Virginia Film Festival

Visionary American urban planner Robert Simon believed that building community is more important than creating buildings. Fifty years ago he envisioned “another way of living” in the suburbs, combining the best of the city experience with the best of the country. The result was the planned community of Reston, Virginia, an international sensation that mixes the residential and commercial, creates open spaces, and promotes community. Recent Peabody Award winner and director Rebekah Wingert-Jabi chronicles the journey of Reston’s founder and his dream to make his utopian vision a reality, and celebrates the continued success of Reston’s development. Discussion with director Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, State Senator Janet Howell, Patrick Phillips, Chuck Vetch, Matthew Slaats, and Tim Beatley (U.Va.)