PART II of the 25 Faces of The Virginia Film Festival series includes…
Brad Savage, 106.1 radio personality and VFF enthusiast, John Kelly, Virginia Film Festival Publicist, Derek Sieg, local filmmaker and Adrenaline Film Project mentor, Joshua Hunt, VFF enthusiast and owner at Beer Run, and Bliss Spillar, first timer.
Brad Savage
106.1 Radio Personality and VFF Enthusiast
How many Virginia Film Festivals have you attended?
Four
Which year was the most memorable? If there was a theme what was it? What film, experience and/or guest(s) stood out to you?
I loved the Festival a few years ago, one of the first when Jody Kielbasa took over. I think it was good that they did away with the theme. It makes it more open to more features and guests and various screenings. I also really liked the film “Peace On Earth and Other Third Grade Concepts” or whatever the title was, a couple years back.
What sets the Virginia Film Festival apart from other film festivals you’ve attended?
The Virginia connection and UVA influence!
What film(s) are you most excited about this year?
Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
What’s a word of advice you would give a first timer to the Virginia Film Festival?
Study the schedule/calendar closely, because there are a lot of venues with a lot of very good films.
Where do you go for a quick bite between movies?
Marco and Luca
Where do you go for a post-movie drink?
Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar
Dinner and a movie… Where would you recommend for dinner?
Bang
What Virginia Film Festival event are you most looking forward to?
Anything else you’d like to add, about yourself or the film festival?
Listen for coverage all week during the Va Film Festival, on the Corner Breakfast Show… on 106.1 The Corner!
John Kelly
Virginia Film Festival Publicist
How many Virginia Film Festivals have you attended?
Seven
Which year was the most memorable? If there was a theme what was it? What film, experience and/or guest(s) stood out to you?
So many stand out… but I would have to say it was 2010, which was Jody Kielbasa’s first full year with the Festival. It was really exciting to see the way the community had fully embraced the event, and to see the enthusiasm that there was in the weeks leading up to the Festival and certainly throughout the Festival weekend. One of the real highlights for me that year was a screening of the documentary “Freedom Riders” for up to 1,000 high school and middle school students that featured several of the actual Freedom Riders themselves. Amazing and powerful event.
What film(s) are you most excited about this year?
Rust and Bone, The Sessions, Fat Kid Rules the World
What sets the Virginia Film Festival apart from other film festivals you’ve attended?
One of the things that truly sets the VFF apart is its unique relationship with the University of Virginia. It is presented by UVA, which makes it rare among film festivals around the country and world, and provides the Festival with unmatched intellectual resources that serve to illuminate not only the films, but the powerful ideas behind them.
What’s a word of advice you would give a first timer to the Virginia Film Festival?
Plan well… the Festival is created in order to make hard choices for people. There are many screenings at the same time, and the more homework you do, the better experience you have. Also, build in time to take part in the discusions… it’s one of the things that distinguishes the VFF. There is even a story of one director who shared a rough cut of his film, and after the discussion, told the crowd they had convinced him to change the ending of his film!
Where do you go for a quick bite between movies?
Rev Soup
Where do you go for a post-movie drink?
Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar
Dinner and a movie… Where would you recommend for dinner?
What Virginia Film Festival event are you most looking forward to?
Anything else you’d like to add, about yourself or the film festival?
The VFF is one of the things that makes Charlottesville the special place it is… a great example of a big city attraction in a smaller-town setting. It’s the perfect representation of Charlottesville as a hub for entertainment and intellectual pursuits, and perhaps the best example of an event that serves as a bridge between UVA and the community.
Derek Sieg
Local Filmmaker and Adrenaline Film Project Mentor
How many Virginia Film Festivals have you attended?
Ten
Which year was the most memorable? If there was a theme what was it? What film, experience and/or guest(s) stood out to you?
2006, for sure! That was the year my film Swedish Auto opened the film festival. Myself and January Jones did a Q&A after the film with Richard Herskowitz, which was a really cool experience. And to have the film play in front of a packed house at The Paramount – you can’t beat that.
What sets the Virginia Film Festival apart from other film festivals you’ve attended?
The fact that it’s my hometown festival makes it special to me. But the fact that it exhibits such great films in such an intimate, unaffected setting makes it unique among most festival.
What film(s) are you most excited about this year?
Being that I’m an Adrenaline mentor, it’s those films that I can’t wait to see.
What’s a word of advice you would give a first timer to the Virginia Film Festival?
See the Adrenaline films. It’s an exciting experience and something you can’t see anywhere else.
Where do you go for a quick bite between movies?
Tempo. My mother is one of the owners, and it’s fantastic.
Where do you go for a post-movie drink?
Whiskey Jar
Dinner and a movie… Where would you recommend for dinner?
Tempo
What Virginia Film Festival event are you most looking forward to?
Joshua Hunt
Local Enthusiast, Beer Run
How many Virginia Film Festivals have you attended?
One
Which year was the most memorable? If there was a theme what was it? What film, experience and/or guest(s) stood out to you?
My only experience with the festival was last year. The film which stood out the most was Martha Marcy May Marlene, which had a fantastically creepy vibe and great performances by the cast.
What sets the Virginia Film Festival apart from other film festivals you’ve attended?
The variety of venues in Charlottesville is really wonderful, especially Vinegar Hill and the Paramount theater as well as the proximity to good restaurants and bars.
What film(s) are you most excited about this year?
The Duelists, The Man with the Iron Fists, West of Memphis
What’s a word of advice you would give a first timer to the Virginia Film Festival?
Take some time off work, bring a sweater & see as many films as possible.
Where do you go for a quick bite between movies?
Beer Run
Where do you go for a post-movie drink?
Beer Run
Dinner and a movie… Where would you recommend for dinner?
Beer Run
What Virginia Film Festival event are you most looking forward to?
Anything else you’d like to add, about yourself or the film festival?
I hope everyone has a wonderful time at the film festival and I recommend you stop by Beer Run for a delicious craft beer.
Bliss Spillar
First timer!, Portico
What film(s) are you most excited about this year?
The Man with the Iron Fists, All the President’s Men, The Island of Saint Matthews, and Until the Wells Run Dry
Buzz, rumors, chatter? What’s one thing you’ve heard about the Virginia Film Festival?
I have heard a little bit of everything. That the Festival itself is extremely well done while others have said that the movie selection in the past has not been as strong as desired. I am looking forward to experiencing it for myself!
Where do you plan to go for a quick bite between movies?
Revolutionary Soup
Where do you plan to go for a post-movie drink?
Whiskey Jar
Dinner and a movie… Where would you want to go for dinner?
What Virginia Film Festival event are you most looking forward to?
Cville Niche 
Posted on October 30, 2012 by Cville Niche
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