FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 16, 2023
CONTACT: JILL RAY 703-408-5310 | JANDJRAY@AOL.COM
Alexandria Film Festival Announces Community Partnerships to Present Films Focused on Timely Subjects including Immigration, Gun Violence and Affordable Housing
Alexandria, VA – The Alexandria Film Festival is excited to announce it has partnered with leading community organizations to present compelling films tackling diverse, timely subjects at this year’s event.
“The community organizations joining us this year to present an array of compelling films are valued partners, and we are grateful for their help in expanding the fFestival’s reach to new audiences,” said Dara Sanders, chair of the Alexandria Film Festival.
Friday, November 10, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Beatley Library: In partnership with I Am ALS: Feature documentary No Ordinary Campaign, tells the story of Brian Wallach, a father of three, who is diagnosed with ALS at age 37. Wallach and his wife Sandra fight for their family’s future while seeking to build a brighter one for thousands of others with what was once known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. All films at the library on November 10 are free to the public.
Saturday, November 11, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., The Lyceum, Old Town, Alexandria: In partnership with Safer Country: “Under the Gun: Crosshairs and Consequences,” a showcase of two films, explores the impact of violence on communities and their response. A panel discussion led by Paul Friedman of Safer Country with Vijaykumar Mirchandani, producer of The Song of Rifles, and Will Allen DuPraw, director of Arming the Left, follows the screenings.
Saturday, November 11, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., AMC Hoffman, Alexandria: In partnership with Ayuda: “Immigrant Stories: We’re All Just Visitors on Planet Earth,” a showcase of two films Crosses in the Dust and Temporaries, focuses on the lives of immigrants as they struggle for a better life. A Q&A with actor Luis Oliva, Temporaries, follows the showcase.
Saturday, November 11, 9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., AMC Hoffman, Alexandria: In partnership with the Weisser Glass Studio, the “Light and Magic Showcase featuring the documentary Holy Frit, follows the design and production of the largest stained-glass window in the world and the artistic journey of its creators Tim Carey and Narcissus Quagliata. A Q&A panel with Sharon Moffit and Rachel Brooks, glass artists and owners of Weisser Glass Studio will follow the showcase.
Sunday, November 12, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., AMC Hoffman, Alexandria: In partnership with the PLTI Alexandria People's Assembly, “Affordable Housing Advocacy: Stories of Structural Oppression, Black Resilience, and People Power,” a three-hour showcase of films including The City and Guardians of the Flame, explores the hidden history behind the evolution of Alexandria's affordable housing crisis, and how structural oppression targeted at African Americans now impacts the entire community. Following the screening, a panel discussion about the generational impact of racial injustice and affordable housing on African American's well-being will feature Megan Searing Young, M.A., director of the Greenbelt Museum and Historic House and Theopia Jackson, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and former president of The Association of Black Psychologists.
Tickets and All-festival Passes
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About the Alexandria Film Festival
Now in its 17th year, the Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality independent, short and feature-length films of every genre, to the city of Alexandria each November and intermittently throughout the year. The festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by a grant from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, as well as the generosity of volunteers, numerous individuals, and corporate sponsors including Burke and Herbert Bank, Visit Alexandria, Old Town Hilton Hotel, Connection Newspapers, Alexandria Hyundai, Cheesetique, Misha’s Coffee, Jim Connolly realtor, West End Business Association, Alexandria Living Magazine, Alexandria TImes, Zebra, Trident Athletics and Ted’s Montana Grill.