Film lovers have known for some time that the early November forecast in Charlottesville was calling for some serious Funny Business. On Thursday, at a press conference at the University of Virginia Art Museum, new Virginia Film Festival Director Jody Kielbasa explained why.
The 22nd annual Virginia Film Festival, set for Nov. 5-8 at venues throughout Charlottesville, will offer up some 80 films and more than 100 guests to shed light on an array of topics ranging from the funny business of comedy, business, politics, wine and more.
The Virginia Film Festival is presented by University of Virginia’s College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
This year’s guest list will include:
· Three-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening and Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Cherry Jones joining director Rodrigo Garcia and producer and UVa. alum Julie Lynn to present a sneak preview of their acclaimed new film “Mother and Child.”
· Cult film pioneer John Waters presenting his acclaimed one-man multimedia lecture “This Filthy World” on Friday, Nov. 6, at 4:30 p.m. in Culbreth Theatre in the second annual UVa. Arts Assembly; and Pink Flamingos and Hairspray on that evening – at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Newcomb Theater.
· Academy Award-winning director Norman Jewison presenting a 30th anniversary screening of “…And Justice for All” and “The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!”
· Matthew Broderick premiering his new film “Wonderful World” as the festival’s closing night film, along with the famed dark comedy “Election.”
· Writer/director Alan Ball (writer, “American Beauty,” and creator, “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood”) presenting a 10th anniversary screening of “American Beauty” and a special discussion of his runaway HBO hit “True Blood.”
While the theme will certainly include plenty of new and classic comedies, Kielbasa, who arrived in Charlottesville in June following a successful 10-year run as founding executive director of the Sarasota Film Festival, points out that punch lines are just one aspect of a multi-layered look at the world in which we live.
“When I sat down to really look at this theme I started with comedy. But the more I thought about it the more I realized there is an awful lot of funny business surrounding us in so many aspects of our lives today. You’ve got the funny business of business, the funny business of politics…there is funny business everywhere we turn.”
More information on the Festival is available online at www.vafilm.com.
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