Virginia Film Festival headliners announced

Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening and Cherry Jones will be among the headliners at this year's Virginia Film Festival, set for Nov. 5-8 in Charlottesville.

Director Norman Jewison and filmmaker John Waters also are attending.

Organizers said 80 films and more than 100 guests are scheduled for the 22nd annual event.

Tickets for the events range from free to $75. This year, the public will be able to attend all of the festival events.

Joel Kielbasa, who took over the festival director spot in May, said many of the movies scheduled to run highlight diversity and this year's theme of "funny business."

He also said the 2008 election of President Barack Obama became a big inspiration for this year's movie selections.

One of those movies is "Marching Band," a documentary that looks at the presidential election from the perspective of the marching bands of the University of Virginia and Virginia State University. Members of the U.Va. marching band are scheduled to perform before the movie is shown on opening night.

The documentary "Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance" marks the 50th anniversary of the decision to close Charlottesville public schools rather than accept integration.

Actresses Bening and Jones will discuss their movie "Mother and Child," an unreleased film that details the lives of a woman who gave up her biracial daughter for adoption and a black woman looking to adopt a child.

Actor Broderick will join director Josh Goldin and producer Glenn Williamson to discuss "Wonderful World," a movie about a failed children's folk singer who finds love and happiness where he least expects it.

In years past, the festival has attracted up to 12,000 participants. It is funded by the university and through ticket sales.

Sharon C. Fitzgerald is a correspondent for the Daily Progress in Charlottesville.