[Archived] City of Alexandria Hosts “Reel Politics:” Second Annual Alexandria Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2008   

City of Alexandria Hosts Reel Politics: Second Annual Alexandria Film Festival
Thursday, September 25 – Sunday, September 28

The Second Annual Alexandria Film Festival, Reel Politics, will offer four days of features, documentaries, and shorts covering the topic, “Politics in the USA.” It begins on Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Market Square, 301 King St., and continues Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 28 at the Lee Center’s Kauffman Auditorium, 1108 Jefferson St. This City event is sponsored by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.

The Festival begins Thursday with Recount, directed by Jay Roach and Produced by HBO Films. Recount examines the divisive process that culminated in the Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore. The film chronicles the 2000 presidential election and the relentless advocacy of strategists on both sides of the Florida controversy. The screening, scheduled for Thursday night in Market Square, is free and open to the public.

The Lee Center’s Kauffman Auditorium will be the location for both afternoon and evening showings held from Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 28. Other films to be presented at the Festival include:

• Election Day, directed by Katy Chevigny. Election Day is one of the few days in the United States on which vast numbers of Americans are united in a common activity, encompassing millions of people and complicated logistics, all aimed at choosing the next leader of the free world. Election Day follows an ex-felon, factory workers, harried moms, Native American activists, and others as they exercise their right to vote.

• Crawford, directed by David Modigliani. What happens to the 705 residents of Crawford, TX when George W. Bush buys a ranch nearby and then becomes president of the United States?  Thrust into the spotlight by political stagecraft, Crawford is invaded and then abandoned, leaving no resident untouched by its unsought and unexpected fame.

• Come Walk in My Shoes, directed by Robin Smith. This award-winning documentary provides a fresh, first-person perspective on the civil rights movement and one of its leaders, Congressman John R. Lewis (D- GA). Come Walk in My Shoes brings us a new view of the “unsung heroes who cared deeply, sacrificed much, and fought hard for a better America.”

Tickets for the festival will be available in advance on-line for $10 per day, or $25 for a three-day pass. To purchase tickets online with a credit card, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation or www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 per day, or $30 for a three-day pass. Payment at the door will be available by cash or check.

To obtain a complete listing of film times and dates, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation or www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org. For additional information, call the Alexandria Commission for the Arts at 703.838.6348.  Please be advised that some films may contain violence, language, and adult themes that may be inappropriate for younger audiences.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation, or to request materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Anne Colton, Cultural Arts Administrator, of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.838.6348 (TTY 703.838.4902) or email cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov.