The annual Virginia Student Film Festival will return this weekend Friday and Saturday, showing students’ short films in addition to a speaker panel taking place at Monroe Hill House. The festival will culminate at the Paramount Theater Saturday for the showcasing of the short films.
The festival is run by the Virginia Student Film Festival committee — a group formed in 2024 by Ansh Pathapadu, VSFF president and fourth-year Engineering student. Submitted films will compete for awards and prizes, including categories like Best Short Picture and Best Actor, with the awards ceremony happening at the end of the festival Saturday. It will be emceed by Class of 2025 alumna Mary Walton Petersen, the comedian who created Stepmom LLC, providing the recognition ceremony with a humorous environment. Saturday will also include a filmmakers panel featuring Richard Kelly, director of “Donnie Darko” and “Southland Tales.”
The festival — now in its second year after being revived by Pathapadu — initially began as a subcommittee within the University’s Filmmakers Society but more recently became a part of the new Screenwriting Club. Growing beyond their current status as a subcommittee, Pathapadu said that the group plans to become a Contracted Independent Organization next semester, continuing to help foster community among filmmakers at the University. Pathapadu said he was inspired to revive this festival after a nine year hiatus because he felt that the Filmmakers Society should sponsor a festival that could encourage students to create their own films.
“[The Filmmakers Society] stopped [putting on festivals] … and I kind of wanted to revive that,” Pathapadu said. “I pitched the idea, and then from there I started recruiting people to be on exec, be on committees. And now, it is what it is for today.”
Pathapadu said that the group has expanded their programming since last year, hoping to reach a broader audience and get more people involved in the movie-making community. This year, they have added a panel Friday with three University faculty members whose work relates to film. At the panel there will be a pitch competition, where students can present a pitch for a short film, with a cash prize for the winner.
“[We are] trying to expand what our festival can do. Last year was just one day at the Paramount, but this year, it's a [two]-day event,” Pathapadu said. “I think [the Virginia Student Film Festival] is a great opportunity to meet people that have the same interest and are practicing a different version of it.”
This festival is a way for students to promote causes they care about through their short films. Aylin Dutt, short film submitter and second-year College student created a film called “Westhaven: A Sense of Place” — a documentary about the titular Charlottesville neighborhood embroiled in controversy over a 2025 zoning policy redevelopment and large corporations taking over the area. Dutt said she wanted to create a film that would show University students the vibrancy of this neighborhood that is so close to the University yet is often overlooked.
“I entered into the [VSFF] in the hopes that [“Westhaven: A Sense of Place”] will be screened and community members can come see it, and students can see it and it'll raise awareness about the community,” Dutt said. “This is my film, and it was kind of my idea, but … it's to help the residents and give them a place to share their story.”
Westhaven is at the heart of the film, and Dutt filmed mostly within and around the neighborhood, interviewing residents with an emphasis on the impact the redevelopment efforts have made on the community.
“The biggest thing [the interviewed residents] all talked about in all their interviews was the really deep-rooted history of racism in Charlottesville,” Dutt said. “[The system of racism] that continues to be perpetuated … and no one knows about it.”
According to Pathapadu, VSFF is a chance for budding filmmakers to showcase their talents and step into a new creative project. Pathapadu said he hopes that this festival will be the nudge that students need to take filmmaking more seriously, something that he learned during his time at the University within the studio art program.
“Sometimes we need a little push because it's not just a hobby, it can be real,” Pathapadu said. “I think that's what me going through the [University’s] studio art program taught me, that my passion can be real.”
In addition to University students, submissions are open to students from schools along the East Coast. Rachel Conniff, marketing co-chair and third-year College student, said that, because this festival is open to such a large number of students, it is a great way to connect with other filmmakers.
“It's another great way to meet students from other schools, maybe they're super close, or maybe they're across the country with shared interest in filmmaking,” Conniff said. “That's kind of really important for student filmmakers, is to sort of build that base so if you actually do want to produce a student film or write it, you have people to lean on.”
Iresha Choudhary, VSFF marketing co-chair and second-year College student, said she is excited to see University students and Charlottesville community members experience the student films on the big screen. Interested in filmmaking herself, she said she hopes that this festival will allow the hard work of students to be enjoyed and shared.
“Something I'm super excited for is to see the Paramount seats full,” Choudhary said. “Everyone should watch these films, because they come from really talented artists.”
As a festival that is put on by students, for students, VSFF is working to create a community for students interested in film to share and be recognized for their dedication and hard work. Pathapadu said that he hopes that the festival can grow into a point of inspiration for student filmmakers in Charlottesville.
“'I’m happy that we have a good team to carry it forward … [I want to] make our film community more known at U.Va. because we're kind of small and kind of scattered,” Pathapadu said. “[I want to] really just ignite more people to go out and make films. It's a very scary thing to go make films, but it shouldn't be.”
Friday’s panel is free to attend, and tickets for Saturday at the Paramount Theater are on sale now on the Paramount Theater’s website.
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