Weekend: Annual Alexandria Film Festival Returns

The Eighth Annual Alexandria Film Festival returns this weekend with what organizers call its biggest and best program yet. AMC Hoffman Theater 22, 206 Swamp Fox Road, in Alexandria will be the site of all ticketed events, with Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke St., again offering free programming to the public.

The festival will screen more than 60 films on three screens, with more than 40 filmmakers on hand to take questions from the audience; in addition to local filmmakers, the festival will also see filmmakers coming from as far away as Sri Lanka.

Films from Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Uruguay and the U.K. are among the international offerings.

The festival will kick off Friday with free all-day programming at Beatley Library (click on the link to see the schedule). Special note: At 3:30 p.m. Friday, the screening will be: “Remembering Alexandria’s Fallen,” described as a timeless tribute dedicated to the Alexandria Police Memorial Foundation, highlighting the brave officers who lost their lives protecting the city of Alexandria. (18 min., USA) with special guest Katharine Roman.

Ticketed events at AMC Hoffman will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. and continue through Sunday, concluding with an awards ceremony and closing reception. See the schedule here.

Highlights from this year’s programming include “An Exploration of Art and Mind” on Saturday at Hoffman that will feature “Alive Inside” which won the Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. On hand to take questions from the audience will be producer Kate McDougal. This program will also feature commentary by Linda Maguire, neuroscientist and medical musician.

Several short films will round out the theme, concluding with “Tango Your Life” and an interactive demonstration of tango dancing. This programming was made possible by a grant from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.

MOM’s Organic Market is sponsoring our “Sustainability Showcase” beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Hoffman. Films include: “Drill, Spill, Repeat,” “From Grain to Growler” about Virginia’s burgeoning craft beer industry. “The Ballad of Holland Hill House,” is a short film about the Chesapeake Bay that employs a unique technique combining claymation, painting and original soundtrack by filmmaker Lynn Tomlinson who will also appear.

The entire schedule, include link to the on-line ticket service EventBrite can be found at AlexandriaFilm.org

Individual program tickets are available online for $12, with an all-festival passes available for $35. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15, with all-festival passes available for $40.

There is ample free parking available at both locations and AMC Hoffman 22 can be accessed via metro at the Eisenhower Avenue station.

Sponsors of the festival include: MOM’s Organic Market, the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, McEnearney and Associates, Alexandria Hyundai, Burke and Herbert Bank, Bell Del Ray Luxury Apartments, Wilson Grand Communications, Spring Hill Suites Marriott and AMC Hoffman 22.

PHOTO: Still from “Alive Inside” screening Saturday at AMC Hoffman in Alexandria