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As the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ strike inches toward its three-month mark, the 36th annual Virginia Film Festival has had no other option but to shine its spotlight on the other disciplines behind movie magic.
“It’s pretty straightforward. We do have some actors, but they’re in independent productions,” festival Director Jody Kielbasa told The Daily Progress. “The actors were not able to attend to represent their films. We actually have a remarkably diverse lineup of guests. There’s so much that goes into making a film.”
“It feels terrific,” he said. “This is a festival for our community and the communal experience of watching a film together and laughing and crying together. It is a remarkable energy bringing all these people together. It is really the storytelling — seeing similarities, recognizing differences.”
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan is scheduled to introduce “Maestro,” starring Bradley Cooper as composer Leonard Bernstein, at the Virginia Film Festival on Wednesday.
The festival, which runs from Wednesday through Sunday in multiple Charlottesville theaters, isn’t an actor-free affair. From Wednesday’s opening-night screening of “Maestro” to the closing-night showing of “American Symphony,” a number of familiar faces will be at different screenings and discussions, but in different roles.
“We have Riley Keough, who is an Emmy-nominated actress, here as a director,” Kielbasa said. Keough, who previously was nominated for her work in “Daisy Jones and the Six” but is perhaps best known as the granddaughter of music legend Elvis Presley, wrote and directed “War Pony” with Gina Gammell and worked with writer Franklin Sioux Bob.
The festival will be presenting awards to professionals in a variety of disciplines. Makeup effects artist Kazu Hiro, who won Academy Awards for “Bombshell” and “The Darkest Hour,” will receive the film festival’s Craft Award on opening night. Director, producer and writer Ava DuVernay will pick up the Visionary Award while in town for a gala screening of “Origin.” Cord Jefferson, who is director, producer and writer of “American Fiction,” will take home the Breakthrough Director Award.
Matthew Heineman will get the Directorial Achievement Award during the screening of “American Symphony,” after which composer, bandleader and television personality Jon Batiste will perform. Poet Nikki Giovanni will receive the Changemaker Award; she will be taking part in a post-screening conversation after “Going to Mars: The Nikki Gioanni Project.”
Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” the centerpiece film at this year’s festival, will feature a post-screening discussion and question-and-answer session with producer Mark Johnson, the festival’s advisory board chair. Johnson, an Academy Award winner, is known for his work on “Rain Man,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Notebook,” “Better Call Saul” and many other projects.
The “depth and scope” of this year’s festival program has spurred brisk ticket sales, Kielbasa said, helping the event work its way back to the 24,000 to 25,000 tickets snapped up in pre-pandemic years.
Virginia Film Festival Director Jody Kielbasa delivers opening remarks before a showing of “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” at the Paramount Theatre as part of the Virginia Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
“We’re already ahead of last year’s ticket sales, and we haven’t even opened yet,” he said, adding that ticket sales likely will top 20,000 this year.
What is Kielbasa’s advice when the screening you want sells out? Don’t give up. Even when a film officially sells out, a few tickets will be tucked away to be released at the last minute, he said. And if those evaporate as well, there should be plenty of other enticing options within easy reach.
“We really encourage people not only to keep checking the website, but also just to show up,” he said. “We have taken over the entire Violet Crown theater. There are a lot of opportunities to see different films.”
The film festival traditionally has been a place where students who are interested in learning more about the film industry have met heroes and mentors with advice that helped them aim even higher. Kielbasa recommended a series of free events at the CODE Building on the Downtown Mall that will offer behind-the-scenes insights for tomorrow’s leaders.
Janet Graham Borba, executive vice president of production at HBO and Max, will lead a physical production master class at 10 a.m. Saturday in the CODE Building’s Irving Theater. She’ll be using the first season of “The Last of Us” as a case study, giving audience members glimpses into how a video game was adapted into a drama that picked up three Emmy nominations.
People gather outside during the Virginia Film Festival opening in 2022 at the Paramount Theater on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville.
At noon Saturday, “Beyond the Headlines: The WGA” will bring writer-directors Jai Jamison and Steven J. Kung to the Irving Theater to speak about the issues at the heart of the recent Writers Guild of America strike. Ted Johnson will moderate.
Next in the series, at 2 p.m. Saturday, is “Making It — Film Industry Career Panel.” Look for writer Nayna Agrawal of Disney’s “Encanto,” producer Julia Pontecorvo of “Going Varsity in Mariachi” and script and production development specialist Rebe Malaret of Boardwalk Pictures in the Irving Theater talking about what a modern career in the entertainment industry can look like. Scot Safon is moderator.
For tickets and other details visit virginiafilmfestival.org.
Jane Dunlap Sathe (434) 978-7249
jsathe@dailyprogress.com
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Even without the star-studded panels and parties, the festival has had brisk ticket sales.
While the Virginia Film Festival was preparing a takeover of the Violet Crown theater in downtown Charlottesville, another takeover was going …
Albemarle County teachers, school board return to bargaining table
People gather outside during the Virginia Film Festival opening in 2022 at the Paramount Theater on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville.
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan is scheduled to introduce “Maestro,” starring Bradley Cooper as composer Leonard Bernstein, at the Virginia Film Festival on Wednesday.
Virginia Film Festival Director Jody Kielbasa delivers opening remarks before a showing of “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” at the Paramount Theatre as part of the Virginia Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
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