The 35th annual festival will begin with an old-fashioned detective story showing at the Paramount Theater. Director Jody Kielbasa says it’s got an all-star cast.
"We’re really pleased this year to open the festival up with The Glass Onion, a knives-out mystery starring Daniel Craig, Janelle Monet, Ethan Hawke, Leslie Odom, Jr., Edward Norton."
Senior programmer Ilya Tovbar says this year’s festival will also present a series of awards including one to a Charlottesville native.
"Jamie Sisley who’s coming in with a film called Stay Awake, dealing with the opioid crisis and starring Chrissy Metz, well-known from This is Us. She’ll be with us as well."
Actor Jonathan Majors’ new film, Devotion, will tell the story of the nation’s first African-American Naval pilot who fought in the Korean War, and the fest will feature a documentary called The Levys of Monticello about the Jewish family that purchased and restored Jefferson’s home.
“By the 1820’s Jefferson was in poor financial shape. He didn’t have the money to do what we would call preventive maintenance at Monticello," says a source in the documentary. "Things were falling apart when he died. Who buys It but this most unlikely person. His name was Uriah Phillips Levy. He came down to Monticello, and he purchased it for $2,700.
The festival will run from November 2nd through the 6th. Tickets go on sale online October 18th.
