Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice… these are some of the most famous film festivals in the world. To that list it’s time to add the star-studded Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia. Established in 2013 by Sheila Johnson, owner of the Forbes Five-Star Salamander Middleburg resort and spa less than 40 miles from Washington D.C., the festival takes place over four days in October and features dozens of narrative and documentary films screened in a variety of intimate locations around the town and at the resort.

 

Screenings are often followed by Q&As with world-renowned directors, actors and special guests. Big names who have appeared include Isabella Rosellini, Emma Stone, Jason Reitman, Kenneth Brannagh, Greta Gerwig, Meg Ryan and Viggo Mortensen. With the Academy Awards taking place in Hollywood only five months later, the festival has become a major stop on the Oscar Trail. Films featured at the 2024 festival, Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia Perez and Nickel Boys, were all nominated for Best Picture, with Anora winning the Oscar.