On September 22, 2026, the Virginia Film Festival (VAFF) released its roster for its 39th annual festival, running October 21 to October 25 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The festival kicks off with Jesse Eisenberg’s third film as a director, The Debut. The film reunites Eisenberg with the star of his first film (When You Finish Saving the World), Julianne Moore. The Debut premiered at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, earning rapturous reviews and Oscar heat for Eisenberg, Moore, and Paul Giamatti, who plays a supporting role. Moore stars as a housewife who loses herself in a community theater production. The Debut has been branded a deft mix of comedy, drama, and musical, and is already one of the year’s best-received films.
The Centerpiece film of the festival is The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, starring Amanda Seyfried and Scoot McNairy. Directed by Tim Blake Nelson, the psychological drama involves a teacher (Seyfried) in an abusive marriage who takes a part-time job at a prison and forms an intense bond with an inmate (McNairy).
The closing film of the festival is 1 15 41 Tragedy to Triumph, which follows the University of Virginia football team from the tragic on-campus shooting deaths of three players in 2022 through their history-making 2025 season, which saw the team advance to the conference championship game.
Gala screenings (held primarily at the historic Paramount Theater) include the following films:
14th: Director Ava DuVernay’s quasi-sequel to 13th, focuses on the 14th Amendment and its stated commitment to birthright citizenship, as well as the current effort to redefine and undermine the right to citizenship in the United States.
Behemoth!: A gifted cellist returns home to Los Angeles and rediscovers his love of music. Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) directed Behemoth!, which stars Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde.
Being Heumann: Adapted by Sian Heder (who also directs) and Rebekah Taussig from the memoir, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, Heder’s film tracks Judith Heumann’s fight for equal rights for the disabled during the 1970s—Ruth Madely stars as Heumann, with Mark Ruffalo and Dylan O’Brien in supporting roles.
La Bola Negra: Based on a play by Alberto Conejero (itself based on an unfinished work by Federico Garcia Lorca), La Bola Negra will come into the festival as one of the leading films for Oscar consideration. Telling the story of queer life in Spain over three different time periods, the film is directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo. Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, and Guitaricadelafunte are among the film’s cast.
The Cashier: Marking the directorial debut of Andy Edmunds (Director of the Virginia Film Office), The Cashier is a dark comedy centered on a humble woman (Daphne Maxwell Reid) who stumbles across a $1.6 million winning lottery ticket and tries to find the rightful ticket holder. Reid will attend to receive the Governor Gerald L. Baliles Founder’s Award, which honors exceptional filmmakers with Virginia roots.
Club Kid: Starring Jordan Firstman (who also wrote and directed), Club Kid tells the story of an NYC club promoter whose life is upended when he discovers he has a 10-year-old son. Already a festival favorite, with three nominations at Cannes, two at San Sebastian, and two awards at Deauville, Club Kid arrives in Virginia with heavy buzz around Firstman’s feature-length directorial debut. Composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer will attend to receive the festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Film Composition Award.
Elsinore: Based on the true story of Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson’s effort to play Hamlet at the National Theatre in London while afflicted with AIDS, Elsinore (directed by Simon Stone) has already won raves for Adam Scott’s leading role. Scott, on an extraordinary streak of great performances in projects like All of Us Strangers, Ripley, Blue Moon, and Wake Up Dead Man, is in every Best Actor conversation and may well be the odds-on favorite to win his first Oscar.
I Play Rocky: Telling the underdog story of Sylvester Stallone’s effort to bring the now-iconic Rocky Balboa to the big screen, I Play Rocky may well be the crowd-pleaser of the year. Starring dead ringer Anthony Ippolito as Stallone and directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Farrelly, I Play Rocky announced itself as a Best Picture contender after winning over audiences at the Toronto Film Festival.
Ink: From Director Danny Boyle, Ink is a dark comedy about Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of England’s daily newspaper The Sun, and its subsequent evolution into a wildly successful tabloid. Jack O’Connell stars as Larry Lamb, the editor charged with transforming The Sun from news to gossip. Guy Pearce co-stars as Rupert Murdoch.
Paper Tiger: Starring Adam Driver and Miles Teller as two brothers reaching for the American dream who get embroiled with the Russian mafia, Paper Tiger marks James Gray’s first film as a director since Armageddon Time. Gray will attend to accept the festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award.
The Social Reckoning: Aaron Sorkin’s sequel to The Social Network stars Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Mikey Madison (in her first performance since winning the Oscar for Best Actress in Anora) as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White as the reporter who tries to expose the social media titan’s questionable business practices. Sorkin not only wrote the film; this time, he also directs. Producer Todd Blackwill will attend and receive the festival’s Career Producer Honor.
Wild Horse Nine: Director Martin McDonagh’s follow-up to The Banshees of Inisherin has been heralded as a Best Picture contender coming into the fest. McDonagh’s latest involves two CIA agents (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) on a mission from Santiago to Easter Island that tests their friendship. Along with Elsinore’s Adam Scott, Malkovich is being touted as a Best Actor contender for his career-capping performance.
The following films will receive Spotlight screenings:
All of a Sudden, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)
Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff, directed by Nanette Burstein (Hillary)
Clarissa, directed by Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri (Esiri will attend to receive the festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting Award). David Oyelowo, Sophie Okekedo, and Ayo Edebiri star.
Everytime, directed by Sandra Wollner (The Trouble with Being Born)
Fatherland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski (Cold War) and starring Sandra Hüller
Josephine, directed by Beth de Araújo, and starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan.
Once Upon a Time In Harlem, directed by William Greaves and David Greaves
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, directed by Noah Segan, and starring John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tatiana Maslany
Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong (Burning)
Tangles (animated), directed by Leah Nelson
When a Witness Recants, directed by Dawn Porter (Luther: Never Too Much)
Wild Inside, directed by Penny Lane, who will receive the festival’s Chronicler Award
See the full festival lineup at the Virginia Film Festival Website
2026 Virginia Film Festival Keynote Guests include:
Todd Black, Ruth De Jong, Chuko Esiri, James Gray, Jessica Lange, Nathan Lane, Penny Lane, Tim Blake Nelson, Daphne Maxwell Reid, David O. Russell, Aaron Sorkin, and Cristobal Tapia De Veer
Lange and Lane will both receive the festival’s Visionary Award. Lange will be on hand for a special screening and discussion of Blue Sky. Lane will serve in the same capacity for a special screening of The Birdcage. De Jong, the production designer of The Odyssey, will receive the festival’s Craft Award for Production Design and join Building Worlds: The Art of Production Design Panel.
Additional panels include:
- Saving Films, Telling Histories
- Making It – Film Industry Career Panel
- Pitch Perfect: Get Your Project Made
The Programmers and Audience awards will be given out post-festival, the week of October 26.
Tickets go on sale to the public at Noon on Friday, October 2 and are available online at virginiafilmfestival.org; in-person at the UVA Arts Box Office; and by phone at 434-924-3376. Beginning Monday, October 19, tickets will also be available at VAFF’s Downtown Box Office in the lobby of Violet Crown. For complete information regarding the 2026 Festival, visit virginiafilmfestival.org.
I will be on hand to cover the festival for The Contending.
