37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL Oct 30-Nov 3, 2024

37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL October 30-November 3, 2024

VAFF 2020 Virtual Program | FAQs

Thank you for your interest in the Virginia Film Festival’s 2020 Virtual Program! Presented October 21-25, our Virtual Program will present a diverse slate of features, documentaries, and shorts alongside panels, Q&As, and a series of conversations with leading industry experts and artists. Over 5 days, VAFF audiences will be able to stream films, watch pre-recorded Q&As, and partake in virtual live events through a platform called Eventive. Eventive delivers the best technologies for on-demand and livestream content into one easy to use platform for our patrons while also providing MPAA-certified DRM protection for filmmakers and distributors.

We know that participating in a film festival online is new for everyone, so we have pulled together a list of FAQs, How-Tos, and more in hopes of addressing common questions and offering our patrons support around their Virtual Program experience from beginning to end. If your question is not answered below or if you require further assistance, please reach out to the VAFF customer support team at boxoffice@vafilmfeststag.wpengine.com.

If you are looking for technical support on accessing our Virtual Program, please visit our Technical Support page.

If you are looking for FAQs on our Drive-In series, please visit our Drive-In Movies FAQ page.

HOW TO ATTEND

1. Purchase a Virtual All-Access Pass or individual tickets. Virtual All-Access Passes are $65.00 ($45.00 for students) and are on sale now. Individual tickets to our Virtual Program events are $8.00 each and will go on sale at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21. Visit our Tickets & Passes page for more information and to purchase your pass today.

2. Test your device’s compatibility. Before October 21, make sure to test your home device(s) to ensure you will seamlessly enjoy the VAFF’s Virtual Program. See our Tech Support page for detailed system requirements, compatibility tips, and how-tos.

3. Plan your virtual itinerary. A complete list of virtual screenings and discussions included in our Virtual Program will be available to browse on our Eventive page starting October 8.

4. Sit back, relax, and enjoy! Our Virtual Program of features, documentaries, and shorts alongside panels, Q&As, and much more will be available to stream from the safety of your home starting October 21 through October 25!

PASSES & TICKETS

As a donor, will I receive free tickets or early access to the Virtual Program this year?

We are not providing ticket packages or an early access window to donors this year. Contributions made to the 2020 VAFF will be considered philanthropic gifts and will be credited as 100% tax deductible. It is our hope that we can bring back the donor benefit program when we return to an in-person Festival. If you have any questions, please email SupportVAFF@virginia.edu.

Do I need an Eventive account to purchase passes/tickets and stream films?

Yes, you need an Eventive account. If you do not already have an Eventive account, when you purchase a pass or tickets you will be prompted to enter an email address to create your account.

When can I purchase a Virtual All-Access Pass?

Our Virtual All-Access Passes are on sale now! The Virtual All-Access Pass offers access to all films and discussions included in our 2020 Virtual Program, which will include over 50 narrative and documentary features, curated short film packages, post-film discussions, and panel conversations. Visit our Tickets & Passes page to purchase your pass today.  

Are there any exceptions to films included in the Virtual All-Access Pass?

A Virtual All-Access Pass will grant you access only to screenings and events included in our on-demand Virtual Program and is NOT valid on tickets to our Drive-In Movies  or our Special Presentation events.  

A Virtual All-Access Pass does not guarantee access to all events. Some films will come with limits to the number of times a film can be viewed, and some films will be restricted to only viewers located in the United State or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please see our geoblocking and other screening restrictions section on our Tickets and Passes page for more details. 

Please also know that a Virtual All-Access Pass does not automatically reserve the passholder tickets or unlocks to all events. Once a Virtual All-Access Pass is purchased, the pass holder must sign back into their VAFF Eventive account to unlock (or reserve your individual access to) virtual screenings and events before viewing. The unlock window for pass holders begins at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. 

We encourage our pass holders to unlock their selection of virtual screenings as early as possible once the unlock window opens on Wednesday, October 21.

How do Virtual All-Access Passes work?

After purchasing your Virtual All-Access Pass, passholders can sign into their Eventive account to unlock any event included in our on-demand Virtual Program for a single viewing, pending availability. 

Our full Virtual Program will be released and posted here on Thursday, October 8. We  encourage passholders to begin browsing the program then and to map out their personal program wish-list early. Passholders can begin unlocking events starting at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21. You can browse the Virtual Program as a filterable and searchable A-Z list of films or via our Virtual Festival catalog here. When you find something you’d like to watch, click on the event’s title, select a showing if prompted, and choose UNLOCK FOR FREE to reserve your passholder access to stream this event. Once a film has been unlocked, it is connected to your Eventive account, and you can revisit this event at any time during the 5 days of the Festival to begin streaming.  

Wait, what does UNLOCK mean?

In the virtual film festival world, the term UNLOCK simply means to purchase an individual ticket or to reserve your access to stream a virtual event. 

When can I purchase single tickets to Virtual Program events?

Single ticket sales (or individual unlocks) to all events in our Virtual Program will open at 10:00 AM Wednesday, October 21. 

Where can I find my purchased passes and/or tickets? 

If you have purchased a Virtual All-Access Pass, log in to your Eventive Account and visit the My Passes page on the VAFF’s Eventive portal

If you have unlocked a film or event, log in to your Eventive Account and visit My Content Library on the VAFF’s Virtual Program page. You can also check your inbox for the order confirmation email and click the WATCH NOW button. Or you can navigate to the original listing of the film or event. If you have already unlocked or ordered a ticket AND if you are logged into your Eventive account, you will have the option to WATCH NOW on the event’s webpage. 

