Virginia Film Festival facts for kids
The Virginia Film Festival is a cool event held every year in Charlottesville. It's put on by the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia. This festival usually happens in late October or early November. It's a place where you can watch all sorts of movies!
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The Festival's Story
The Virginia Film Festival started in late 1988. It was first called the Virginia Festival of American Film. The state of Virginia and the University of Virginia helped create it.
Why the Festival Started
The festival had two main goals at the beginning. First, it wanted to help Virginia's economy. It hoped to get more movies made in Virginia and bring more tourists to the state. Second, it aimed to connect the creative world of filmmaking with the smart people at the university.
Growing and Changing
In 1996, the University decided to make the festival a bigger part of its school programs. The festival also started showing more international films, not just American ones. It also began to offer programs all year long. For example, a Film Society shows movies and invites guest speakers at the Vinegar Hill Theatre.
In 2009, Jody Kielbasa became the new director of the festival.
Themes and Anniversaries
From 1990 to 2009, the Virginia Film Festival chose a different theme each year. All the movies shown were connected to that theme. But starting in 2010, they decided to stop using themes. This allows them to choose a wider variety of films. The festival celebrated its 25th birthday in 2012!
Here are some of the past 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"
Movies and Special Guests
The festival shows many different kinds of movies. You can see new Hollywood films, old classic movies, documentaries, and even experimental videos.
Famous Screenings
Some special events have happened at the festival. There was a celebration for the 25th anniversary of the movie In the Heat of the Night. The famous actor Sidney Poitier was honored. Well-known filmmakers like Robert Altman and John Sayles have also been featured. Film critic Roger Ebert used to lead workshops. He would break down classic movies like Vertigo and Sunset Boulevard scene by scene.
Special Events and Stars
The festival has also hosted exciting movie premieres. For example, there was an early showing of Mother & Child with actress Cherry Jones. The creator of the TV show True Blood, Alan Ball, even gave a live talk about his show.
Many famous people have visited the festival over the years. These include actors like Jimmy Stewart, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Hopkins, Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Gena Rowlands, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Broderick, Gregory Peck, and Robert Duvall. The Sherman Brothers, who wrote songs for Mary Poppins, also attended.
