The Virginia Film Festival (VAFF) has announced its slate of films for this, its 37th year. Held in Charlottesville, VA, the VAFF will open on October 30 with Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or recipient at Cannes, Anora, starring Mikey Madison. Anora will receive the VAFF’s Inaugural Impresario Award, which will be presented to the film’s Distributor (NEON). The VAFF’s centerpiece film will be the rapturously received festival favorite Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Zoe Saldana, Karia Sofia Gascon, and Selena Gomez.
Gala screenings include the following:
Blitz: Director Steve McQueen’s first narrative film since 2018’s Widows, starring Saoirse Ronan, and tracing the story of a boy trying to find his way back to his mother during the German bombing of Britain during World War II
The Last Showgirl: Starring Pamela Anderson and directed by Gia Coppola, the film showcases the life of a stage performer after their show suddenly stops its 30-year run.
Nightbitch: Marking Amy Adams’ return to film after a two-year absence, Nightbitch (directed by Marielle Heller) follows a woman’s journey from a career-oriented go-getter to a stay-at-home mom who experiences surreal results as part of her life change
Pavements: An uncategorizable film that uses documentary, narrative, scripted reenactments, and staged musical elements to illuminate the history of the classic alternative rock band Pavement. The film’s director, Alex Ross Perry, will receive the VAFF’s Directorial Achievement Award.
The Piano Lesson: A true family affair, The Piano Lesson marks the third recent adaptation of an August Wilson play (following Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). The film is produced by Denzel Washington, directed by his son Malcolm (in his feature-length debut), and starring his other son John David. Danielle Deadwyler and Samuel L. Jackson are among the non-Washington contingent in the film.
The Room Next Door: Marking the great Pedro Almodovar’s first English language film, The Room Next Door features Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore as friends who reconnect after many years apart
Bird: Director Andrea Arnold’s first narrative film since American Honey in 2016, Bird stars Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski in the title role.
The Fire Inside: Written by Oscar-winning Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Mudbound), The Fire Inside follows the true-life humble beginnings of Claressa Shields, from her youth to Olympic champion boxer and then into the professional ranks of “the sweet science.”
Memoir of a Snail: A film that will receive the VAFF’s first award for Achievement in Animation, which will be presented to Director Adam Elliott
A Real Pain: Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut features him and Kieran Culkin as mismatched cousins touring their family roots in Poland, leading to unexpected tensions
Saturday Night: Jason Reitman’s well-reviewed look at the early days of Saturday Night Live, which features the recent Emmy-winning actor Lamorne Morris (starring as Garrett Morris in the film), who will be in attendance for a discussion of the film as well as receive the VAFF’s Virtuoso Award
Unstoppable: A biopic on the remarkable story of Anthony Robles (played by Jharrel Jerome), who won the national championship in his weight class while wrestling for Arizona State. The film also features Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle in crucial roles.
Spotlight Screenings:
Day of the Fight: Jack Huston (son of the legendary John Huston) makes his directorial debut in a boxing drama about a famous fighter’s return to the ring after being released from prison. Huston will receive the VAFF’s Achievement in Screenwriting Award for the film, which features Michael Pitt, Steve Buscemi, Joe Pesci, and Ron Perlman.
The End: The second film featuring Tilda Swinton in a lead role at the festival, The End is a musical about the last human family on earth
Bob Trevino Likes It: Featuring Barbie Ferreira in the lead as a lonely young woman who becomes friends online with a man who shares the same name (Bob Trevino) as her father. Co-star John Leguizamo and director Tracy Laymon will be in attendance for a discussion of the film.
The Penguin: HBO’s hit new series featuring Colin Farrell as the emerging Gotham City crime boss of Batman lore, which will bestow upon Production Designer Kalina Ivanov the Craft Award
Presence: A haunted house movie directed by Steven Soderbergh (which likely means it will be a lot more than “a haunted house” movie) starring Lucy Liu
The Summer Book: A tale about a grandmother (Glenn Close) spending a transformative summer with her granddaughter on an uninhabited island off the coast of Finland
Luther: Never Too Much: A documentary covering the life of the legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross. The VAFF will be recognizing the film with its Chronicler Award.
International Screenings (all films are Oscar Selections from their respective countries):
- Dahomey (Senegal)
- Emilia Perez (France)
- Flow (Latvia)
- The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
- The Glassworker (Pakistan)
- I’m Still Here (Brazil)
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
- Under the Volcano (Poland)
- Universal Language (Canada)
- Vermiglio (Italy)
The complete 2024 VAFF program will be available to review now at virginiafilmfestival.org. Tickets can be purchased on the site starting at noon on Friday, October 11. The Virginia Film Festival is a University of Virginia program from October 30 through November 3rd.
On a related note, I will be covering the VAFF in person. Look forward to reading my daily diary on the films and events that will be taking place. This will be my second time around. I suspect it will be as sweet as the first.
