Alexandria Film Festival Announces Early-Acceptance Films by Local Filmmakers

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Among the 60 films to be presented as part of the 18th annual Alexandria Film Festival are a group of compelling films by local filmmakers. These films have been accepted early and reflect the quality of films that attendees can expect to see at this year’s festival, November 7-10, 2024. 

“We are beyond excited to accept and give a platform to films by local filmmakers because they are indicative of the highly creative talent working in the region,” said Chris Colligan, who heads programming for the festival. “We encourage everyone from across the region to join us in November for these remarkable films, and help support independent filmmaking in the DMV.”

The Alexandria Film Festival congratulates the following local filmmakers on their early acceptances to the festival. 

Nancy Breslin, executive producer, “Velo Love” - Two bicycles fall in love while parked outside a café where their riders stop each morning for coffee.

Jonathan Gruber, director, “The Godfather of Sarin” - With the world at war, a Nazi and the infamous company he worked for create one of the world's deadliest chemicals and a fearsome weapon with a legacy that survives to this day. 

Dave Haft, director, “Room to Breathe” - Newlyweds Mary and Dave, who live in Washington, D.C., confront pandemic parenting and virtual school while seeking household balance. 

Robin Hamilton, director, “Resolved: Never Again. The Alexandria Remembrance Project” - The City of Alexandria explores its ugly past to make it more equitable and welcoming for the future. 

Mabel Malhotra, director, “From Ashes to Beauty: Stories After Incarceration” - Having endured the Wisconsin prison system, four individuals share how their experiences inform the impactful work each of them is doing in their communities. 

Claudia Myers and Laura Waters Hinson, directors, “The Test” – A maintenance worker at Goodwin House, a Virginia retirement community dreams of becoming a U.S. citizen to create a better life for his family.

Robin Noonan-Price, director, “Gloria’s Birthday” – Joanie, a feisty senior, regales her friends about past events from her youth, but cannot recall her sister Gloria’s recent death. 

Wynette Yao, director, “District of Second Chances” – The real-life impact of 'second chance' legislation is viewed through the eyes of those it directly affects.

Full festival programming to include film blocks, times and venues will be released on www.alexfilmfest.com in September.

Festival Preview Party, Aug. 25 at Atlas Brew Works, Celebrates Early-acceptance Films

The Alexandria Film Festival is teaming up with Atlas Brew Works at Carlyle Crossing to celebrate local filmmakers selected to be part of the festival's annual program, Nov. 7-10.

You're Invited!

Festival Preview Party Celebrating Local Filmmakers

August 25, 3-6 pm

2429 Mandeville Lane, Alexandria 

(Adjacent to AMC Hoffman 22 Theater)

Join festival programmers, volunteers, and sponsors at this special event hosted by festival partner Atlas Brew Works. Enjoy beer ($6 drafts) and pizza specials throughout the afternoon. Mingle with filmmakers from the DMV and learn more about how they find and produce compelling stories. 

View Trailers for Films by Local Filmmakers Selected for the Alexandria Film Festival

Alexandria Film Festival Presents “The Arc of Oblivion” In Commemoration of ALX275

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 11, 2024

Friday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m.

The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum

ALEXANDRIA, VA – In commemoration of the 275th anniversary of the City of Alexandria and in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, the Alexandria Film Festival will screen “The Arc of Oblivion” on July 26 at 6:30 pm at The Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria. This special event is made possible in part with grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Alexandria, VA through the Office of the Arts.

From fossils to cemeteries to the filmmaker’s own impulse to build a wooden ark in his parents’ rural Maine backyard, “The Arc of Oblivion” explores a universal desire throughout human history to archive memory and record experience. “A likeably offbeat and disarmingly self-aware documentary essay on how humans deal with the immutable transience of the universe,” says Screen Daily. The film is directed by Ian Cheney with appearances by legendary filmmaker and producer Werner Herzog. 

Following the screening, and in the spirit of reflecting on the City’s 275th anniversary, a panel discussion will tackle the film’s central question: What is worth saving and why? Students from Alexandria City High School will also be on hand to announce a special remembrance project that will attempt to answer that very question from the youth perspective. 

WHAT: “The Arc of Oblivion” film screening (98 minutes) followed by panel discussion and special announcement of student-led remembrance project. Watch the film trailer.

