The University of Virginia is often described as Jeffersonian, as academically elite, as a public Ivy. Less often used: cool. The Virginia Pep Band, during its nearly three-decade heyday, was cool. Pep Banned, a documentary that premieres at the Virginia Film Festival, captures the joyful subversion of the student-run band that took to the football […]
The University of Virginia is often described as Jeffersonian, as academically elite, as a public Ivy. Less often used: cool. The Virginia Pep Band, during its nearly three-decade heyday, was cool. Pep Banned, a documentary that premieres at the Virginia Film Festival, captures the joyful subversion of the student-run band that took to the football […]
The decision to use untrained actors can yield uncertain results. One possible outcome is the kind of ham-fisted, melodramatic overacting that renders a movie unwatchable. Another is cinematic gold. Such is the case with The President’s Cake. The sometimes humorous drama is a moving story set and shot in Iraq, during the 1990s under the […]
Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz returns to the Virginia Film Festival to discuss director Ang Lee’s 1997 drama The Ice Storm, and to introduce The Sting at a Robert Redford tribute screening. Set during the holiday season in 1973, The Ice Storm examines the tangled relationships of two generations of suburbanites grappling with everything […]
Peter Hujar’s Day A film adaptation of the book recounting a real-life conversation that took place between photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz, this documentary stars Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall in an enthralling recreation of a single day in 1974 Manhattan. Hujar, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1987, was a leading figure […]
Filmmaker Adamu Chan sees the current fractured landscape of American life and says it doesn’t make sense to hope that his work will change anyone’s mind. Instead, Chan makes films for and about people that he has a shared experience with. What These Walls Won’t Hold—a documentary exploring Chan’s time at California’s San Quentin State […]
PVCC’s Films Talk Back series features a creepy cinema classic: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Hailed as one of the most influential horror movies of all time, the 1968 zombie flick spawned a legion of sequels, remakes, and reimaginings, giving rise to a subgenre that’s dominated fright nights for decades. The movie […]
Tuesday Evening Concert Series and The Paramount Theater present an evening with one of the world’s most sought-after musical artists. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has won numerous awards, including the 2025 Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, and captured the attention of audiophiles around the globe with critically acclaimed tours. Ólafsson will play works by […]
Grammy Award-winning Americana stalwarts Old Crow Medicine Show return to town with that down-home sound that’s earned a faithful following since the group got together nearly 30 years ago. From busking on street corners in New York state to being inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry and earning the Recording Industry Association of […]
If you think spring is the season of book festivals, think again. The Crozet Book Fest will take place on October 25, featuring free panel discussions and book signings with authors of fantasy, suspense, and romance, as well as middle grade and picture books. Now in its second year, the Crozet Book Fest is presented […]
Accessibility in music is relative. A production choice to drop strident elements can open doors—or close them. A songwriting decision to blow up the arrangement with an unexpected halt, or inject a plodding track with a catchy chorus, can make a huge difference to audience reception. If Rick James were still alive, you could ask […]