Virginia Film Festival

9 Pillars Hip Hop Music Video Showcase

Curated by 9 Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Festival Director, Cullen Wade, 9 Pillars Hip Hop Music…

Adrenaline Film Project Reprise

In its 15th year and hosted by Light House Studio, the Adrenaline Film Project challenges 12…

Afrikana Film Festival

The Afrikana Independent Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the cinematic works of people of color…

Age of Bryce

*Screens as part of the WE CAN RELATE TO THAT Short Film Package* Smothered by an…

Aggie

Art collector and American Philanthropist Agnes “Aggie” Gund has received international recognition for her dedication to…

Aleksi

After returning home from college to live with her parents, 28-year-old Aleksi struggles to fight off…

Alice

Charlottesville filmmaker Eduardo Montes-Bradley sits down with composer, conductor, and teacher of choral music, Alice Parker,…

Alice Discussion

Discussion with director Eduardo Montes-Bradley, and subject Alice Parker, moderated by Michael Slon (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu-ZkmsvKaY

Alienated

*Screens as part of the OUT OF THIS WORLD Short Film Package* An animated film about…

All In: The Fight for Democracy

In 2018, Stacey Abrams became the first Black woman to run for governor in a major…

All In: The Fight For Democracy Discussion

Discussion with director Lisa Cortes and VA Congressman Bobby Scott, moderated by Larry Sabato (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxZsa7C1FJA

Allan Ellen

*Screens as part of the OUT OF THIS WORLD Short Film Package* Allan and Ellen are…

American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel

Religion, race, and politics in America have been intertwined for as long as the country has…

Ammonite

Past her prime of famed discoveries, fossil hunter Mary Anning spends her days working alone on…

Anna

*Screens as part of the WE CAN RELATE TO THAT Short Film Package* Living in Eastern…

The Anti-Social Network (Post Screening Discussion)

A discussion on social media's impacts on our society with Roger McNamee, the high-profile Silicon Valley…

Army of Lovers in the Holy Land

Army of Lovers in the Holy Land begins thirty years after launching the queer disco-pop band Army…

The Beekeeper

*This short film screens before FREELAND* A beekeeper on the island of Anglesey faces losing her…

Before

*Screens as part of the OUT OF THIS WORLD Short Film Package* BEFORE follows a group…

Bird’s Eye

*Screens as part of the WE CAN RELATE TO THAT Short Film Package* When the perfect…

Bori

Bori, an 11-year-old girl who lives in a sea village, is the only hearing family member.…

Boys State

Every summer, a thousand Texas high school senior boys gather for a week-long program for an…

Boys State Discussion

Discussion with filmmakers Jess Moss and Amanda McBaine, and subject Steven Garza, moderated by Larry Sabato…

Buck

*This short film screens before PVT CHAT* Caught in the throes of a depressive fugue, young…

But I Wanted to be a Cowboy

*Screens as part of the VIRGINIA STUDENT SHORTS BLOCK Film Package* A teenaged kid dreams of being…

Call Center Blues

*This short film screens before HAMTRAMCK, USA* A character-driven, cinematic tale of deportation, migration, displacement and…

Classified

*Screens as part of the OUT OF THIS WORLD Short Film Package* Will Gibbons is hired…

Coded Bias

Director Shalini Kantayya explores two major questions at the forefront of modern society: What does it…

A Conversation on Netflix’s Athlete A

Directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk discuss their process in creating Athlete A, a thorough investigation…

A Conversation on Showtime and Blumhouse TV’s The Good Lord Bird

Actor, writer, director and four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke will be joined by award-winning author…

A Conversation with Annette Bening

Four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening will participate in a conversation with author and Turner Classic…

A Conversation with Leslie Odom Jr.

The multi-talented actor Leslie Odom, Jr. joins the VAFF for a conversation about his role as…

A Conversation with Linda Hamilton

Groundbreaking actress Linda Hamilton gave us one of Hollywood’s most iconic action hero female characters as…

A Conversation with Nicole Kassell

VAFF Program Manager Chandler Ferrebee will moderate a conversation with award-winning filmmaker and Charlottesville native Nicole…

A Conversation with Pete Souza and Chris Lu

Former Obama and Reagan White House photographer Pete Souza will discuss the new documentary The Way…

A Conversation with Vince Gilligan and Mark Johnson

Vince Gilligan, the creator of Emmy Award-winning series Breaking Bad and its current sequel Better Call…

Dinner in America

This off-the-wall, daring comedy follows an unconventional couple, Simon and Patty, as they embark on a…

Dinner In America Discussion

Discussion with director Adam Rehmeier, and actors Emily Skeggs and Kyle Gallner, moderated by Ty Cooper…

Dismantling Democracy

Dismantling Democracy examines new and old democratic structures of government in the United States and around the…

Eeb Allay Ooo!