WHERE: The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA.

WHEN: Friday, July 26; doors open at 6:00 pm; film at 6:30 pm. Tickets ($15) available at Eventive and at the door.

#ALX275

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th 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.

Alexandria Film Festival Participates in Spring2ACTion Fundraiser

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 18, 2024 | Contact: Jill Ray, 703-408-5310

Alexandria Film Festival Participates in Spring2ACTion Fundraiser

On April 24, 2024, Spring2ACTion, the annual online fundraising event for Alexandria charities will take place. As an all-volunteer organization, the Alexandria Film Festival (AFF) relies on the support of our community to fund all of our programs. That means the AFF would literally be impossible without you! 

We typically screen more than 60 films and bring 50+ filmmakers to Alexandria from all over the world. Our festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking and provides a rare chance to learn about filmmaking and engage in a discussion full of diverse and dynamic ideas.

The festival will be conducted live and in person again this year. It’s a lot of fun but we have to raise the funding ourselves. It is a daunting task that would be impossible without the support of friends like you.

There are cash prizes for the organizations that raise the most, but we really care more about strength in donors than dollars. Clearly both count, but your gift of any size will make all the difference to us! Our goal is to raise $3,000. We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations are 100% tax deductible. Click here.

The AFF plays a unique role in enhancing the quality of life and culture in our city. This is the ONLY time of year that we will ask you–our individual friends and patrons–to support us with your charitable contribution.

Thank you and see you at the AFF in November!!

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th 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.

Alexandria Film Festival Teams Up with Artomatic to Screen Films

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 22, 2024 | Contact: Jill Ray, 703-408-5310

Alexandria Film Festival Teams Up with Artomatic to Screen Films

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Film Festival has teamed up with Artomatic to present a dozen short and feature-length films from its 2023 program during Artomatic’s exhibition (March 8 - April 28) at 2100 M Street in Washington, D.C.

Artomatic is a seven-week event that transforms unused office space into exhibition space for over 1,000 artists including filmmakers. Alexandria Film Festival films will screen in the Panoramic Theater at Artomatic March 22, April 5, and April 26 from 12 pm - 11 pm. Artomatic publishes a full schedule of events on its website. 

“We are very excited to be a part of Artomatic’s return given our mission to celebrate and uplift independent cinematic artists,” said Dara Sanders, festival chair. “We hope patrons of Artomatic will fall in love with our programming and make a plan to attend our live festival Nov. 7-10 in Old Town, Alexandria.”

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th 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.

Alexandria Film Festival Seeks Film Submissions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 4, 2024 | Contact: Jill Ray, 703-408-5310

Alexandria Film Festival Seeks Film Submissions 

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Today, the Alexandria Film Festival kicked off its effort to seek film submissions for its November 7-10 international festival. Filmmakers are invited to submit short and feature films of any genre through FilmFreeway, an online portal which provides a detailed description of the festival and reviews by filmmakers who’ve attended in the past. 

There are four submission windows for the festival starting with “Early Bird” and ending with “Extended Deadline.” Submission fees rise with each phase. A panel of judges screen and rate films as they are submitted. Top-rated films advance to a programming subcommittee for inclusion consideration in the multi-day program. Filmmakers are notified in early September regarding their acceptance. Submission dates are as follows:

• March 4 Opening Date

• April 12 Early Bird Deadline

• May 31 Regular Deadline

• July 1 Late Deadline

• July 31 Extended Deadline

Vicki Topaz, a California-based director of the documentary By My Side which won a festival award last year notes, “So happy to have attended the Alexandria Film Festival. It was smoothly run with great communication, interesting Q&A, awesome line-up of films, super reception for the filmmakers.” Adds a fellow, west-coast filmmaker Jonathan Leveck, “The town of Alexandria is wonderful, lots of history, tons of places to check out, network, shop, eat, drink.”

“We’re looking forward to putting together another impactful program and celebrating independent filmmaking,” says Dara Sanders, festival chair. “We take great pride in ensuring film is part of Alexandria’s vibrant visual arts culture.”

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th 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.

