Photos: Virginia Film Festival Sets Attendance Record With 134 Films

The 39th Annual Virginia Film Festival drew record attendance over five days of films, guest appearances, discussions, and special events across Charlottesville.

The Festival, which ran from October 21-25, showcased 134 films and welcomed 122 industry guests, speakers, and discussants from around the world. The 2026 VAFF saw a record-breaking 26,613 total attendances and 64 sold-out events. From its sold-out Opening Night screening of The Debut in The Paramount Theater on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall to the Festival's Centerpiece Film, The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, and Closing Night Film, 1 15 41 Tragedy to Triumph, and everything in between, the 2026 Virginia Film Festival took audiences on journeys through the entire human experience.

The program was illuminated by conversations with special guests including Todd Black, Ruth De Jong, Chuko Esiri, James Gray, Jessica Lange, Nathan Lane, Penny Lane, Tim Blake Nelson, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Aaron Sorkin, and Cristóbal Tapia de Veer among over 100 other leading filmmakers from every corner of the entertainment industry.

In addition to the films themselves, the VAFF offered audiences a series of deep-dive conversations and panel programs. These included a live recording of The Hollywood Reporter's industry-leading Awards Chatter podcast, hosted by executive editor of awards coverage Scott Feinberg and featuring Jessica Lange, and an episode of IndieWire's Screen Talk podcast, hosted by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio and featuring special guest James Gray, who was on hand at the Festival to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award. Turner Classic Movies primetime host Ben Mankiewicz presented conversations with Jessica Lange and Nathan Lane.

'I have been saying since we announced our program in late September that this was the most impressive program I've seen in my 18 years here,' said Jody Kielbasa, Executive Director of the Virginia Film Festival and Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Virginia. 'But the reality on the ground was better than anything I could have imagined. I can't remember ever feeling this kind of excitement in the air thanks to the remarkable curation of the program by our Artistic Director Ilya Tovbis and the incredible discussions with our guests. I think Nathan Lane captured the spirit of the entire Festival perfectly when he took the stage to a rousing standing ovation and said, 'They say that Virginia is for Lovers, and I can certainly feel the love here today.' I can't think of a better way to set the table for our upcoming 40th anniversary year.'

Ilya Tovbis, Virginia Film Festival Artistic Director, added, 'I feel immense gratitude to our community for showing up—in every meaning of the phrase—over the last 5 days. They said it time and time again, and I can't help but echo their sentiment: the state of cinema is strong. The urgency of the stories told on screen and the brilliant artistry with which they were realized brought us together, made our hearts swell, and built empathy towards one another. From first-time filmmakers to legendary icons, the artists who flocked to the Virginia Film Festival gave testament to the unifying power of moving image at a moment when the arts have never mattered more.'

Throughout the Festival, VAFF guests took time to participate in visits with UVA classes and interact with UVA students and community members through VAFF's Connection Point program, which featured one-on-one meetings in the Festival's Filmmakers & Sponsors Lounge. Participating guests included Chuko Esiri, Jason George, Sheryl Glubok, Ben Mankiewicz, Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, and many more.

2026 VAFF Audience Awards

Narrative Feature: I Play Rocky

Documentary Feature: Admission Possible

Narrative Short: Getar Hero

Documentary Short: Sarah Ann Kelley: Becoming Visible

Additional 2026 Award Winners

Career Producer Honor: Todd Black (The Social Reckoning & Madden Clip Talk)

Chronicler Award: Penny Lane (Wild Inside)

Craft Award for Production Design: Ruth De Jong (Building Worlds Panel)

Governor Gerald L. Baliles Founders Award: Daphne Maxwell Reid (The Cashier)

Outstanding Achievement in Directing: James Gray (Paper Tiger)

Outstanding Achievement in Film Composition: Cristóbal Tapia de Veer (Club Kid)

Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting: Chuko Esiri (Clarissa)

Virtuoso Award: Tim Blake Nelson (The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd)

Visionary Award: Nathan Lane (The Birdcage – 30th Anniversary Screening)

Visionary Award: Jessica Lange (Long Day's Journey Into Night)

Festival Sponsors

The Virginia Film Festival is a program of the University of Virginia. The 2026 Virginia Film Festival is presented by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. The 2026 Virginia Film Festival is also supported by the following Premiere Sponsors: AV Company, Bank of America, Harvest Moon Catering, The Hollywood Reporter, Southern Environmental Law Center, UVA Arts & the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts, Violet Crown Cinema, and Virginia Film Office.

Photo Credit: / Top Left: Jessica Lange (Ézé Amos); Top Center: James Gray (Ézé Amos);

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