This first feature film from Indian director Prateek Vats follows the absurd, and at times outright…

Electric Jesus

In this wistful coming-of-age music-comedy Erik’s dreams come true when he's asked to run sound for…

Electric Jesus Discussion

Discussion with director and writer Chris White; editor Scott Lansing; and actors Brian Baumgartner, Andrew Eakle,…

The Evening Hour

Cole Freeman maintains an uneasy equilibrium in his declining Appalachian mining town, working as a health…

The Evening Hour Discussion

Discussion with director Braden King, screenwriter Elizabeth Palmore, and actor Michael Trotter, moderated by Jeff Sharlet…

Feels Good Man Discussion

Discussion with director Arthur Jones and producer Giorgio Angelini, moderated by Siva Vaidhyanathan (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5nYmvecEMk

Filmfarsi

“Filmfarsi”, a term jokingly coined by critics referring to the rowdy and melodramatic genre films made…

Filmfarsi Discussion

Discussion with director Ehsan Khoshbakht, moderated by Samhita Sunya (UVA/VAFF). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1iDyG-O6qU

The First and Last King of Haiti

*This short film screens before THERE IS NO EVIL* In 1807, the country of Haiti was split into…

The First.

*Screens as part of the VIRGINIA STUDENT SHORTS BLOCK Film Package* Abrar, a young Muslim American woman…

Fish & Men

With over 90% of American seafood imported from other countries, most consumers are blissfully ignorant of…

Fish & Men Discussion

Discussion with directors Adam Jones and Darby Duffin, and subject Russell Sherman, moderated by Paul Freedman…

Fishing With Dynamite

Director Paul Wagner examines how the shared obsession with short-term profits between corporations and Wall Street…

Freeland

Devi is a fiercely independent woman in her 60’s whose toughness, ingenuity, and boundless energy have…

Freeland Discussion

Discussion with director Mario Furloni, producer Laura Heberton, and actors Krisha Fairchild and Frank Mosley, moderated…

Gather

An indigenous chef embarks on an ambitious project to reclaim ancient foodways on the Apache reservation.…

Gather Discussion

Discussion with director Sanjay Rawal and subject Danielle Hill, moderated by Angelina Okuda-Jacobs (Pathkeepers for Indigenous…

The Giverny Document (Single Channel)

Through audacious formal experimentation, filmmaker and artist Ja’Tovia Gary unleashes an arsenal of techniques and materials,…

The Giverny Document (Single Channel) Discussion

Discussion with director Ja'Tovia Gary, moderated by Kevin Everson (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQbZJqlLNSE

God $ Green: An Unholy Alliance

*This short film screens before FISH & MEN* God $ Green: An Unholy Alliance uncovers decades of religious…

God $ Green: An Unholy Alliance Discussion

Discussion with director Jeanine Butler, Professor of Religion and Africana Studies at University of Pennsylvania Dr. Anthea Butler,…

Good Ol Girl

GOOD OL GIRL follows three young Texas cowgirls tasked with carrying on their families’ legacies amidst…

Good Ol Girl Discussion

Discussion with director Sarah Brennan Kolb and subject Mandy Dauses, moderated by Allison Pugh (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T82mFvIbSE

GraceLand

*This short film screens before ELECTRIC JESUS* Anna Camp stars as a southern mom whose life…

Gunda

Director Victor Kossakovsky documents the lives of farm animals, offering encounters with a mother sow, two…

Hamtramck, USA

Hamtramck, Michigan is a city built by immigrants. Once a town that was 90% Polish, Hamtramck…

Hamtramck, USA Discussion

Discussion with directors Justin Feltman and Razi Jafri, moderated by Shilpa Davé (UVA). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz5EN-3a1XQ

HBCU Storytellers: Confederate Monuments – Heritage or Hatred?

*This short film screens before THE REUNITED STATES* HBCU students explore the question of Confederate monuments…

Heard

To many Americans, issues regarding public housing and urban poverty often remain out of sight and…

Heard Discussion

Discussion with filmmaker Martin Montgomery; and subjects TJ Thompson, Von Johnson, Cotina Brake, Gwendolyn Harris, and…

Identity Crisis

*Screens as part of the OUT OF THIS WORLD Short Film Package* A cyborg named Scott…

Inhale

*Screens as part of the WE CAN RELATE TO THAT Short Film Package* INHALE documents the…

The Inn at Little Washington: A Delicious New Documentary

Dubbed “The Pope of American Cuisine,” Chef Patrick O’Connell is a legend. He’s revered as a…

Jamaica y Tamarindo

The jamaica flower and tamarind are iconic ingredients in Mexico, but their history comes from a…

January 13th, Richmond Va

*Screens as part of the VIRGINIA STUDENT SHORTS BLOCK Film Package* *This short film also screens before FEELS…

The Judge – Character, Cases, Courage

After presiding over several historically significant cases during his nearly 31 years of service on the…

Jumbo

Jeanne is a shy young woman who works the graveyard shift as a janitor at an…

The Killing of Two Lovers

After agreeing to separate from his wife Nikki, David frantically tries to keep his family of…

The Koi And The Frog

*Screens as part of the VIRGINIA STUDENT SHORTS BLOCK Film Package* A friendly rivalry between a Koi…

Lago Gatún

Lago Gatún (2021) is a journey traveling south to north through the Panama Canal. Introduction by…

Lapsis

In a parallel present, delivery man Ray Tincelli struggles to support himself and his ailing younger…