Special Screening of Bloodlines of the Slave Trade In Honor of Black History Month

Sunday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum

ALEXANDRIA, VA – In honor of Black History Month, the Alexandria Film Festival will present Bloodlines of the Slave Trade, a documentary that examines the lives of two people whose only connection is a genetic link to two notorious Alexandria-based slave traders of the 1830s. 

Rodney (who is Black) and Susanna (who is white) have very different lived experiences as their slave trading ancestors continue to impact their lives. Susanna’s grandfather was named for Issac Franklin and John Armfield, the largest traders of enslaved African Americans in the nation between 1828 and 1836, and Rodney is a descendant of John Armfield. The Freedom House Museum in Old Town, the original headquarters of the Armfield Franklin slave trading company, traces the history of human trafficking in Alexandria and the South. “While we celebrate Black History this month,” said Alexandria Film Festival Chair Dara Sanders, “this film is every bit as much about Alexandria’s history, and how we negotiate the legacy of our beloved city.”

Audrey Davis, executive director of the Alexandria Black History Museum is featured in the film and will participate in a Q&A panel following the film screening, along with film subjects Susanna Grannis and Melanie Pflaum. 

WHAT: Bloodlines of the Slave Trade (73 mins) film screening followed by a Q&A with Audrey Davis, executive director of the Black History Museum, and Susanna Grannis and Melani Pflaum, film subjects.

WHERE: The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA.

WHEN: Feb. 25; doors open at 6:00 pm; film at 6:30 pm. Tickets ($15) available at Eventive.com and at the door.

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th 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.

Alexandria Film Festival Announces 2023 Award Winning Films

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 13, 2023

CONTACT: JILL RAY 703-408-5310 | JANDJRAY@AOL.COM

Alexandria Film Festival Announces 2023 Award Winning Films

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Film Festival concluded its three-day program yesterday with the announcement of 12 films that received festival awards.

Filmmakers celebrate their awards at closing ceremony with Festival Chair Dara Sanders.

Best of Festival Award - Art Thief, Arthur Egeli, director

Special Jury Award - Two Lives in Pittsburgh, Brian Silverman, director

The Joe Cantwell Award for Documentary Excellence - We Rise, Michael Afendakis, director 

Best Foreign Language Feature Award - Temporaries, Pier-Philippe Chevigny, director

The Audience Award - The Fake ID, Halle Kaufax, director

Best Achievement in Innovative Filmmaking Award - Eat Flowers, River Finlay, director

Best Narrative Short Award - Apple Pie, Erin Borg, director

Best Documentary Short Award - Witch Hunt, Anthony Sherin, director

Best Foreign Language Short Award - Dos Bros Force, Jyothi Sura, director

Best Regional Film Award - True North: Honest Stories of Finding Home, Suzie Galler, director

Best Service to Humanity Achievement in Filmmaking Award - By My Side, Vicki Topaz, director

Best Animated Film Award - The Old Young Crow, Liam LoPionto, director

“Based on the extraordinary quality of the nearly 60 films selected for this year’s festival, we expanded our awards slate to recognize and elevate those stories that were particularly impactful,” said Dara Sanders, festival chair. “The passion and artistry demonstrated through these award-winning films are second to none. We applaud all the films represented in the festival and wish our filmmakers success with their future projects.”

About the films:

Art Thief

After stealing a painting from a local museum, a passionate but untalented artist is thrust into the midst of an even bigger robbery. Inspired by true events. 

Two Lives in Pittsburgh

A blue-collar Pittsburgher struggles to open his heart and mind as his child explores their gender identity amid their mother’s final days. 

We Rise

Sofia, Jessica, Sammi, Angela, Celia and Lucas, the rising stars of a high school mock trial team, navigate the defense and prosecution positions of a murder case, gaining the skills and confidence that help them navigate their own personal challenges and crises on their road to adulthood.  

Temporaries

A French-to-Spanish interpreter working for a food processing plant that hires seasonal workers from Guatemala is, at first, determined to obey the sometimes excessive directives of her boss, but befriends the workers and tries to defend them against the exploitation they suffer.  

The Fake ID

Two 20-year-old college friends in the big Apple attempt to use their Fake IDs to get into a bar for happy hour. One makes a new friend with their phony identity while the other has to fight to hold on to  her cherished fake ID. 

Eat Flowers

Photographer and writer Cig Harvey deals with her best friend Mary's cancer diagnosis by creating a beautiful homage of flowers and love letters to her dear friend. 

