Celebrating ASO and Film Festival Collaboration, Alexandria Mayor Proclaims November ‘Movie Magic Month’
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Mayor Justin Wilson today signed a proclamation designating the month of November “Movie Magic Month” to celebrate the confluence of film activities sponsored by the city’s major arts groups. The Alexandria Film Festival kicks off on November 6 with the debut of “Homegrown: American Stories in Music and Film,” its historic partnership with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. For one night only, the orchestra will perform works by American composers, screened “live to picture” with six new films commissioned specifically for those works. The orchestra will also perform “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky.
“There is indeed magic in the air when Alexandria’s great arts institutions join forces to create a new way of bringing movies and live music into the same space. I am so proud of the creative innovation that has gone into this, and the sense of adventure that comes with trying something utterly new. Alexandria is an arts hub this November!” All six filmmakers will be present and will take questions from the audience with Maestro James Ross.
Following the Homegrown concert the film festival will stream more than 40 films, beginning November 11 through November 25, Thanksgiving Day. “The festival is delighted to be kicking off our 15th anniversary with this historic event,” said AFF chair Dara Sanders. “The range and diversity of film opportunities that beckon this month exemplify the creative energy, and yes, magic, the arts bring to the city.”
The symphony and the festival are joined by Del Ray Artisans, who will host “Groovy Movies: Artwork Inspired by Motion Pictures,” November 5-28, 2021, an exhibit spotlighting the art of film and film in art. Del Ray Artisans exhibit curator Karen Schmitz said “We are thrilled to be part of this collaboration celebrating the phenomenal synergy of these art forms.”
The proclamation reads in part:
WHEREAS, the November 2021 inaugural collaboration between ASO and AFF, together with Del Ray Artisans is a landmark step in leveraging the arts in Alexandria as a major asset, and spotlighting the talent of local, national, and international musicians, filmmakers, and visual artists.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JUSTIN M. WILSON, Mayor of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, and on behalf of the Alexandria City Council, do hereby recognize November, 2021, as:
“MOVIE MAGIC MONTH”
In the City of Alexandria and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.
About the Alexandria Film Festival—The Alexandria Film Festival (AFF) brings state-of-the-art independent films to eager viewers in the Nation’s Capital region. The AFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by a grant from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and numerous corporate sponsors including Burke and Herbert Bank, Visit Alexandria, Old Town Hilton Hotel, Connection Newspapers, Alexandria Hyundai, James Connolly Realtor, Wilson Grand Communications, West End Business Association, Alexandria Living Magazine, Alexandria Times, Zebra Magazine, and Safer Country.
About the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra—Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has served the greater Washington, D.C. region for more than 75 years. It presents a classical concert series and underwrites ASO Sympatico, an El Sistema-inspired music education program in the Alexandria City Public Schools. ASO also presents a free outdoor pops concert at the annual Alexandria Birthday Celebration each July and offers chamber concerts, recitals and small ensembles in the community throughout the year. Through its concerts, events a community engagement, ASO strives to provide quality, affordable and accessible music serving more than 10,000 people annually.
About the Del Ray Artisans—The Del Ray Artisans (DRA) was founded in 1992 is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote art for the benefit of artists and the community. In 2022, DRA will be celebrating 30 years in Alexandria making art available and accessible to the general public and supporting the full range of creative expression artistic endeavors in the visual, performing and applied arts, including monthly art exhibits, free and low-cost events, youth art camp, and special programs for all skill levels.
