The 39th Virginia Film Festival ran Oct. 21-25, 2026, at the Paramount, Violet Crown and UVA, and its audience awards are out. 2027 dates are not out yet.

Last checked Oct. 31, 2026. Facts come from the Virginia Film Festival’s own site, linked below. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The 39th Virginia Film Festival ran Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, with more than 100 films at theaters downtown and on the UVA Grounds. The festival’s home page now carries the 2026 audience award winners. As of Oct. 31 it had not announced dates for 2027; we will update this page when it does.

Updated Oct. 31: the 2026 festival has ended. The details below are the 2026 schedule, kept as a guide to how the festival runs.

The festival is a program of the University of Virginia and, in its own words, “one of the leading regional film festivals in America.” The 2026 schedule is still online.

Know before you go

  • When: Wed. Oct. 21 to Sun. Oct. 25, 2026
  • Where: the Paramount, Violet Crown and four more downtown venues, plus Culbreth Theatre at UVA
  • Tickets (2026): screenings from $18 at the UVA Arts Box Office
  • Box office phone: 434-924-3376, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday
  • Official site: virginiafilmfestival.org

When it is

The festival opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, and runs every day through Sunday, Oct. 25, according to the festival schedule.

  • Opening night: the gala screening of The Debut, with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Paramount Theater.
  • Wrap party: the Late Night Wrap Party is at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery.
  • Last day: Sunday screenings start at 10:30 a.m.

The festival is held every fall. The 2027 dates have not been announced; this page will carry them when the festival posts them.

Where the films play

The festival lists these venues:

Venue Address
The Paramount Theater 215 E. Main St.
Violet Crown Charlottesville 200 W. Main St.
The Bradbury 300 E. Main St.
Vault Virginia, The Gallery 300 E. Main St.
Irving Theater, CODE Building 225 W. Water St. (enter on Water Street)
Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery 520 Second St. SE
Culbreth Theatre, UVA Drama Building 109 Culbreth Road

The Paramount has an infrared audio enhancement system. Violet Crown and Culbreth Theatre offer closed captioning and hearing amplification devices for select titles. Some screenings carry ASL-English interpretation or open captions; the schedule’s filters show which.

Tickets and prices

Tickets went on sale Oct. 2 and are sold through the UVA Arts Box Office, the festival’s ticket page says. The published prices:

  • Film screenings: $18 and up
  • Special screenings and events: $28 and up
  • Opening Night Gala: $85
  • Late Night Wrap Party: $50

Discounts are available for many screenings for seniors 60 and older, students with ID, children, UVA faculty and staff and local educators. Groups of 20 or more get $2 off each ticket. The box office adds a processing fee to every order, and all sales are final.

How to buy:

  • Online: from the schedule page, up to two hours before each film.
  • By phone: 434-924-3376, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.
  • Downtown Box Office: inside Violet Crown, 200 W. Main St. It is open noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 19-20, noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 21, noon to 8:45 p.m. Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Oct. 24 and 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
  • UVA Arts Box Office: 109 Culbreth Road, in the Drama Building lobby. The only box office that takes cash.
  • At the Paramount: a box office opens one hour before each festival screening there, for Paramount films only.

Be seated or in line 15 minutes before the start time or your seat may be given away.

UVA students can reserve one free ticket to each film through the Arts Dollars program, online with NetBadge or in person at the UVA Arts Box Office. Free student tickets close 24 hours before each film and are not available at the door.

Parking and getting there

From the festival’s venues and parking page:

  • At UVA: parking on the Grounds is very limited. The festival lifts the gates on the Culbreth Parking Garage, which makes it free during the five days of the festival.
  • Downtown: street parking is very limited. Use the paid garages near the Downtown Mall; the Downtown Charlottesville parking guide lists them.
  • Free transit: all Charlottesville Area Transit buses and the free trolley between downtown, the Corner and the UVA Grounds cost nothing to ride. Schedules are on the city’s transit page.
  • The festival asks you to allow at least 30 extra minutes of travel time.

Good to know

  • Films sell out; buy early for the Paramount galas.
  • Late seating is up to venue staff.
  • Lost tickets can be reprinted at the box office for a fee, or shown on your phone from your UVA Arts Box Office account.
  • For more to do this month, see things to do in Charlottesville this month and the Downtown Mall guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next Virginia Film Festival?

The 2026 festival, the 39th, ran Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 25. As of Oct. 31 the festival had not announced dates for 2027; it is held each October.

How much are Virginia Film Festival tickets?

Film screenings start at $18 and special screenings and events at $28. The Opening Night Gala is $85 and the Late Night Wrap Party is $50. All sales are final.

Where is the Virginia Film Festival held?

At the Paramount Theater, Violet Crown, the Bradbury, Vault Virginia, the Irving Theater in the CODE Building and Three Notch’d downtown, and Culbreth Theatre on the UVA Grounds.

Where do I park for the Virginia Film Festival?

The festival lifts the gates on the Culbreth Parking Garage at UVA, so parking there is free during the festival. Downtown, use the paid garages near the Downtown Mall or ride the free trolley or CAT buses.

Can UVA students get free Virginia Film Festival tickets?

Yes. Full-time, degree-seeking UVA students can reserve one free ticket per film through the Arts Dollars program, up to 24 hours before the screening and while the allocation lasts.