Apple Pie

​​A satirical commentary on denying women choices regarding their bodies, in this care, what food they eat and when they eat it.

Witch Hunt

Conrad Bromberg tells the story of his father, actor J. Edward Bromberg, and his fight against communist claims against him that ultimately ended his Hollywood career.

Dos Bros Force

​​In a struggling immigrant household, a little girl’s birthday wish, and her brother’s well-intentioned mistake teach their workaholic father that being present for their family is as important as working for their future.

True North: Honest Stories of Finding Home

A group of distressed war veterans who, feeling alienated from society upon their return from duty, find healing and connection on the Chesapeake Bay.

By My Side

A story of journey and return, of veterans and their families rescued by their service dogs from the pitfalls of PTSD to a promising sense of hope and restoration. 

The Old Young Crow

An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.

The 17th Alexandria Film Festival was made possible with the generous support of individual donors and these grant makers and sponsors: Alexandria Commission for the Arts and the City of Alexandria; Alexandria Gazette Packet; Alexandria Hyundai; Alexandria Living Magazine; Alexandria Times; Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii; Benchmark at Alexandria; Burke & Herbert Bank; Cheesetique; Hotel AKA Alexandria; Jim Connolly/Long & Foster Real Estate; Misha’s Coffee; Old Town Crier; Ted’s Montana Grill; Trident Athletics; Virginia’s Darling; Weisser Glass Studio; and The Zebra. 

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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. 

Film Festival Program Changes at Hoffman!

To Alexandria Film Festival Ticket Holders at AMC Hoffman

We are looking forward to seeing you at this weekend's festival. When screening 60 films in multiple locations technical issues often arise and they have. Therefore, we have had to make some program changes that may affect the showcases at AMC Hoffman you purchased tickets for. We hope you won't find it necessary to request a refund, but if that's the case, please complete our contact form and insert "Ticket Refund" in the subject line. We're terribly sorry for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Saturday: Shorts 1 Mini Masterpieces, 11 am - 1 pm

• Two films are unable to be screened during this showcase: Heads Up, Eyes Forward and The Menace from Above. 

Saturday: Reel Revolution, 5:30-7:30 pm

• The Moths has been replaced by Deep Rising, a New York Times 2023 Critic's Pick!

Saturday: Fight or Flight, 9:30-11 pm

• North of Albany has been moved to the Warrior Women showcase on Sunday.

Sunday: Perfectly Normal, 12 - 1:30 pm

• Normale has been removed from the program. 

Sunday: Warrior Women, 12 - 2:30 pm

• Privacy has been replaced with North of Albany.

Sincerely,

Jill Ray, Vice Chair

Alexandria Film Festival

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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. 

17th Annual Alexandria Film Festival Details

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 2, 2023

CONTACT: JILL RAY 703-408-5310 | JANDJRAY@AOL.COM

2023 Alexandria Film Festival DETAILS

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Over three days, Nov. 10-12, the Alexandria Film Festival will screen 60 films in-person and host nearly 40 directors, producers and actors taking part in 30 interactive “Meet the Filmmaker” events. The festival also features 25 premieres, including four “world premieres,” across 20 themed showcases. In addition to a number of regional films, nationally recognized films are featured including Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme’s documentary Guardians of the Flame and Sarah Kambe Holland’s coming-of-age film Egghead & Twinkie. 

WHAT:

• 17th Annual Alexandria Film Festival

WHERE:

• The Beatley Library, 5005 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA

• AMC Hoffman Center, 206 Hoffman Street, Alexandria, VA

• The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA

WHEN:

• Nov. 10 at The Beatley Library (free programming)

• Nov. 11-12 at AMC Hoffman Center (paid programming)

• Nov. 11-12 at The Lyceum (paid programming)

All-festival passes and showcase tickets are on sale now at www.alexfilmfest.com and will be available for purchase on site at festival venues. Films screening at The Beatley Library on Nov. 10 are free. All attendees will receive printed festival programs.

