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Hollywood Heading This Way for Film Festival
Hollywood Heading This Way for Film Festival
By Ronen Feldman
For the 11th consecutive year, Middleburg will be hosting what has become one of the biggest events in cinema—the Middleburg Film Festival.
From October 19-22, it will be movie talk galore around the village, where cinephiles are invited to indulge in a wide array of movies, live music and sitdown conversations at a number of area locations with some of the industry’s biggest names and familiar faces.
The festival is like Hollywood in many ways, and at the same time everything it’s not. It’s glamorous and exciting, but also rural, peaceful and personal. Visitors get to experience the intensity of the rotating festival engagements along with the serene northern Virginia landscape.
“The festival was founded with the mission of using the power of film to inspire, educate, and engage audiences of diverse backgrounds and perspectives–and through this help build bridges of empathy and understanding,” said Susan Koch, the festival’s executive director.
Indeed, diversity is the key ingredient. The acclaim and cost of the films that are featured are as diverse as their subject matter. From blockbuster films to foreign productions with titles some are struggling to pronounce, there’s something for everyone.
The films and schedule are expected to be announced at the end of September when tickets go on sale. Just as in years past, Koch promises plenty of fabulous films and well-known boldface names.
“Our films are a terrific mix of ‘Oscar buzz’ films, independent gems you might not otherwise get a chance to see, international films, and fascinating documentaries,” she said. “Last year, there were 54 Oscar nominations among the films we screened.”
Last year’s guest list included, among others, Brendan Fraser, the most recent Academy Award winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He was on hand to talk about the movie that earned him the award–“The Whale.” Other past guests include Dakota Johnson, Kenneth Branagh and Ray Romano, just to name a few.
Another highlight of the upcoming festival: a concert featuring the work of a renowned film composer, which will be performed by the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Kim Allen Kluge.
“For me, the best part of the festival is having the opportunity to showcase the work of so many talented filmmakers who represent diverse perspectives from all over the world,” Koch said. “I love the conversations that take place throughout the festival, whether it’s the informal ones with other filmgoers while standing in line waiting for a film, or attending an in-depth conversation with a notable filmmaker or actor.”
