2021 W&M Global Film Festival
Capitalizing on the talents and interests of faculty, students, alumni and the world
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The 2021 W&M Global Film Festival featured a hybrid in-person/virtual format to comply with state and local COVID-19 safety recommendations. Programs were available online and in two outdoor venues.
Virtual Viewing Hub
The virtual festival was hosted on Eventive, a secure digital platform designed to bring the festival experience online. After purchasing a virtual pass, attendees had access to the full catalog of films for the duration of the festival.
Palace Farms Drive-in
Colonial Williamsburg provided the Palace Farms lot as an in-kind sponsor of the drive-in theater. The venue featured a 40-by-16-foot inflatable screen and could accommodate up to 100 cars.
Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheater
In partnership with Alma Mater Productions, the campus-wide programming body at W&M, three feature films were screened at the Briggs Amphitheater. Due to current W&M COVID-19 safety measures, these events were only open to W&M students, faculty, and staff.
Ticket Purchases
Both virtual passes and drive-in tickets were available for purchase on the Eventive platform. Attendees viewed virtual programs from 72 cities across 16 states and Washington, D.C. Additionally, drive-in tickets were purchased from 17 cities.
Student Involvement
Beyond attendance at festival screenings and workshops, current students were involved in GFF programming in a variety of capacities including:
- The 2020 W&M Youth Filmmaking Institute (8 students for academic credit)
- Festival internships (3 students for academic credit)
- The 1-credit Spring 2021 festival course (34 students)
- Middle Eastern Music Ensemble musical performance at Briggs Amphitheater, and
- The 24 Speed filmmaking contest. The 24 Speed contest included entries from 12 students and 17 alumni.
Programming and Faculty & Alumni Involvement
- The 2021 virtual viewing hub included 31 films among these were 14 alumni films. The virtual programs also featured conversations with special guests and filmmaker Q&As moderated by W&M faculty.
- Drive-in programs included four films, all nominated for Academy Awards in 2021: Quo Vadis, Aida?, Minari, Another Round, and News of the World.
- Programming at Briggs Amphitheater included 3 feature films: Lupin III: The First, Promising Young Woman, and Mandibles.
- W&M Libraries sponsored 15 professional workshops facilitated by 14 alumni presenters working in the arts and entertainment industry. Workshops were hosted virtually on Zoom, open to both students and the public, and free to attend.
