FILM FESTIVAL

Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: September 6, 2007

The Virginia Film Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

During the past two decades it has established itself as one of the premier annual events in the state.

The four-day fete is hosted by the University of Virginia and takes place at venues throughout Charlottesville. Last year a record number of people stepped through the turnstiles to enjoy dozens of films and programs geared to the theme "Revelations: Finding God at the Movies."

The theme for this year's festival, to be held Nov. 1-4, is "Kin Flicks." According to festival director Richard Herskowitz, the theme will address popular and alternative images of family life.

"We're extending invitations to some classic movie moms and dads," Herskowitz said in a press release. "Since movies do such a good job of depicting them, we won't close the door on dysfunctional families, including 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and the characters in two of this year's Sundance highlights, 'Crazy Love' and 'Joshua.'"

The highly successful "Adrenaline Film Project" will be returning for its fourth year. Thirty student and community filmmakers will have three days to create short films that will be screened at the end of the festival.

During its history the festival has attracted some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Nicolas Cage, Anthony Hopkins and Sigourney Weaver. Recent featured guests have included Vanessa Redgrave, Sandra Bullock and Paul Schrader.

This past year Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall and Liev Schreiber were among the stars who attended.

If you have a favorite family film the festival director is now accepting recommendations for this year's lineup at www. vafilm.blogspot.com. You can suggest film titles, guest artists and speakers.

Herskowitz will also be sharing behind-the-scene stories at the site as this year's program comes together.

For additional information, call (800) UVA-FEST or visit www.vafilm.com.