Virginia Film Festival

BIRDY – 40th Anniversary Screening

An emotionally fragile Vietnam veteran believes he is a bird and is confined to a military hospital. His best friend and fellow war vet visits him every day, determined to bring him back to reality.

INTERCEPTED

Through intercepted phone calls of Russian soldiers in Ukraine, this gripping documentary reveals the brutal transformation of men in war, juxtaposing the dehumanizing effects of conflict with the resilience of the Ukrainian people.

SATURDAY NIGHT – Special Award Screening

A re-imagination of the 90 minutes leading up of the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. 

ANORA

A exotic dancer gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she marries the son of an oligarch.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL

Pamela Anderson shines as a Las Vegas showgirl facing the closure of her long-running revue.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

In 1815, Edmond Dantès escapes wrongful imprisonment and embarks on a calculated quest for revenge.

THE FIRE INSIDE

Claressa Shields’s inspirational journey to becoming the first American boxer to win multiple Olympic golds.

DAY OF THE FIGHT

Mikey, a former boxer, prepares for his comeback at Madison Square Garden.

PLASTIC PEOPLE

This thought-provoking documentary explores the hidden dangers of microplastics in our environment and bodies.

BRIM BROOME BOULEVARD

When a child wanders through a set of mysterious doors, they enter into a journey of…

TRANSPLANT

A surgical resident faces intense challenges under a demanding heart surgeon mentor.

PRESENCE

A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone.

THE PENGUIN

In the aftermath of The Batman, Gotham descends into chaos, and Oswald “The Penguin” Cobb seizes the chance to rise to power.

SNEAK PREVIEW: MAYFAIR WITCHES

Rowan faces escalating challenges as she confronts the dark entity Lasher.

FAQ

Young Dong-chun gets an unexpected escape when she finds a talking bottle of rice wine on a school retreat.

A LITTLE PRINCESS – Repertory Screening

Young Sara is stripped of her privileged life and forced into servitude at a New York boarding school.

MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD

In this touching documentary Makayla, a young girl with autism undergoes a courageous journey which unveils…

STILL HERE

The story of three brothers whose coming of age was stained by violence, poverty, and prison…

ROOMMATES

After completing lengthy prison terms, two women forge a strong bond within a nursing home catering…

UNTIL WE ALL COUNT

In Georgia, hundreds of thousands of people cannot vote because of a felony conviction. Page and…

Two Wolves

Prison is dark and hopelessness is darker. But the path forward starts with self-empowerment and there…

A SUITE OF SHORT FILMS BY KEVIN JEROME EVERSON

A selection of new films from Everson, including a collaboration with Claudrena Harold.

LIGHT HOUSE STUDIO SHORTS

Some of the year’s best student work from Light House’s Summer Film Academy, the Adrenaline Film Project, and more.

MEN OF WAR

A former U.S. Green Beret mounts a failed coup to remove Venezuela’s president.

Next Generation Storytellers’ High School Short Films

An innovative, one-of-a-kind film program that brings the “magic” of Hollywood to underserved communities.

INTHRIVE: Incarceration Survivors’ Voices

Short films by and about incarceration survivors, presented with the Inthrive Film Festival.

THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR

In the French Pyrenees, the reintroduction of wild bears in a traditional shepherding community provokes deep conflict.

GET AWAY

A family vacation on a remote Swedish island turns into a fight for survival.

AMADEUS — 40th Anniversary Screening

Rival composer Antonio Salieri becomes obsessed with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

VERMIGLIO

During the final days of World War II, a young soldier’s romance sparks a chain of events.

TALK TO HER – Repertory Screening

Pedro Almodóvar’s 2003 Academy-Award winner explores the lives of two men tending to their comatose lovers.

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

Mohammad Rasoulof’s thriller about a judge grappling with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran.

THE END

A golden age musical about one of the last families on earth, from visionary Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing).

WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED

Socorro sets out to find the soldier who killed her brother during the Tlatelolco massacre.

JUVENILE: FIVE STORIES

Five young people from across the country face their traumas and seek healing after their justice system experiences.

CATCH A KILLER

A forensic specialist and horror film buff—and his pregnant girlfriend—set out to catch a serial killer.

2024 LATE NIGHT WRAP PARTY

Join us for an unforgettable evening before the credits roll on the 37th annual Festival,.

2024 OPENING NIGHT GALA

Join us to celebrate of the magic and beauty of film with visiting guests and Festival patrons. 

