Get ‘em early! Advance tickets are available for all 20th James River Film Festival events. Some are free or donation events. Advance tickets for the VMFA programs are available only through the VMFA (link provided). Visit our Tickets page for all the details.

Author, Educator and Comics Expert Tom De Haven will present a program of Fleischer Superman cartoons.

Experimental Filmmaker and Educator David Gatten will present his Secret History of the Dividing Line, a True Account in Nine Parts (1999-present), a film cycle that takes as its main character Richmond founder William Byrd II, plus a second program of experimental shorts.

Gwar/Slave Pit Productions will present a program of Gwar videos.

Documentary Filmmaker Kevin McNeer (a past JRFF guest and native Richmonder now living in Moscow) will present his doc-in-progress on Stanislav Sokolov’s Hoffmaniada, a stop motion-animated feature film based on the tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann from Russian studio Soyuzmultfilm. Concept and art design by Mikhail Shemyakin; directed by Stanislav Sokolov. The 78-minute film has been in the making since 2001; 20 minutes has been completed and will be screened along with McNeer’s doc-in-progress and a selection of Sokolov’s animated shorts.

Documentary Filmmaker, Photographer and Installation Artist Kendall Messick will present his film and book The Projectionist, which documents the life and passion project of a retired movie projectionist, Gordon Brinckle (1915 – 2007). Brinckle’s life work is the Shalamar, a grand mini-movie palace (theater) that he built in fastidious detail in the basement of his home.

Experimental Filmmaker and Emeritus Professor Richard Myers (a past JRFF guest) will present his avant-classics: 37-73, Akran and Deathstyles.

Stop-Motion Animation Director Stanislav Sokolov (from Moscow) will bring his stop-motion animated feature-in-progress Hoffmaniada, plus a selection of his animated shorts and a suitcase full of puppets! (paired with Kevin McNeer’s doc-in-progress on the making of Hoffmaniada).

Filmmaker and Educator David Williams (Richmond’s very own!) will present his Sundance winning film, Lillian (one of Roger Ebert’s favorite films).

Plus, we will round out the festival with classics, including John Huston’s FAT CITY on 35mm and restored DCP (digital cinema package) versions of Harold Lloyd’s SAFETY LAST and Stanley Kubrick’s DR. STRANGELOVE!

Coming soon: a complete program with dates, times, locations, film notes, and bios on the guests.

Stay tuned!

From David Gatten’s “Secret History of the Dividing Line, a True Account in Nine Parts” (1999-present), an experimental film cycle based on Richmond founder William Byrd II, an 18th-century Virginian aristocrat, plantation owner, and author whose library is said to have been the largest and most varied in the colonies.

The 20th James River Film Festival will unspool Thursday, April 11-Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at various locations in Richmond, Virginia. Thanks to a partnership with VCUarts Department of Photography and Film, one of this year’s featured guests is experimental filmmaker and Duke University professor David Gatten, whose Secret History of the Dividing Line, a True Account in Nine Parts (1999-present), a film cycle that takes as its main character Richmond founder William Byrd II, will be screened at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Friday, April 12. Stay tuned for updates on guests, films, locations and more!

First Place: L. City, by Sandro Del Rosario $600

Second Place (tie): Lot 22 (Concession 5), by Penny McCann $300

Second Place (tie): Alphabet, by Sean Ruecroft $300

Third Place (tie) Eye Pieces Number 1, by Steven Hoskins $200

Another Dress, Another Button from Lyn Elliot on Vimeo.

Domestic Rhythms, 6:00, Jeremy Newman (NJ)

Front Street Yard, 22:19, David Ellsworth (MD)

10 Blocks, 9:00, Mark Strandquist (VA)

Mr. Stokes’ Mission, 30:00, Sam Hampton (VA)

Memories of Aging, 3:25, Hannah Sutherland (VA)

Lot 22 (Concession 5), 3:57, Penny McCann (Canada)

Simple Machines, 8:19, H. Paul Moon (VA)

L. City, 8:00, Sandro Del Rosario, (CA; Visiting artist/educator, VCU and University of Richmond)

Alphabet, 7:05, Sean Ruecroft (VA)

Nothing to Undo, 4:04, J. Robinson (VA)

Footprints in the Snow (Des pas sur la neige), 4:30 min., Paul Turano (MA)

Eye Pieces, Number 1, 4:50, Steven Hoskins (VA)

Evolution!, 3:39, Tyler Rhodes/Patrick Henry School of Science and Art (VA)

Parva Sed Apta Mihi, 17:05, Walter Ungerer (ME)

You, Everyone & Everything, 5:05, Daniel Rowe (VA)

Changed Landscape, 7:00, Tijana Petrovic (CA)

Movements, 3:00, James Mattise (VA)

Image from Lyn Elliot’s 2011 James River Shorts 3rd place film, “Another Dress, Another Button.”

On Friday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m., join us for a a screening of the 2012 James River Shorts finalists’ films at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Filmmaker, University of Missouri-Kansas City film professor and 2011 James River Shorts winner Lyn Elliot will serve at this year’s guest juror, making the final decisions about the 2012 James River Shorts winners and awards. As usual, audience members get to select the People’s Choice winner. Admission is $8 ($5 VMFA members). To purchase advance tickets visit the VMFA’s website.

Then on Saturday, December 1, join us at 6:00 p.m. at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond for the James River Film Society’s annual holiday membership party, followed by a double bill of The Girl in the Air: The Films of Lyn Elliot (with filmmaker Lyn Elliot in person!) at 7:00 p.m. and a screening of the 2012 James River Shorts honorable mentions starting at 8:30 p.m.