The Middleburg Film Festival is one of my very favorite festivals. Not only is it housed in the gorgeous Virginia countryside, but it completely removes the exhaustion and anxiety of attending more hectic festivals. The available films are always those in contention, and the festival curates several very interesting conversations related to film and the Oscar race.
This year, Middleburg celebrates its 13th edition. Details on the major films and tributes available at the festival follow. The Contending’s Clarence Moye and Joey Moser will be in attendance to cover the festival!
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The Middleburg Film Festival announced today an initial lineup of films and honorees for its 13th edition set to run October 16-19. Launching the four-day festival is Netflix’ JAY KELLY from Academy Award-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), starring George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern and Billy Crudup. The film centers on Clooney’s titular movie star character, Jay Kelly, and his devoted manager (Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Poignant and humor-filled, the film examines life’s regrets and notable glories. MFF will honor the film with the Inaugural Ensemble & Casting Award to be presented to members of the cast and casting directors Douglas Aibel and Nina Gold.
Screening as the Centerpiece film is the highly anticipated Focus Features film HAMNET, directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, The Rider) who is attending the Festival to accept the Visionary Director Award. Winner of the TIFF People’s Choice Award, HAMNET, tells a powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. Adapted from the widely acclaimed novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, the film stars Academy Award nominees Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as well as Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe and Noah Jupe.
Colin Farrell will receive the Spotlight Actor Award following a screening of Netflix’s BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER from director Edward Berger (Conclave, All Quiet on the Western Front). An Academy Award and BAFTA nominee for his work in The Banshees of Inisherin, the award honors Farrell’s wide-ranging filmography which includes The Lobster, In Bruges, Minority Report, and The Batman. Adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER follows a high-stakes gambler lying low in Macau as his past, and debts, start to catch up with him.
Rose Byrne will be honored with the Agnès Varda Trailblazing Film Artist Award for her performance in Mary Bronstein’s A24 Sundance breakout IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU. In the film, Byrne plays a mother whose world unravels as she contends with her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist. Byrne is best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated role in FX’s Damages, her breakout comedy turn in the Academy Award nominated Bridesmaids and starring roles in Neighbors and Neighbors 2. She currently stars in the Apple TV+ series “Platonic” alongside Seth Rogen. The Agnès Varda Award is accompanied by a grant for mentoring aspiring film artists.
Acclaimed Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi will be recognized with the Impact Award for his Cannes Palme d’or winner IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT. Long recognized as one of world cinema’s most vital and courageous voices, Panahi has continued to create internationally celebrated work despite restrictions on his ability to travel and make films in his home country. His new film follows a man whose life unravels after a seemingly minor traffic incident escalates into an exploration of guilt, justice and fate. He is one of only four filmmakers to win the top prize at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals. The film is also France’s official entry to the 2026 Academy Awards.
