Film festival reveals 2001 theme: 'Masquerades'

The 14th annual Virginia Film Festival, to be held Oct. 25 through 28, will play out the theme, "Masquerades." Programs will feature media representations of characters, such as con artists and tricksters, imposters and posers, race and gender-switchers, actors and role players, and other protean, morphing selves — characters whose identities are based on some kind of performance.

Based at the University, the festival is designed to resemble a huge, comprehensive course on a cultural theme. As usual, the festival will feature more than 60 premiere and classic films that illuminate the theme, many guest filmmakers from the worlds of Hollywood and independent cinema, scholars from U.Va. and other schools, plus numerous sidebar performances and exhibitions, according to Artistic Director Richard Herskowitz.

The festival program and tickets will be available in September. For information, see the Web site at www.vafilm.com.