Washington West Film Festival brings stories and stars to Reston Town Center

by Patricia Kovacs, Staff Writer

Photo contributed by Washington West Film Festival.

Mark your calendars for the 14th annual Washington West Film Festival, returning to Reston Town Center Oct. 9–13.

Founded in 2011 by Brad Russell, Lead Pastor of Dulles Church in Aldie, the festival has grown from a single-venue event in Reston to a multi-venue showcase across Northern Virginia. Its mission is to unite film and philanthropy, with 100 percent of net box office proceeds donated to charities that support underserved children.

This year’s program features 36 films selected from 224 submissions. Opening night will screen “Color Book,” the story of a widowed father who takes his son with Down syndrome to his first Major League Baseball game. Short Film Friday follows on Oct. 10 with two curated programs of shorts.

Saturday’s spotlight is “Moses–13 Steps,” a documentary about Olympic hurdler Edwin Moses, who will attend the screening and participate in a Q&A. Also on Saturday are “She Runs the World,” about track legend Allyson Felix, “Four Mothers,” an Irish comedy about a beleaguered novelist, and “The Dating Game,” a look at the effects of China’s One-Child Policy.

On Sunday, the festival marks the 30th anniversary of Apollo 13 and presents a documentary about the Apollo 1 disaster. Former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson—recently retired NASA administrator and key advocate for the Artemis program—will join for a Q&A on the importance of returning to the moon.

Student filmmakers will also be showcased, with George Mason University screening standout shorts and Lightridge High School presenting 10 films by Loudoun County students. This program will expand to Fairfax County Public Schools students in the future.

Free community events include an outdoor screening of “Shrek” on Oct. 3 and a live concert by Smash Mouth at Rocktoberfest on Oct. 11.

For details and tickets, visit www.wwfilmfest.com/