Old Town Theater was packed tonight as the Alexandria Film Festival kicked off. The festival runs through Sunday. The opening line up featured six films revolving around food and sustainability.
A mixture of documentaries, animation, and narrative films, each short was thought provoking in its own way. Whether it was “Capital Food Fight” capturing the conflict between brick and mortar restaurants and food trucks in the D.C., or “This is Normal” championing Water 4 bringing sustained safe water to African villagers each film had a clear message.
One of my favorite things about going to film festivals is finding unique films by talented up and coming filmmakers. “Grape”, a film by Rushaway Pictures’ Daniel Stine, is one of those films. The short tells the story of grieving winemaker Grayson Delecourt, who while pondering the sale of his family vineyard, receives an unwelcome overnight visitor. The film bends the line of reality, but has a message of hope. Shot in the Virginia area over the course of six days, you may see some familiar locations. With the majority of the film being shot at Mt. Welby and Linden Vineyards, Stine was able to capture the beauty that is Virginia wine country.
You can find the rest of the Alexandria Film Festival schedule here. Check out my interview with festival chair, Patti North below for more interesting info about the festival. If tonight’s films are a taste of the rest of the festival, I can only imagine what the rest of the weekend holds!
