about us
The Virginia Film Festival, now in its 38th year, is a program of the University of Virginia. Widely recognized as one of the leading regional film festivals in America, the VAFF is known for its commitment to taking audiences beyond the screen to explore some of the most important issues of our time. The five-day festival annually delivers more than 100 films from around the world, combining special previews of some of the hottest titles of the festival season with an array of fascinating documentaries, exciting new voices on the independent film scene, the best of the international film scene and more.
Our Mission
The Virginia Film Festival’s mission is:
- To educate and engage audiences in an open dialogue on the art of film through a five-day annual festival and year-round screenings and events.
- To foster conversations between audiences, artists, students, and academics around films and how they relate to the world in which we live.
- To support films and filmmakers of the Commonwealth of Virginia.







Honored guests
Past VAFF guests include: Jon Batiste, Ava DuVernay, Riley Keough, Cord Jefferson, Ashley Judd, Ethan Hawke, Wanuri Kahiu, Spike Lee, Mikey Madison, Shirley McLaine, Matthew Modine, Lamorne Morris, Werner Herzog, Meg Ryan, Jeremy O. Harris, Danny McBride, and Richard Roundtree.
Past At-A-GLANCE Guides


