The Alexandria Film Festival was created in 2007 by the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Its purpose is two-fold:

• To reach out to local, national, and international filmmakers to highlight Alexandria as a dynamic and enthusiastic venue for making, exhibiting, and experiencing cinematic art; and
• To bring a new, cutting-edge artistic event to Alexandria’s influential and diverse audience and to foster public awareness of cinema as a cultural and educational asset.

The festival premiered in September 2007, attracting an audience of more than 1,800 people over four days at two venues. Ten feature-length films and eleven shorts of all genres were screened, including the work of students from two Alexandria elementary schools. Several filmmakers presented their own films and took questions from the audience, including the director of “War Dance,” which was nominated for an Academy Award four months later.

Reflecting the national interest in the 2008 elections, the 2008 Alexandria Film Festival was called “Reel Politics.” Twelve films shown over four days featured dynamic programming and diverse approaches to the theme, including “Recount,” examining the divisive process that culminated in the Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore; “Culture Jam: Hijacking Commercial Culture,” depicting the intriguing world of midnight billboard raids and mid-afternoon hijacking of public space; and “Come Walk in My Shoes,” an inspiring award-winning documentary providing a fresh, first-person perspective on the civil rights movement and one of its key leaders, Congressman John R. Lewis (D- Ga.).

Each year, the support of numerous volunteers, individual donors, corporate sponsors, and the City of Alexandria is essential to the success of the Alexandria Film Festival.