The 17th Alexandria Film Festival is made possible with the generous support of individual donors and these grant makers and sponsors: Alexandria Commission for the Arts and the City of Alexandria; Alexandria Gazette Packet; Alexandria Hyundai; Alexandria Living Magazine; Alexandria Times; Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii; Benchmark at Alexandria; Burke & Herbert Bank; Cheesetique; Hotel AKA Alexandria; Jim Connolly/Long & Foster Real Estate; Misha’s Coffee; Old Town Crier; Ted’s Montana Grill; Trident Athletics; Virginia’s Darling; Weisser Glass Studio; and The Zebra. 

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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. 

Special Screening of Flyways: The Untold Journey of Migratory Shorebirds

Sunday, November 5, at Patagonia Old Town

CONTACT: JILL RAY 703-408-5310 | JANDJRAY@AOL.COM

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Just ahead of its in-person, multi-day annual event Nov. 10-12, the Alexandria Film Festival, in partnership with Patagonia Old Town, will host a special screening of Flyways on Nov. 5.

• WHAT: Flyways: the untold journey of migratory shorebirds (85 mins)

• WHERE: Patagonia Old Town, 815 ½ King Street, Alexandria

• WHEN: November 5; doors open at 6:30 pm; film at 6:45 pm

        Tickets ($15) available at AlexFilmFest.com 

Appealing to film lovers and environmental enthusiasts alike, Flyways is a visually stunning, feature documentary about the risk of extinction to endangered migratory shorebirds from around the globe, and the scientists who want to preserve these species for future generations. 

“As a filmmaker focusing on issues of ecology and science, I’ve realized one of the greatest threats to our existence lay in the precipitous global loss of biodiversity we all face,” says the film’s director Randall Wood. “Shorebirds are amongst the most threatened species on the planet – with some species such as the Spoon-billed Sandpipers just a tiny heartbeat away from extinction. Flyways uses the best science to address the harsh reality of this extinction crisis.”

“Flyways stood out among the 100 films submitted for our annual festival and for that reason, we approached Patagonia Old Town to pop up this special screening on Nov. 5 ahead of our multi-day event, Nov. 10-12. We’re thrilled to share this inspiring environmental film with the community,” notes Alexandria Film Festival Chair Dara Sanders. 

Ticket holders will also have the opportunity to participate in a free raffle for Patagonia merchandise; must be present to win. 

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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. 

Alexandria Film Festival Announces Community Partnerships..

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. 

Alexandria Film Festival Announces Early-acceptance Films to Screen at Festival, Nov. 10-12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

CONTACT: JILL RAY 703-408-5310 | JANDJRAY@AOL.COM

Alexandria Film Festival Announces Early-acceptance Films to Screen at Festival, Nov. 10-12
All-Festival Passes Available Now at AlexFilmFest.com

Alexandria, VA – The Alexandria Film Festival, now in its 17th year, is excited to announce its early acceptance of films sure to appeal to diverse audiences. From comedies and documentaries to dramas and thrillers, there is something for everyone at this year’s festival, Nov. 10-12. While all-festival passes are available now at AlexFilmFest.com, the full festival program and opportunity to purchase individual film tickets is coming Oct. 1. 

Among the early-acceptance films confirmed for the fesival:

• Thriller Art Thief – After stealing a painting from a local museum, a passionate but untalented artist is thrust into the midst of an even bigger theft. The film was inspired by the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

• Comedy Lousy Carter – Variously labeled as a deadbeat by his ex, a failure by his mother and a shell of himself by his best friend, Lousy Carter, a professor of English literature, suffers a moody reality that gets worse through a bad medical diagnosis. The film’s lead is David Krumholz who starred as Bernard the elf in The Santa Claus movies. 

• Drama Normal - Bright and industrious 14-year old Lucie does her best to juggle school, a part-time job and trying to write a novel while taking care of her dad, who has multiple sclerosis. While fun-loving, he is not the most responsible father. When a social worker tries to intervene, Lucie and her dad concoct an elaborate scheme to make social services believe they are a perfectly normal family. 

• Thriller Privacy - Roopali is an operator at a surveillance command and control center in Mumbai. While being ambitious, she constantly fights her own guilt and resists a dark past. Things start to get complicated when Roopali ignores protocol and investigates a robbery/murder that takes place on her watch.

• Documentary Two Lives in Pittsburgh - Confronted by his mother’s illness and his child’s exploration of gender, a traditional blue-collar guy is torn between who he has always been and who his child needs him to be.  This film offers an exploration of how imperfect people stumble through societal questions and culture war issues when it's part of their own lives.