Can I give a Virtual All-Access Pass as a gift?

Yes! Log in to your Eventive Account and visit the My Passes page on the VAFF’s Eventive portal. Select the gear icon to the right of the All Access Pass you would like to send as a gift.  Select TRANSFER PASS, enter the recipient’s email access, and select SUBMIT. 

Note: You can transfer this pass to anyone with an email address. Once you submit the TRANSFER PASS form, the recipient will receive a link that will allow them to accept the transfer and add the pass to their Eventive account. Until they accept the transfer, the pass will remain in your account. Once they accept, the pass will permanently disappear from your account unless the recipient transfers it back to you.

How do I use my discount code?

Click the Have a discount code? text in the bottom right corner of the checkout window; enter the promo code when prompted; and click APPLY.

Are refunds or exchanges available?

Refunds or exchanges are not available. Before completing your order, please ensure that your order is correct and that your browser and device are compatible for streaming.

I have made a purchase but have not received a confirmation email.
What do I do?

Eventive will automatically email a confirmation of your pass purchase to your email with the subject  Pass order confirmation – 2020 Virginia Film Festival. If you did not receive this email, please check your spam folder. If the email is not in your spam folder, then try logging in to your Eventive account here and visiting the My Passes or My Tickets tab.  If you still are having trouble, contact us at boxoffice@vafilmfeststag.wpengine.com.

How do I reset my Eventive password?

If you do not remember your password, you can reset it here.

INTRODUCTIONS & DISCUSSIONS

Will there be introductions or discussions for all Virtual Program films?

There will be for most films included in our Virtual Program! Information on scheduled introductions, discussions, and participating artists will be listed on each event’s webpage. Once our full Virtual Program is available on October 8, you can also use the tags and search function on this page or scroll down to the Special Guests and Discussions sections on this page to view films with introductions and discussions attached. 

Will panels, Q&As, and discussions be live or pre-recorded?

Most panels and discussions included in our Virtual Program will be pre-recorded, while a select few will be offered live. Please check out the On Demand Panels & Discussions and Live Panels & Discussions sections on this page to view all films with introductions and discussions attached. 

How do I watch a pre-recorded discussion? 

Once you have unlocked an event that includes a film screening plus a pre-recorded discussion, simply select the discussion button from the right sidebar and click WATCH NOW.

How do I watch a live discussion?

If you’ve unlocked an event that includes a film screening plus a live discussion, make note of the live discussion’s day and time that will be included in the event description. You will receive information on how to register for and access the live discussion via Zoom in the email confirmation you receive for this event. If you misplace this email confirmation, please email us the VAFF customer support team at boxoffice@vafilmfeststag.wpengine.com.

Can I watch a live discussion after it airs?

Yes, all of our live discussions will be recorded and made available to ticket holders for the duration of the program availability window.  Approximately 24 hours after the live discussion ends, you can revisit the virtual event’s web page and select the discussion button from the right sidebar and then click WATCH NOW

Will discussions be available to view after the Festival?

All live and pre-recorded discussions will be available to view on the VAFF’s YouTube Channel on Monday, November 2. 

ACCESS TO VIRTUAL PROGRAM

When can I begin to watch films in the Virtual Program?

Most events will be available to stream beginning at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21 and will be available through 11:59 PM on Sunday, October 25.  There may be a few exceptions with shortened viewing windows.  A complete list of restricted films can be found here

How long do I have to watch a film?

Please check each virtual film and event’s webpage via our Virtual Program catalog here for information on how long a specific film is available as well as the exact length of your watch window. You will find this information below the image on each event page, and a countdown will update in real time as soon as you unlock and begin to watch a film. In most cases, films will be available to view during the full Festival, beginning at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21 through 11:59 PM on Sunday, October 25. And once you click WATCH NOW and begin a film, you have 24 hours to finish watching. 

Please note, the 24-hour watch window restriction is in place to prevent Eventive users from sharing log-in information. If you would like to invite a friend or family member to watch a program, please encourage them to purchase their own Virtual All-Access Pass or single ticket. 

I purchased a ticket/unlocked an event, but now it’s telling me to unlock it again. What should I do?

Please confirm that you are logged in with the same email address you used to purchase your pass/ticket. You can always re-log in using this link, or if you are not logged in at all you’ll be prompted to login after clicking “unlock now.” 

Alternatively, you can visit your Content Library page which will display all of the Virtual Program events that you currently have access to.  Selecting a title on this page will take you directly to the film’s webpage where you can select WATCH NOW. 

Can I rewind, start over, or watch a film more than once?

Yes, you have complete access to the entire film during your watch window! During the watch window, you can pause, rewind, or restart the film as many times as needed. If the film has a pre-recorded discussion attached, please note that the discussion will have the same watch window restrictions as the film. All VAFF Virtual Program discussions will be made available after the Festival on the VAFF’s YouTube Channel. 

Is closed captioning available on the films and discussions?

We endeavor to ensure that captioning is available for as many films included in our Virtual Program as possible. In most cases, closed captioning is developed and made available at the discretion of the filmmaker and distributor. Captions are indicated on the film pages with CC.

If available, closed captions can be turned on or off while streaming the film by selecting (CC) in the subtitle window at the bottom right corner of the video player.

All pre-recorded discussions have closed captioning available. All live discussions will have live captioning available.

Contact VAFF Outreach Coordinator Erica Barnes, eb4va@virginia.edu, 434 982 4543 to request additional accommodations. Please contact us at least seven days prior to the start of the Festival as advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs. 

Please use the Closed Captioning filter on this page to view all films with closed captions available.