The Virginia Film Festival presents Fremont, a tale of insomnia, fortune cookies, and yearning for something more. Newcomer and real-life refugee Anaita Wali Zada (above) gives a powerful performance as Donya, a 20-something Afghan translator whose routine changes when she’s promoted to writing fortunes at a fortune cookie factory. Shot in black and white, the […]
Slam-dunk summer Sky-high temps didn’t deter area basketball players and fans, who braved the heat for the Tonsler League All-Star Weekend August 12 and 13. On Saturday, the self-described “#1 Premier Summer Basketball League in Virginia” hosted three-point and dunk contests and an all-star game. They cranked the heat up even higher on the “concrete […]
Four pieces of the Berlin Wall that called UVA home for nine years were removed last week. The concrete slabs were loaned to the university by Robert and MeiLi Hefner to commemorate the 1989 fall of the wall. A spray-painted mural, titled “Kings of Freedom, by graffiti artist Dennis Kaun adorns the sides that once […]
Shaping up On August 5, the Southwood community celebrated the dedication of Village 1, the first section of the resident-led redevelopment effort. Charlottesville residents showed up in droves on a sweltering Saturday for the dedication ceremony, which highlighted those moving into the mixed-income village. Speakers included community development and nonprofit leaders, and local celebrities. Speeches […]
By Shea Gibbs and Catie Ratliff When Champion Brewing Company announced on social media that June 30 would be its “last day of operations” just two weeks before the scheduled closure, the post’s comments—from both fans and company owner Hunter Smith— made it clear that “last day” referred to that of Champion’s Sixth Street brewpub. […]
Get ready for a night of head-banging with indie rockers Work Wear. The three-piece makes ’80s-inflected garage rock, and is known for enmeshing poetry readings, piercing guitar solos, and psych influences on songs like “Refrigerator Eyes” and “One Day Away.” Work Wear co-headlines with acts from New York—folk-rock power trio The Big Net, and “achy […]
Delve into the life and work of Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović at a screening of her retrospective, Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present, presented as part of The Fralin Downtown film series. Abramović uses her own body as a vehicle to challenge, shock, and move audiences in performances that incorporate sound, video, […]
With his Southern charm and edgy wit, it’s hard not to laugh along with Winston Hodges. The comedian is from a small town outside of Farmville (he would know you if you were from there), and is known for his energetic takes on everything from growing up in a Christian home to working with children […]
When you gotta go, you gotta go—unless a 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets owned and operated by a single megalomaniac company: the Urine Good Company. Such is life in Four County Players’ Urinetown: The Musical, a fast-paced comedic romp that follows a […]
Following her show-stopping success last summer as Nina Simone in No Fear and Blues Long Gone, Yolanda Rabun returns to the Virginia Theatre Festival for a special evening of stories and song. Backed by her band, Rabun takes audience members on a musical journey through jazz, blues, folk, pop, gospel, and more. The powerhouse vocalist, […]