Global Film Festival returns with virtual lineup of movies and special events
The pandemic changed the way the world watched movies in the last year, with many top films debuting on streaming services instead of the big screen.
The 14th annual William & Mary Global Film Festival will operate in much the same way, with the majority of its offerings available online from March 25-28.
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The reimagined version of the GFF will enable the university community to collectively enjoy the arts while remaining physically distanced.
There will be some exclusive in-person viewing opportunities, including drive-in movies at the Palace Farms Drive-in and nightly screenings at the Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre, with attendees required to follow COVID-19 face mask and distancing measures. However, most of the GFF’s programming will be done virtually.
The GFF virtual festival, sponsored by The Virginia Film Office, will provide online screenings of more than 30 films throughout the weekend, as well as virtual workshops, conversations and Q&A sessions with special guests. The event will be hosted by secure digital platform Eventive. 
Films can be viewed through an assortment of virtual platforms. A full list of viewing options is available on the Eventive website.
The GFF will kick off Thursday, March 25, with a virtual event called “Diverse Voices in Hollywood,” with alumni guests Phil Sun ’04 and Cord Jefferson ’04. The discussion will take place at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by W&M Chief Diversity Officer Chon Glover M.Ed. ’99, Ed.D ’06.
Sun is president, managing partner and co-founder of M88, a full-service representation firm. He represents the likes of actors Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba, Riz Ahmed, Donald Glover, Gemma Ghan and Naomi Scott, among many others.
Jefferson is a writer and producer whose television credits include “Watchmen,” “The Good Place,” “Succession,” “Master of None” and “The Nightly Show.” In 2020, he received two Writers Guild Awards, an NAACP Image Award and a Primetime Emmy.
On Thursday, the GFF will also feature a Black Horror Spotlight, including screenings of “Blacula,” “Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror” and “Night of the Living Dead,” as well as a virtual conversation with Xavier Bugin, the director of “Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror.”
A single virtual pass can be purchased online that provides access to all virtual films throughout the four days of the festival.
There are limits on viewing availability for some films. For information on any unique screening restrictions, visit the GFF website.
In addition to a large selection of movies available virtually, the GFF is presenting four nights of programs at the Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre, in partnership with Alma Mater Productions.
Due to campus COVID-19 restrictions, only current W&M students, staff, faculty and administrators may attend these programs. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. each night, and films start at 8.
The first night of the amphitheater screenings with be 24 Speed student filmmaking competition, produced in partnership with the Reeder Media Center and W&M Libraries.
This will be a showcase of short films created by students in only 24 hours. This year’s contest will task students to complete a solo editing challenge from pre-existing video footage.
The rest of the amphitheater screenings are as follows:
- March 25: “Lupin III: The First”
- March 26: “Promising Young Woman” – Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture
- March 27: “Mandibles”
Films are free and not ticketed, and admission is first-come, first-served. Upon entry, festival staff will scan each guest’s TribeLink event pass in the W&M app to track attendance.
Seating, available in the venue and lawn areas, will be distanced in compliance with current W&M COVID-19 campus regulations outlined in the Heathly Together: A Community Commitment. Because of limited capacity, guests are encouraged to arrive early to guarantee seating and to be spaced as needed.
New in 2021 is a nightly series of drive-in films hosted by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation at the Palace Farms Drive-in, located at 100 Visitor’s Center Dr., across the street from the main entrance to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center.
These unique screening opportunities will take place nightly from March 25-28, with doors opening at 7:15 p.m. and movies starting at 8. No late entry will be permitted, as doors close promptly at 8 p.m.
Tickets to each program are $25 per vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicle. Tickets must be pre-purchased online.
All guests must adhere to COVID-19 protocols during the event. No open-aired vehicles will be allowed in the drive-in. Vehicles should only park in designated spaces, and all vehicles will be distanced from each other. Persons must wear masks if they need to leave their vehicles.
The drive-in movie schedule is as follows:
- March 25: “Quo Vadis, Aida?” – Nominated for the 2021 Academy Award for Best International Film
- March 26: “Minari” – Winner of Best Foreign Language Film at the 2021 Golden Globes. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture
- March 27: “Another Round” – Nominated for two 2021 Academy Awards, including Best International Feature
- March 28: “News of the World” – With an introduction by Production Designer David Crank ’82. Nominated for four Academy Awards, including a nomination for Crank
