Virginia Film Festival

ADRIANNE & THE CASTLE

A fairy-tale documentary, set in a hand-built castle, exploring grief and the creative power of love.

THE BITTER PILL

A West Virginian attorney fights back against the opioid epidemic, sparking a national movement.

DAHOMEY

Mati Diop (Atlantics) interrogates the repatriation of 26 royal treasures to the Republic of Benin.

DEFENDERS OF DEMOCRACY: The Thin Blue Line

Police officers from the front lines of the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack share first-hand accounts.

DEMENTIA AND LIVING WELL

Individuals living with Dementia showcase that living a fulfilling life with the condition is more than possible.

ERNEST COLE: LOST AND FOUND

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

EVERY LITTLE THING

A Hollywood woman cares for injured hummingbirds, drawing spiritual strength from their fragility and resilience.

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: THE BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT

A fascinating account of the rich life and artistry of “The Mother of Modernism.”

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

An investigative journalist enlists the help of Google’s AI chatbot to fight back against…AI.

INTHRIVE: Incarceration Survivors’ Voices

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

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

Celebrates the journey of musical performer Luther Vandross, from childhood talent to worldwide fame.

MEN OF WAR

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

NOCTURNES

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

OMAR AND CEDRIC: IF THIS EVER GETS WEIRD

A personal chronicle of the lifelong friendship of two artists.

PAVEMENTS

This highly innovative docudrama follows 90s indie band Pavement.

PLASTIC PEOPLE

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

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

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

ROOTED

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

SABBATH QUEEN

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

SHAKING IT UP: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LIZ CARPENTER

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

THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR

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

SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT

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

UNLIKELY ALLIES

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

WILFRED BUCK

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

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS

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

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

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