That’s a Wrap: Early Returns Point to Another Record Weekend for Film Fest

Over the weekend, the University of Virginia and the Charlottesville community celebrated the 28th annual Virginia Film Festival with more than 120 film screenings that, in the words of festival director Jody Kielbasa, comprised one of the festival’s “finest film programs to date.”

“This is a time for our community to come together and listen to some incredible stories,” Kielbasa, UVA’s vice provost for the arts, told a capacity crowd at the Paramount Theater at Thursday’s opening-night event. This year’s lineup, Kielbasa said, paired lesser-known gems with highly acclaimed films on the 2015 festival circuit, some already earning recognition ahead of the 2016 Golden Globe and Academy Awards ceremonies.

Preliminary attendance numbers marked 2015 as another record-breaking year for the Virginia Film Festival, surpassing the 2014 crowds that had been the festival’s largest to date. Throughout the weekend, students and community members gathered to watch movies and enjoy discussions led by big names in the industry. In total, the festival featured more than 150 guest appearances, including many by UVA faculty. Continued growth each year has helped establish it as a key stop on the national festival circuit and has made Charlottesville a destination for many film lovers.

Below, we take a look back at some highlights from this year’s festival, including guest appearances by actress and director Meg Ryan, producer Oliver Stone, film critic Leonard Maltin, activist Larry Kramer and many more noted actors, filmmakers and academics.