Christopher Burke)
- 2023 Programmers' Award - Narrative Short - For The Moon (Nile Price)
- 2023 Programmers' Award - Documentary Short - 1-15-41 (Jay Pendarvis Jr.)
- Visionary Award - Ava Duvernay (Origin)
- Directorial Achievement Award - Matthew Heineman (American Symphony)
- Breakthrough Director Award - Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)
- Changemaker Award - Nikki Giovanni (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project)
- Chronicler Award - Nicole Newnham (The Disappearance of Shere Hite)
- Craft Award - Kazu Hiro (Maestro)
- Governor Gerald L. Baliles Founder’s Award - Ricardo Preve (Sometime, Somewhere)
35th Virginia Film Festival (2022)
- 2022 VAFF Audience Award - Narrative Feature - Living
- 2022 VAFF Audience Award - Documentary Feature - Dani's Twins
- 2022 VAFF Audience Award - Narrative Short - Night Ride
- 2022 VAFF Audience Award - Documentary Short - Stranger at the Gate
- 2022 Programmers' Award - Narrative Feature - Karaoke
- 2022 Programmers' Award - Documentary Feature - Refuge
- 2022 Programmers' Award - Narrative Short - Home of the Brave
- 2022 Programmers' Award - Documentary Short - Tuning René Marie
- Screenwriting Achievement Award - Meg LeFauve
- Breakthrough Star Award - Jonathan Majors
- Changemaker Award - Dustin Lance Black
- Chronicler Award - Sam Pollard
- Craft Award - Eugenio Caballero
- Governor Gerald L. Baliles Founder’s Award - Jamie Sisley
