Virginia Film Festival

I KNOW CATHERINE, THE LOG LADY

The true story of the extraordinary death and big, big life of Catherine Coulson. Oscar winning…

THE LEGEND OF OCHI

Free to attend preview screening from A24 Recommended for the whole family (ages 10+), Rated PG…

A BRIDGE TO LIFE

From celebrated Charlottesville director Chris Farina comes a documentary about the power of overcoming hardship, building…

DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS

Diane Warren is one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, with a four-decade track…

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: THE BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT

Academy Award-winning director Paul Wagner trains his lens onto one of the most influential American artists…

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.

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.

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.

Short Films: OUR WEALTH IN COMMON

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

Short Films: IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE

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

Short Films: DISSOLVING DREAMS

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

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.

BAD SHABBOS

An interfaith couple’s boisterous Shabbat dinner is rudely interrupted by an uninvited dead body.

A REAL PAIN

Two cousins (Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour across Poland to confront their family history.

THE PIANO LESSON

A battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived.

PAVEMENTS

This highly innovative docudrama follows 90s indie band Pavement.

NIGHTBITCH

A woman (Amy Adams) slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood.

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL

After Shula finds her uncle’s dead body in the middle of the road, the family comes together and secrets resurface.

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

A snail-collecting, melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself.

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

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

LA COCINA

In a Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the staff chase the elusive American dream.

THE KINGDOM

Set in 1995 Corsica, Lesia’s life is upended when she discovers her father’s mob ties.

JAZZY

Jazzy navigates the space between childhood and young adulthood against the backdrop of her Oglala Lakota community.

I’M STILL HERE

Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) tracks Eunice Paiva during Brazil’s 1970s military dictatorship.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

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

MS. APOCALYPSE

Bookkeeper Young-mi secretly falls in love with her coworker and faces a life-altering proposition from his wife.

OMAR AND CEDRIC: IF THIS EVER GETS WEIRD

A personal chronicle of the lifelong friendship of two artists.

THE GLASSWORKER

A gifted glassblower forms a friendship with a violin prodigy during a time of war.

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

A pregnant factory worker in post-WWI Copenhagen looks for help from a mysterious adoption agency.

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE: THE BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT

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

FLOW

In the wake of great flood, a courageous cat embarks on a wondrous journey through realms natural and mystical.

EVERY LITTLE THING

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

EMILIA PÉREZ

Four remarkable women from Mexico pursue happiness in this audacious musical fever dream.