Cinephiles can see 65 films from more than 20 countries right here in Evansville at the 2024 Victory International Film Festival.
The fifth installment of the homegrown cinema celebration kicks off Sept. 12 for three days of screenings, workshops, networking, and afterparties.
VIFF, which launched in 2019 and is organized by Matthew Ulm, has branched out from its namesake home at the Victory Theatre and now spreads its screenings and workshops across four locations: Showplace Cinemas East, Encounter Church, Old National Public Theatre at WNIN, and Innovation Pointe.
Want to attend, but not sure where to start? Here are five must-see parts of the festival.
Feel like a star at the opening night celebrationโs red carpet.
Dress in your best for this launch party at Showplace Cinema East, 1801 Morgan Center Drive. Then, settle in at the multiplex theater for the first night of film screenings. This yearโs 65 selections include full-length features, documentaries short films, comedies, student-directed films, dramas, sci-fi, horror, animation, and inspirational films, accommodating a wide range of tastes.
Friday the 13th gets an extra edge with a screening of โThe Blair Witch Project.โ
Can you believe itโs been 25 years since the supernatural thriller revolutionized horror filmmaking with its โfound footageโ-style cinematography? The 1999 film raked in nearly $250 million globally against a $750,000 budget and remains a cult favorite. For this 25th anniversary, VIFF brings in โBlair Witchโ producer Gregg Hale โ who grew up in nearby Henderson, Kentucky โ for a Q&A following Fridayโs 7 p.m. screening.
Meet a GEICO caveman โ and USI professor โ on Saturday.
The University of Southern Indiana added a dash of Hollywood to its ranks when it welcomed McManus Woodend to its English faculty in 2022. The filmmaking enthusiast starred as GEICO Insuranceโs signature caveman in more than 25 commercials in the early 2000s, including its popular take on the Discovery Channelโs โThe Deadliest Catch.โ Woodend discusses his GEICO gigs, filmmaking, and more at a workshop at 1 p.m. Saturday.
โIt was such a fun time,โ he told Evansville Living in late 2022. โItโs weird to be this part of pop culture, but not recognizable at all. It was a really fun thing to do, and if asked to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.โ
Catch up with the โSack Race with Knivesโ creative team.
Photographer Jordan Barclay has had a whirlwind year since debuting โSack Race with Knives: The Curious Art of Kevin Titzer” last fall. His 25-minute documentary about the sculptural artistโs 2018 installation of discarded items was selected for 16 film festivals. Itโs also racked up awards, like โBest Directorโ at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and โBest Documentary Short Filmโ at this yearโs Fine Arts Film Festival in Venice, California. โSack Race with Knivesโ screens at Thursdayโs opening ceremony.
Meet Louisa Royer, the worldโs youngest drone videographer.
Evansville Day School fourth-grader Louisa Royerโs love of film has taken her to new heights โ literally. Her film, โDangerous Plants,โ which screens Sept. 14 at Encounter Church, 317 Main St., helped her earn a Guinness World Record in 2024 for Youngest Drone Videographer.
Victory International Film Festival
Sept. 12-14
Multiple locations in Evansville
Single night ticket: $10
Full festival pass: $25
