October 19, 2009 — Actress Annette Bening has canceled her upcoming appearance at the Virginia Film Festival due to unavoidable schedule conflicts, festival officials announced today.

Bening had been scheduled to join actress Cherry Jones and director Rodrigo Garcia in presenting a special sneak preview of their highly anticipated film "Mother and Child" at the Paramount Theater on Nov. 7.

"We are obviously disappointed that Annette will not be joining us in Charlottesville this year," Jody Kielbasa, Virginia Film Festival director, said. "However, we fully understand that scheduling conflicts such as these can arise and know that she and her representatives did everything they could to make this work. We have let them know that Annette is welcome here any year she can come and look forward to that time."

Bening was part of a star-studded array of guests who will come to the Virginia Film Festival this year, including actors Matthew Broderick and Cherry Jones, legendary Academy Award-winning director Norman Jewison, Academy and Emmy Award winning writer/director Alan Ball and iconic filmmaker, author and artist John Waters.

The Festival is set for Nov. 5-8 at venues throughout Charlottesville and will feature 80-plus films and more than 100 guests illuminating this year's wide-ranging theme of "Funny Business," which touches on the worlds of comedy, business, politics and more.

Tickets are available online at www.vafilm.com. Tickets are also available at the U.Va. Arts Box Office in the Drama Building on Culbreth Road and via phone at 1-800-UVA-Fest.

Photos and information on the entire roster of films and events are available online at www.vafilm.com.