Year Four of our fest took two years to come to life—basically VTFF2020 & VTFF2021 rolled into one. The pandemic was particularly difficult for live events, which were either postponed, canceled outright, or moved online.
Ah yes, the virtual film festival. I tried attending a couple online fests, but after working from home and being on lockdown, the last thing I wanted to do was to stare even more at my computer while sitting inside. I totally understand that some fests had to do this and I hope the folks who attended enjoyed them, but I just couldn’t get into it. That’s one of the things the pandemic solidified for me: the magic and importance of in-person events. I think we all realized what we were missing and I hope this leads to a rejuvenated interest in all kinds of live gatherings and concerts and, yes, festivals.
I’m thankful to the filmmakers who stuck with us and were patient once the 2020 fest was postponed. And of course I’m eternally grateful to our home venue, Ant Hall & Ghost Light, who like so many venues worldwide took on some of the worst effects on businesses during the covid-19 era. VTFF2021 was a scrappier affair with fewer sponsors than in previous years, but thanks to our programmers, coordinators, returning sponsors, friends and family—the show went on and it was solid.
—Jerry White Jr. | Festival Director
