Plan Your Festival Experience
Save the Date
- Tuesday, September 22 – Program Highlights Announced
- Thursday, September 24 – Full Schedule Live
- Friday, September 25 – Donor Pre-Sale Begins
- Friday, October 2 – Tickets on Sale
- 39th Annual Virginia Film Festival – October 20-25 2026
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Your Charlottesville Stay
For our out-of-town guests, explore our Travel & Lodging page to learn more about our hospitality partners.
Charlottesville is one of the Mid Atlantic’s premier vacation destinations. Surrounded by the beautiful, rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, yet only a hundred miles south of Washington D.C., Charlottesville is a vibrant college town with a thriving arts & culture scene, historic sites, award-winning wine, and more.
Buy Your Tickets
Buy your Festival tickets online, over the phone, or in person. And for UVA students, check out the Arts$ program for complimentary tickets to all films.
Our advice: pick your films and events carefully, making sure not to choose conflicting times. If you choose consecutive screenings across town from each other, take travel time into consideration.
Join the Party
We show over 100 films in five days, but we also love to celebrate and socialize during the Festival Weekend! Come join us for our Opening Night Gala and the Late Night Wrap Party for even more VAFF fun!
Know the Details
The 2026 VAFF present screenings at The Paramount Theater, Violet Crown, and Culbreth Theatre. There are various free and paid parking areas as well as access to the CTS Free Trolley that travels from UVA central grounds to the Downtown Charlottesville. Look over Venues and Parking to minimize stress and hassle in planning your visit.
Visit our Accessibility page for more information on venue access, captions & amplification, and accommodations.