This year’s 27th annual Virginia Film Festival saw a 45.6 percent increase in ticket sales from last year, continuing a five-year trend of setting a box office sales record for the festival.
Virginia Film Festival Director Jody Kielbasa, also University vice provost of the arts, said sales this year were especially significant, considering last year’s sales only increased 11 percent.
“It was an incredible testament [to] the work we’ve done for the last five years," he said. "These things build off momentum."
Kielbasa also credited the increase in part to the number of high profile films being shown at this year’s festival — including “Imitation Game,” “Foxcatcher,” “Wild,” “The Theory of Everything” and “Mr. Turner,” all five mentioned by The New York Times as possible award contenders.
Kielbasa said the presence of famous and extremely talented guests could have also contributed to the event's success.
“Our guest artists would have been the envy of any film festival across the country,” Kielbasa said.
Such guests included best-selling author, producer and film director Adriana Trigiani, whose film “Big Stone Gap” made its premiere at the festival. The film's featured actors Patrick Wilson and Jenna Elfman were also both in attendance. Academy Award Winning film director Barry Levinson was also in attendance, as was University alumna Katie Couric.
Kielbasa stressed the importance of student support in the film festival’s growing success. Almost 5,000 students attended the festival overall.
Fourth-year College student Alex Rafala premiered his film “Farewell Old Stringy” in the “Short Narrative Film” competition.
“I didn't really feel a sense of competition," Rafala said in an email. "Yes there are awards, but to me that's not the real concern. The festival is a celebration of film, and everyone there, filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike, were there to celebrate together.”
Rafala said he and his fellow student filmmakers were happy with the increased turnout.
“I think the rise in attendance is a terrific thing,” Rafala said. “A filmmaker wants his work to be seen. The more the merrier!”
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