The 23rd Annual Virginia Film Festival at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville

A major event that headlines in Charlottesville every year is the Virginia Film Festival, featuring 100 hand-selected films over 4 days.  The 2010 Virginia Film Festival will be held November 4-7, 2010.

Some of the exciting ones this year include some hyper-local films, such as The Parking Lot Movie about the parking garage on UVA’s corner, and Wahoowa: Cavalier Football, highlighting many years of UVA football history.

One of the greatest things about the film festival is affordability (student tickets are often free), the fun community-focused events surrounding specific movies, the celebrity guest appearances, and the great proximity of everything- it is extremely easy to see several movies in the short 4 days span.

From the Virginia Film Festival website;

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia’s College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The Virginia Film Festival is a four-day celebration of the magic of the movies featuring first-run features and timeless classics, high-profile industry insiders and up-and-coming stars, and filmmakers from throughout Virginia and beyond.  Taking place every autumn at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, the Virginia Film Festival has brought the best in contemporary and classic cinema to its audiences for nearly twenty-five years.  An array of leading cultural experts lead fascinating lectures and discussions, providing unique insight into not only the world of film, but the world in which we live. A collection of special events throughout the weekend invites the entire community to dive into the art of film in exciting new ways.

The Stars Come to Charlottesville

Festival selections range from Hollywood premiers to classic, documentary, and experimental video.  Panels and discussions illuminating a variety of facets of the films, from behind-the-scenes secrets of production to explorations of cultural relevance, complement the screenings.  The festival taps into the local intellectual resources of professors, experts, and creative types, as well as bringing in actors, directors, and producers from Hollywood and New York, to create these memorable events.

Previous landmark screenings have included 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 Mother & Child with actress Cherry Jones and director Rodrigo Garcia; and a live producer’s commentary of the show True Blood featuring its creator Alan Ball. Other guests have included Jimmy Stewart, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Hopkins, Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Gena Rowlands, Sigourney Weaver, William Styron, Ross McElwee, Matthew Broderick, and Cherry Jones.

The film festival begins this Thursday, November 4 and runs through Sunday, November 7- be sure to book your tickets and reserve your seats at the festival now!

What films are you planning to see?