The theme for the 2003 Virginia Film Festival, which will take place from Oct. 23 to Oct. 26, is "$," Festival Director Richard Herskowitz announced this week.
"I talk with a lot of people who are board members as well as faculty advisors and we discuss possible themes" before we make a final decision, Herskowitz said.
This year's theme follows in the trend of last year's -- "Wet" -- because it addresses a contemporary problem.
"During the festival it rained the entire weekend," Herskowitz said, referring to the drought which plagued Charlottesville last fall. "So people joked that the next theme should be money so it might turn the economy around."
Some of the subjects anticipated to be covered by the festival are robberies, gambling, greed, poverty and forgery.
The Film Festival board consists of officials in the film industry, many of whom are University alumni. The Faculty Advisory Committee mostly consists of people who teach film on Grounds.
The OFFScreen Independent Foreign and Classic film group will collaborate with the Film Festival Society.
"We do publicity for each others' screenings," OFFScreen Artistic Director Wesley Hottot said.
Each year the festival takes place in several local venues.
"There will be multiple screenings," Festival Operations Manager Mari Woodsome said. "Last year screenings were in Culbreth, Newcomb, Vinegar Hill and Regal."
The schedule for the venues will be released in September.
The film festival has not received any entries for 2003 yet, but on average they receive 100 to 150 entries for independent films each year. The deadline to enter is July 1.
The theme and the discussion of the theme plays a major role in the set up of the festival, Herskowitz said.
"Thematic emphasis is what makes the festival unique," he said. "It is the only film festival with more speakers than film. The level of discussion surpasses any other film festival in the world."
Last year, Nicholas Cage attended the festival, but it is usually not known which celebrities will come this early because invitations are one of the final tasks completed.
Spike Lee and Todd Haynes, however, will be invited to the festival, Herskowitz said.
"Celebrities are the icing on the cake," he added. "The Festival was conceived 16 years ago as a combination of education and entertainment. The Festival celebrates American film and international film that American film affects."
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