2026 VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR OCTOBER 21-25
Call for Entries Launched
Charlottesville, VA – January 8, 2026 – The Virginia Film Festival announced today that the 39th annual Festival will take place from October 21-25, 2026.
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 21-25 to follow up on what was a truly extraordinary Festival last fall,” said VAFF Executive Director and UVA Vice Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa. “Last year’s program, put together by our outstanding Artistic Director Ilya Tovbis, further solidified our position as one of the premier regional film festivals in America. Our audiences delighted in a lineup that featured awards season standouts including Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, and Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly in addition to leading films from around the globe and right here in Virginia.”
As always, VAFF audiences were treated to fascinating insight and unforgettable experiences from an array of guests from throughout the industry. The 2025 VAFF featured so many incredible moments that still have our community buzzing, including a powerhouse musical performance by Sinners breakout star Miles Caton, who performed two of the film’s signature songs and brought the packed Paramount Theater crowd to its feet, and our Breakthrough Director Award-winner HIKARI, who utterly charmed our Closing Night crowd while presenting her acclaimed film Rental Family.”
Artistic Director Ilya Tovbis added, “For almost forty years, the Virginia Film Festival has brought our community together to celebrate the best in cinema. Communal gathering powered by great art is as important—if not more so—than ever, and everyone on our team is excited about what promises to be stellar Festival year in 2026. Whether you’re a filmmaker, a cinephile, or someone who simply enjoys great movies and the conversations that flow from them, I hope you’ll plan to join us from October 21-25.”
VAFF also announced the launch of its 2026 Call for Entries, inviting filmmakers to submit their work for consideration. All Virginia residents as well as students at Virginia schools are eligible to have their entry fees waived. Students outside of Virginia can submit a film in any category with a 75% discount. The Early Bird deadline for submissions is May 5, 2026, and the Regular submission deadline is June 30, 2026.
For complete submission information, 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.