The 4th Annual Middleburg Film Festival kicks off this evening, launching four days of award contenders in a spectacular setting in both wine and horse country.
This year’s festival will spotlight 28 potential awards contenders as well as five special events over the weekend, led by the festival’s centerpiece film, La La Land.
“Filmgoers are in for a very special treat,” said MFF Executive Director Susan Koch. “Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is a charming, original, and innovative take on the golden age of Hollywood musicals, filled with memorable song and dance – and featuring the talented and perfectly-paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. We’re delighted to present this as our Centerpiece film.”
Also participating in this year’s festival will be Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who will give a keynote address. “We are honored to have Cheryl Boone Isaacs join us at this year’s festival,” said Middleburg Film Festival Founder and Board Chair Sheila C. Johnson. “We are inspired by Cheryl’s’ work and applaud her commitment to changing the numbers for women and people of color working in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera. Last year’s festival featured films from seven women directors, and our 2016 program will again showcase and celebrate the talents of a diverse group of filmmakers.”
Boone Isaacs will discuss her role at the Academy and how the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, global outreach, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.
Additional high-profile Oscar contenders, festival favorites, foreign films, regional premieres and both narratives and documentaries debuting at MFF include Moonlight, Jackie, Loving, Manchester by the Sea, Paterson, American Pastoral, Aquarius as well as the opening night film, Lion.
The brainchild of founder, Sheila C. Johnson, MFF has developed a reputation as a growing and carefully curated selection of narrative and documentary films that screen in an intimate theater environment, followed by fascinating Q and A’s with world-renowned filmmakers and actors.
Festival attendees will also be able to experience the natural beauty, food, wine, and warm hospitality of Middleburg.
For more information on the festival, please visit http://www.middleburgfilm.org/