Select films will be followed by Q&A panels with film directors, producers and actors. For example, Sudeep Kanwal, the director of Privacy (listed above) plans to attend. “We have a very strong program planned for this year’s festival, with several international films we’re really excited about, and expect many filmmakers to accompany their films,” noted Dara Sanders, festival chair. “Tickets for our full schedule will be available at AlexFilmFest.com by October 1, and we encourage film lovers across the Washington metro area to check us out.” 

More than 50 films will screen at several locations in Alexandria Nov. 10-12 including the Charles Beatley Library (free programming Nov. 10), The Lyceum (Nov. 11-12) and the metro-accessible AMC Hoffman Center (Nov. 11-12). All-festival passes ($80), for viewing as many films as pass holders wish, are available now at AlexFilmFest.com. 

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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. 

Alexandria Gets Happy at Sold-Out Film Event

ALEXANDRIA, VA – On Saturday, June 10, the feature documentary Happy screened at a special sold-out event hosted by the Alexandria Film Festival at The Lyceum in Old Town, Alexandria. Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic spoke on a panel following the film along with doctoral student Matthew Leitao from the Georgetown University Digital Health and Happiness Lab in Washington, DC. 

During the panel discussion, Belic explained what led him to make the film: "Fellow filmmaker, friend and director Tom Shadyac of Patch Adams fame told me the U.S. ranks 23rd in the world for happiness. With all the prosperity and freedoms Americans enjoy, I wanted to find out why we rank so low and what other countries prioritize to cultivate national happiness."

According to the science highlighted in the film, intentional behavior, not genes, status, money or careers, disproportionately affects happiness. At the individual level, this means thinking of happiness as a skill you can develop and practice. Practicing what makes you happy, through play, surrounding yourself with positive social relationships and helping others will make you happier. At a collective level, productive dialogue that is respectful of differences, and policies that prioritize equity and opportunity are important contributing factors. 

Leitao added that we should all be mindful of the “hedonic treadmill,” a term that describes how humans become insensitive to stimuli, and quickly readjust to an emotional baseline. "It’s important to vary your stimulus and engage in a variety of activities that create a greater level of happiness in your life," said Leitao. A practical example would be instead of walking the same 2-mile route on a daily basis, mix it up and take in new surroundings.  

Belic also shared an exclusive sneak preview of his new film Lūn, now in production, about a man's quest to row a small boat across the Atlantic Ocean (based on a true story). Belic indicated that, when finished, he would present the film at a future Alexandria Film Festival.

The film screening of Happy is part of the Alexandria Film Festival’s commitment to year-round cinematic programming, anchored by its multi-day film festival November 9-12. Join the AFF’s email list to receive its monthly newsletter Montage and follow the festival on social media for its latest updates.

photo by Patty Kim

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

The Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality short and feature-length films, documentaries, filmmaker panels, and arts presentations to the port city of Alexandria, Virginia and beyond. The festival held annually in November highlights the talents of local, national, and international filmmakers in an acclaimed travel destination within eyesight of the nation’s capital.

Get Happy with the Alexandria Film Festival! Free Film Screening of Happy with Acclaimed Director Roko Belic

ALEXANDRIA, VA – With the official start of summer right around the corner, the Alexandria Film Festival will help jumpstart that happy feeling which typically accompanies the highly anticipated season by hosting a special FREE SCREENING of the feature documentary Happy. Director Roko Belic, whose 2020 film Trust Me is being recognized at the National Press Club on June 9 with a Walter Cronkite Award for Special Achievement in News Literacy, will attend the screening. Following the film, Belic will take part in a discussion about what really makes people happy with Matthew Leitao, doctoral student in the Digital Health and Happiness Lab at Georgetown University. 

“I'm super excited to be back in Alexandria to screen Happy at this Alexandria Film Festival special event. Though most of us usually want to be happy, this feels like a particularly opportune time to evaluate what really brings us joy,” said Belic. 

"I look forward to having conversations with everyone about the film and to make the current research on happiness easier to understand for everyone," added Leitao.

