2023 Virginia Film Festival Preview: Oscar Hopefuls and International Favorites Make Their Way to Screens Across Charlottesville, October 25-29
Courtesy of VAFF.
Some of the year's best movies make their way to Charlottesville this week as the Virginia Film Festival kicks off to celebrate its 36th edition from October 25-29. A program of the University of Virginia, the festival will feature over 80 screenings and events, ranging from auteur-driven international pictures to buzzy awards season hopefuls. Favorably accessible to the public thanks to its affordable ticketing system, the Virginia Film Festival offers one-of-a-kind cinematic experiences for its audience, which is made up of locals and out-of-town movie lovers, along with press members.
The 36th edition of VAFF's program features a number of Gala screenings, many of which are movies that have already solidified their status as strong contenders in the upcoming awards race. On Wednesday, October 26, Bradley Cooper's Maestro will serve as the Opening Night Film, and the movie's Oscar-winning makeup artist, Kazu Hiro, will receive the VAFF Craft Award. The Centerpiece Film screening on Saturday, October 28, is Alexander Payne's 1970s throwback The Holdovers, which has already proven to play well for audiences at Telluride and TIFF. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman will be present to introduce his latest work, American Symphony, along with the documentary's subject, Jon Baptiste. American Symphony will serve as the Closing Night Film on Sunday, October 29. Other special Gala screenings at VAFF this year include Origin, with Ava Duvernay in attendance to receive the festival's Visionary Award, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, preceding a discussion with Nikki Giovanni (this year's recipient of the festival's Changemaker Award), the TIFF Audience Award-winning American Fiction, and Todd Haynes' soapy, twisted May December.
Origin.Courtesy of Neon.
The Virginia Film Festival splits its wide-ranging lineup into a number of sections and series, making it uncomplicated for audiences to navigate the broad program and find a film that suits their sensibilities. Black Excellence, Indigenous Cinema of the Americas, Nature & Environment, and Virginia Filmmaking are just a sampling of the themes that the festival's program is built around. Not to be forgotten are VAFF's panel discussions or Opening Night and Closing Night Parties, which are ticketed for the public to attend.
Many highly-anticipated festival darlings will be featured in the LGBTQ+ section of this year's VAFF lineup, platforming queer stories and experiences often still underserved onscreen. Andrew Haigh's All of Us Strangers, which has received high praise out of festivals including Telluride, New York, and NewFest, will screen at the Culbreth Theatre on the evening of October 26. The Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal-led queer ghost story will be featured as a Spotlight Screening, as will Eileen, which wowed audiences out of Sundance at the beginning of 2023, building good word for its leading performances from Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie. Monster and Rustin are other works in the LGBTQ+ series at the festival to look out for.
VAFF's International Oscar Contenders section will include many celebrated films that premiered at Cannes, Venice, and other major film festivals earlier this year. Turkey's Oscar submission About Dry Grasses from filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan will screen early in the festival's lineup, followed by many other international titles, including Fallen Leaves from Finland, Perfect Days from Japan, The Taste of Things from France, and The Settlers from Chile. In a region of the United States where it can be challenging to find works of world cinema presented on the big screen, this section of the VAFF program will introduce audiences to some of the most interesting international titles of 2023.
Sprinkled around downtown Charlottesville and the University of Virginia campus, the Virginia Film Festival offers the chance for its patrons to experience a taste of the quaint college town and its beautiful location at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Serving as the nucleus for the festival, the home of many of the Gala screenings is the historic Paramount Theater, which opened as a movie house in 1931 and serves as a historical institution for Charlottesville as well as a beautiful throwback to the birth of movie-going. Entering its 36th edition, the Virginia Film Festival upholds its vision as an essential cultural experience for its loyal audiences, celebrating the most exciting and intriguing cinema of the year alongside its patrons.
About Dry Grasses. Courtesy of TIFF.
The 36th Virginia Film Festival runs from October 25-29. To purchase tickets or find out more information about this year's edition, visit the festival's website.