Virginia Film Festival

2024 VAFF SET FOR OCT. 30-NOV. 3

by John Kelly on February 27, 2024

2024 VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 3

VAFF Also Announces Launch of Call for Entries

Charlottesville, VA – February 27, 2024 – The Virginia Film Festival announced today that the 37th annual VAFF will take place from October 30-November 3, 2024.

The Virginia Film Festival is a program of the University of Virginia and the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts.

“We are excited to return this year from October 30-November 3 following what was a truly extraordinary 2023 VAFF,” said Virginia Film Festival Director and UVA Vice Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa. “From hosting Ava DuVernay and the U.S. Premiere of her acclaimed film Origin to director Cord Jefferson, who joined us for his Academy Award-nominated directorial debut American Fiction to Grammy and Oscar-winning recording artist Jon Batiste, who appeared withour Closing Night screening of the moving and powerful documentary American Symphony, it was truly one for the history books and memory banks. We look forward to delivering another outstanding program this fall.”

VAFF Senior Programmer Ilya Tovbis and the Festival team are already hard at work putting together the 2024 program. “The 2023 VAFF was a powerful festival that touched many in our community,” said Tovbis, “and allowed us to bring in incredible films artists at all stages of their careers—from established luminaries like Michael Engler (The Gilded Age), Nikki Giovanni (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project), and Shelley Niro (Café Daughter) to mid-career and up-and-coming filmmakers such as Riley Keough (War Pony), Nicole Newnham (The Disappearance of Shere Hite), and Marley McDonald (Time Bomb Y2K). All in all, over 140 artists shared their life’s work and craft with our community, and the exchange of ideas and differing perspectives was deeply touching and meaningful. As we ramp up for the 2024 Festival, we hope to build on the incredible year that was and encourage filmmakers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to submit their work to the 2024 VAFF.”

The Academy Award-nominated films from the 2023 VAFF program included Maestro, nominated for Best Picture; Actor in a Leading Role – Bradley Cooper; Actress in a Leading Role – Carey Mulligan; Makeup and Hairstyling; Original Screenplay; Cinematography; and Sound. Other nominees include 20 Days in Mariupol (Documentary Feature); American Fiction (Best Picture; Adapted Screenplay; Actor in a Leading Role – Jeffrey Wright; Actor in a Supporting Role – Sterling K. Brown; and Original Score); American Symphony (Original Song); The Holdovers (Best Picture; Actor in a Leading Role – Paul Giamatti; Actress in a Supporting Role – Da’Vine Joy Randolph; Original Screenplay; and Film Editing); Four Daughters (Documentary Feature); May December (Original Screenplay); Perfect Days (International Feature); Robot Dreams (Animated Feature); Rustin (Actor in a Leading Role – Colman Domingo); and The Teachers’ Lounge (International Feature). 

The VAFF also announced that it has launched its annual Call for Entries inviting filmmakers to submit their work for consideration for the 2024 Festival. Once again, all Virginia residents and students at Virginia schools are eligible to have their entry fees waived. The fees for non-Virginia filmmakers submitting by the Early Bird deadline of May 15 will be $30 for features and $10 for short submissions. Students outside of Virginia can submit a film in any category with a 75% discount.

Filmmakers will be notified of their entry status by September 17, 2024. For complete submission information and waiver codes, visit virginiafilmfestival.org/submit-a-film. All questions should be addressed to vaffsubmissions@virginia.edu.

For more information on the Virginia Film Festival, visit virginiafilmfestival.org.