Belic’s film Trust Me headlined the 2020 Alexandria Film Festival and won the Joe Cantwell Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking. Genghis Blues, Belic’s debut film as a director in 1999, was nominated for an Academy Award for best feature documentary in 2000. 

“We celebrate Roko’s return to Alexandria to help us focus on something that we all most likely want more of in our lives – happiness,” said Alexandria Film Festival Chair Dara Sanders.

WHAT:  FREE SCREENING of Happy, followed by film Q&A with Director Roko Belic

WHERE: The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria

WHEN: June 10, 2023; film at 7:30 pm |   REGISTER for free tickets to attend

Attendees will also be treated to an exclusive sneak preview of Belic's new film Lun.

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

The Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality short and feature-length films, documentaries, filmmaker panels, and arts presentations to the port city of Alexandria, Virginia and beyond. The festival held annually in November highlights the talents of local, national, and international filmmakers in an acclaimed travel destination within eyesight of the nation’s capital.

AFF Film Submissions Open in April

AFF Film Submissions Open in April

The 2023 Alexandria Film Festival—our 17th annual!—will take place November 9-12, 2023, in Alexandria, Virginia. We start accepting film submissions for consideration on April 3 (see below) and will shortly be posting information about the submission process on our website, www.alexfilmfest.com. Be on the lookout for that announcement! Be sure to subscribe to our social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) and, if you don’t already subscribe to our newsletter, there’s a signup form here. Finally, if you know a friend or collague who may have a film to submit, please forward this email!

Call for Film Submissions & Judging

The Alexandria Film Festival will begin accepting submissions on April 3, 2023! On that date, please follow this link to submit your film: https://filmfreeway.com/AlexandriaFilmFestival-523023

Our festival is currently seeking volunteer film screeners for the upcoming festival year. Film screeners will be asked to review and evaluate at least 25 films, comprising both short and feature length films, equaling about 15 hours in total. These films will need to be viewed between April and August 2023. After viewing a film, screeners will be asked to give the film a star rating and write at least a one review paragraph commenting on the overall quality of the film and suitability for inclusion in the festival. Films are viewed online so access to a computer and internet connection is required. Please note: screeners that judge 25 films, will receive a free pass for the entire festival, screeners that judge 60 films, will receive two free passes for the entire festival. If you are interested in volunteering as a film screener and are able to fulfill the requirements, please contact us at alexfilmfestvolunteer@gmail.com.

Spring2ACTion on April 26 for AFF!

On April 26, 2023, Spring2ACTion, the annual online fundraising event for Alexandria charities will take place. As an all-volunteer organization, the Alexandria Film Festival (AFF) relies on the support of our community to fund all of our programs. That means the AFF would literally be impossible without you! Here is the link to our fundraising page: https://www.spring2action.org/organizations/alexandria-film-festival

We typically screen over 60 films and bring 50+ filmmakers to Alexandria from all over the world. Our festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking and provides a rare chance to learn about filmmaking and engage in a discussion full of diverse and dynamic ideas.

The festival will be conducted live and in person again this year. It’s a lot of fun but we have to raise the funding ourselves. It is a daunting task that would be impossible without the support of friends like you.

There are cash prizes for the organizations that raise the most, but we really care more about strength in donors than dollars. Clearly both count, but your gift of any size will make all the difference to us!

Our goal is to raise $3,500. We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations are 100% tax deductible. Click here: https://www.spring2action.org/organizations/alexandria-film-festival

The Alexandria Film Festival plays a unique role in enhancing the quality of life and culture in our city. Will you join me in investing in it? This is the ONLY time of year that we will ask you–our individual friends and patrons–to support us with your charitable contribution.

Thank you and see you at the AFF in November!!

Dara Sanders, Chair, Alexandria Film Festival

AFF February Screening: REMEMBER THIS

On February 23rd, 2023, AFF hosted a screening and panel discussion at Alexandria’s historic Lyceum of the new feature length film Remember This, starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn. The film chronicles the life of Jan Karski, who, as a courier in the Polish Underground, escaped from a Gestapo prison camp and risked his life to carry the first eyewitness reports of the Nazi death camps to President Roosevelt and the Western world. After the well-attended screening Emma Jaster (Associate Director, The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics) and Ijeoma Njaka (Senior Designer for Equity, Georgetown University) provided valuable insight into the film and subject. This was the first of several special screenings AFF will host in advance of our 17th annual festival November 9-12, 2023.

