Alexandria Film Festival Shifts To Virtual Format In 2020

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the annual Alexandria Film Festival will go virtual in 2020.

The festival will be held from Nov. 12 to 15. There will be 45 films screened virtually, including 18 films being premiered. Viewers can access the films during the scheduled time in the festival program or from a two-week period from the time of purchase. Tickets for individual film showcases are $12, and an all-festival pass is $50. Showcases include blocks of films in a theme and Q&A sessions with film directors, producers, actors and composers.

The festival lineup features a mix of short and feature-length films covering every genre. This year, there is a 19th Amendment Centennial Celebration Showcase, and women direct nearly half of the festival's films.

"As our nation celebrates the 19th amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote, we are honoring this milestone of equality by featuring a number of films by women and about women," said Margaret Wohler, chair of the Alexandria Film Festival. "One goal of the festival is to give underrepresented voices in the film world the opportunity to be heard."

The festival's opening night and 19th Amendment Centennial Celebration Showcase is anchored by the film "9 to 5: The Story of a Movement" by Oscar-winning filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar. The documentary follows a group of office workers in the 1970s that organize a national movement for gender equality in the workplace. That movement inspired the 1980 film "9 to 5"starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin. The 7 p.m. screening on Nov. 12 will be followed by a live Q&A with one of the film's key subjects, Debbie Schneider.

Opening night also features the D.C. premiere of "Trust Me," directed by Oscar-nominated Roko
Belic. The film covers the global information battle creating negative news and misinformation and a gap between how we perceive the world and reality.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring ‘9to5: The Story of a Movement’ and the premiere of 'Trust
Me' to the greater Washington, D.C. metro area," said Wohler. "Not only can audiences view an amazing slate of films, many of them by artists in our region, but we’re bundling live and pre-recorded Q&A sessions with filmmakers in order to deliver a memorable festival experience."

A returning feature of the festival is the Burke and Herbert Bank Family Showcase with films by and about young people. There are also two "Salute to Service Members" Showcases offered free of charge to active and retired service members to mark Veterans Day weekend. The Sunrise Senior Living Old Town Showcase features a menu of seven short films—including one World Premiere.

The festival, although virtual, relies on charitable support to sponsor showcases or film blocks. Major sponsors include Sunrise Senior Living Old Town, Burke & Herbert Bank, Connection Newspapers, Visit Alexandria, Alexandria Living, Alexandria Commission for the Arts, and Alexandria Hyundai. Other funding came from Spring2Action and ACT for Alexandria.

All festival pass holders in the City of Alexandria will be entered into a drawing for a deluxe movie basket delivered to the winner’s home on opening night.

For more information about films and tickets, visit alexfilmfest.com.