Overview and Mission

Every semester, the Visiting Filmmakers Series brings to campus a variety of films and artists. The Series is committed to building community, advancing conversations, and supporting innovative and independent filmmaking.

VFS Linktree

Over two decades, our events include the following:

Fall 2024: Lagueria Davis, with Black Barbie: A Documentary; Alex Plank, with Ezra; I Am Not the River Jhelum, with director Prabhash Chandra.

Spring 2024: Penny Lane, with Confessions of a Good Samaritan, Kaiulani Lee with Fight Like Hell: The Testimony of Mother Jones; Mendi and Keith Obadike with The Sun; Tim Harris, with Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn; and Nikyatu Jusu, with Nanny. See full list of Sprig 2024 events here.

Fall 2023: filmmakers Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler, and Angel Ellis with Bad Press (2023) and a screening and discussion of Woman in Motion, presented by the College of Science and VFS.

Spring 2023: online and in-person. Events included Boots Riley with I'm a Virgo, Rebeca Huntt with Beba, and Margaret Brown and Kern Jackson with Descendant. See full list of Spring 2023 events here.

Spring 2022: Visiting Filmmakers Series: in-person and online. Events included Joseph Le, Action Designer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. See full list of Spring 2022 events here.

Fall 2021: Visiting Filmmakers Series: in-person and online. Our first event was Shaolin Jazz: Can I Kick It? Black Panther, an outdoor screening of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, with soundtrack remixed live by DJ 2-Tone Jones. See full list of Fall 2021 events here.

Spring 2021: Visiting Filmmakers Series Online. Screenings and conversations online throughout February, March, and April.

Fall 2020: Visiting Filmmakers Series Online. Screenings and conversations online throughout September and October.

April 2020: Visiting Filmmakers Series Online. We hosted 25 sessions and 34 guests. All Spring 2020 sessions are recorded and available to see here.

April 2020: A Conversation with Sacha Jenkins, director of Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men. Sponsored by Film and Video Studies, African and African American Studies, Global Affairs, Global Programs, History and Art History, CHSS, CVPA, University Life, School of Art, Women and Gender Studies, Art and Visual Technology, CVPA's Kritikos Series: Arts in Context, and Film and Media Studies.

April 2020: Hale County This Morning, This Evening: A conversation with RaMell Ross.

Spring 2020: A conversation with Jennifer Baichwal: ONLINE.

Spring 2020: Masterclass with writer, actor, and director Doug Spearman. ONLINE.

Fall 2019: Patti Cake$ with producer Michael Gottwald.

Spring 2019: A Late Style of Fire with Michele Poulos and Gregory Donovan.

Spring 2019: Mother Daughter Sister with Jeanne Hallacy.

Fall 2018: Masterclass with Colette Burson on TV Showrunning and Writing.

Fall 2018: Dark Money with Kimberly Reed.

InTheLastDays Fall 2018: In the Last Days of the City with Tamer El Said.

Fall 2018: Dan Mirvish Masterclass on Indie Filmmaking.

Spring 2018: In Lorton's Darkroom with filmmaker and photographer Karen Ruckman, producer Emma Pearce, and photographers Calvin Gorham and Michael Moses El.