AFF and Oscar

QUESTION: What do Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine, Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar, Roko Belic, Michael Fallavollita, and Paula van der Oest have in common?

ANSWER: They are all Oscar nominees, winners, or crew members on Oscar-winning films. All have all participated in the Alexandria Film Festival, now in its 17th year. For details check out the press release here.

Save the Festival Dates: Nov. 9-12, 2023

Copyright (C) 2023 Alexandria Film Festival. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in the Alexandria Film Festival.

Our mailing address is:
Alexandria Film Festival 500 E Alexandria Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301

ABOUT THE ALEXANDRIA FILM FESTIVAL

Now in its 17th year, the Alexandria Film Festival brings diverse films created by independent filmmakers to the city of Alexandria each November. In 2021, the festival expanded by streaming films throughout the year and by launching a monthly newsletter. In 2022 we returned to hosting an in-person festival.

The AFF 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 individual and corporate sponsors including Burke and Herbert Bank, Visit Alexandria, Old Town Hilton Hotel, Connection Newspapers, Alexandria Hyundai, James Connolly Realtor, West End Business Association, Alexandria Living Magazine, Alexandria Times, Zebra Magazine, Ted’s Montana Grill, and Cheesetique.

Alexandria Film Festival Alumni Filmmakers Well-Represented Among Oscar Honorees

The first Alexandria Film Festival “Best of Fest” award was presented in 2007 to War Dance, codirected by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine. Andrea Nix Fine came to the festival, took questions from the audience and returned the following day to receive the award. War Dance was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary the following year. It did not win, but the couple’s short film Innocente won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2013. Their film LFG, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, is now streaming on HBO Max.

Julia Reichert, often called the godmother of the U.S. independent film movement, is a four-time Academy Award-nominee and Oscar-winner for her documentary American Factory, Barak and Michelle Obama executive producers. Julia and her husband and filmmaking partner Steven Bogner participated in the 2020 Alexandria Film Festival, winning the “Best of Fest Award” for their film 9 to 5: The Story of a Movement. Sadly, Julia passed away in 2022 and is mourned by AFF, the entire filmmaking community, and everyone who cares about equality and justice. 

That same year, the Alexandria Film Festival honored Director Roko Belic with its “Joe Cantwell Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking,” for the film Trust Me, produced by Joe Phelps, and edited by Michael Fallavollita—himself an AFF alum. Belic was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for his film Genghis Blues in 1999, and is at work on a new feature we hope to screen in 2024. Check it out this advanced peek: https://vimeo.com/804167412

Paula van der Oest is an Academy Award-nominated director and screenwriter for her film ZUS & ZO (2001).  Van der Oest participated in the 2021 Alexandria Film Festival, presenting her film Love in a Bottle, which won the AFF “Special Jury” award. 

Michael Fallavollita won the AFF “Special Jury” award in 2017 for his film Tale of the Kite. He also edited many Steven Spielberg films including the Academy Award winning Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park, as well as the AFF award-winner Trust Me. Fallavollita also was selected to participate in the Alexandria Film Festival-Alexandria Symphony Orchestra collaboration Homegrown in 2021. Did you miss it? Here’s a sample: https://vimeo.com/644863334

Our First Screening Of 2023 Will Be On February 23: REMEMBER THIS

On February 23rd, AFF will host a screening and panel discussion of the new feature length film Remember This, starring Academy Award nominee, David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck, Lincoln, Nomadland), directed by Derek Goldman and Jeff Hutchens. The film chronicles the life of Jan Karski, who, as a courier in the Polish Underground, escaped from a Gestapo prison camp and risked his life to carry the first eyewitness reports of the Nazi death camps to President Roosevelt and the Western world.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM: “Karski and ‘Remember This’ serve as a crucial reminder of society’s duty to bear witness, especially whenever and wherever it would seem impossible to raise one’s voice above the din of indifference.” - The Los Angeles Times.

Here are the event details:

• DATE: Thursday, February 23, 2023

• TIME: 7 p.m.

• WHERE: The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

• TICKETS: To see the trailer and to pre-order tickets for Remember This, go here: https://filmsthatmatter.eventive.org/welcome.