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

Filmmaker and former punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo reunites with her family in Peru after 16 years of silence.

LOST/ FOUND

It’s been six years since 18-year-old Lynn and her father Lionel were ripped apart in a…

UPROOTED

In the 1960s, residents wanted a thriving Black neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia, to keep growing.…

PINE GROVE: MORE THAN A SCHOOL

Documents the story of Pine Grove, one of few remaining Tuskegee-Rosenwald Community Schools. Built in 1917…

HOW SHE WAS

Real life father-daughter David and Julia Addis star in this genre-bending family drama. It tells the…

AZI

During a weekend vacation with her best friend's family, seventeen-year-old Azi gets caught up in an…

AT CAPACITY

Mia has one task for the evening: break up with the smooth-talking charlatan, Andrew. When things…

Short Films: OUR WEALTH IN COMMON

This series highlights works by Virginia-based creators and those with significant ties to the region.

PERCEBES

With the sea and urban Algarve as the backdrop, we follow a complete life cycle of a special shellfish.

HEAVEN DOESN’T KNOW MY NAME

A granddaughter gives a new meaning to her grandma's death through previously unspoken memories. This short…

CICATRIZ (SEED)

After his mother’s death, Rafael returns to his childhood home, where Silvania’s presence is still felt…

THE STAGE

A documentary exploring performers in niche subcultures.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS FEET ON THE GROUND

In the metaverse social platform called VR CHAT, players have built a society of their own…

Short Films: IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE

A visually-captivating trip through many facets of the human experience.

MARGARETHE 89

Leipzig, 1989. Margarethe, a young punk opposed to the East German regime, is detained in a…

TRAPPED

A high school janitor runs through a series of dangerous obstacles. This short film is part…

NEA

A hot-headed taxi driver and henchman in Medellín is enlisted to repair his boss's AC at…

IRMA

When Melissa’s unstable mother Irma tries to break into her new home, she must decide if…

Short Films: DISSOLVING DREAMS

A compelling examination of disillusionment and the search for meaning in an indifferent world. 

MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD

In this touching documentary, witness Makayla's courageous journey. Despite her autism, her parents' unwavering love unveils…

EVANESCENCE

A Navajo teenager flees home to search for her missing sister. On the road, she meets…

A CRAB IN THE POOL

Zoe and her little brother Theo are left to fend for themselves on a scorching summer…

RIPE!

Nothing says "it's complicated" like breaking your crush's arm. This short film is part of the The…

SEVENTEEN

In California, a small town, a Chinese American teenage girl, Jasmine , gets pregnant and wants…

Short Films: THE SPACE BETWEEN

A series of diverse narrative that poignantly explore the tumultuous journey of finding oneself. 

TAUTUKTAVUK (What We See)

Two Inuit sisters embark on a healing journey during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NOCTURNES

Deep in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas, two ecologists study hawk moths.

WILFRED BUCK

A Cree Elder’s journey to becoming a renowned keeper of Indigenous astronomy.

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

An intimate look into the legal fight for reproductive justice in Texas.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

In a reimagined Canada, an absurdist comedy intertwines the lives of an array of characters.

UNDER THE VOLCANO

A Ukrainian family on vacation in Spain becomes refugees overnight.

A TRAVELER’S NEEDS

A drifting expat in Seoul becomes a language tutor despite lacking qualifications.

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT

A lively examination of Cold War Congo, and the use of U.S. “Jazz Ambassadors.”

SHAKING IT UP: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LIZ CARPENTER

Liz Carpenter: Journalist, Trailblazing Texan, White House Official, Activist, Feminist Icon.

SABBATH QUEEN

This documentary follows a queer rabbi’s epic 20-year-journey as the heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis.

THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

After years of being out of touch, two friends meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

UNLIKELY ALLIES

Weldon Angelos’s music career is ended when prosecutors turn a cannabis case into 20 felony charges.

THE SUMMER BOOK

Off the cost of Finland, a young girl, her father, and her grandmother deal with the loss of her mother.

ROOTED

In this food justice documentary, a local activist and mother fights to own the land she farms.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS

The vibrant life of the legendary songwriter behind “September” and the “Friends” theme.

UNSTOPPABLE

The inspiring story of wrestler Anthony Robles, who, born without a leg, still became a champion.

ERNEST COLE: LOST AND FOUND

Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) profiles the first South African photographer to expose the horrors of Apartheid.