Category Archives: Entertainment

Virtual Richmond Folk Festival Begins

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Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced this year’s Richmond Folk Festival to ‘go virtual’.
From The Richmond Free Press:

The 16th Annual Richmond Folk Festival, a celebration of music and culture from around the globe, will take place virtually Oct. 9 through 11.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, people can enjoy the festival through a special television program, radio broadcasts and online streaming.

Music from Jamaican reggae, Chicago blues, Altai throat singing, kosher gospel, Gypsy jazz, Indian slide guitar, Gulf Coast boogie-woogie, Ireland and Dominican bachata will be featured from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, on Virginia Public Media radio stations 107.3 and 93.1 FM. The music is by performers from past Richmond festivals.

From 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the festival will broadcast “All Together Now,” a two-part television celebration of Virginia artists, including Butcher Brown featuring J. Plunky Branch, Cora Harvey Armstrong, Kadencia and Jared Pool & Friends. The performances were filmed at Richmond’s Spacebomb Studios in partnership with VPM, and will be interspersed with performances from the festival’s Virginia Folklife Stage from the past. It will be broadcast on VPM Plus Channel 57.1 WCVW digital HD and livestreamed on VPM’s Facebook page and VPM’s YouTube page.

An interactive art installation by artist Kevin Orlosky will take place on Brown’s Island, the site of the festival in the past. Public participation is encouraged, with people wearing masks and socially distancing. People can paint a rock that represents something they miss, mourn or are looking forward to doing again after the pandemic. The rocks will become part of Mr. Orlosky’s stone labyrinth that, when viewed from above, will form a hand.

Artist Shannon Wright of Richmond, an illustrator and cartoonist whose work has been featured in major publications, books and online sites including The New York Times, created the official poster for the festival.

Details about the festival, performers, schedule, activities and where to listen or watch it are available on www.richmondfolkfestival.org.

As one of the handful of people who attended the very first folk festival (rainy) night in Richmond, back when it was National Folk Festival, I am delighted to see that it is soldiering on, as I very much enjoy the outside music it usually brings to the area. And while neighborhood relations have not always been harmonious, I know many Oregon Hill residents will be sad that they will not have the full festival just down the hill this year. It deserves support. (And talk is cheap- if you can afford it, do purchase a folk festival poster or t-shirt at Plan 9 Records or online).

Riverfront Events Cancelled Or Postponed

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From Venture Richmond’s webpage:

Friday Cheers fans are devoted and unwavering, but in these times we must all be mindful that the COVID-19 virus has dramatically changed our daily social interactions and we must all follow the directives of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home executive order through June 10.
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The governor’s order prohibits all public and private in-person gatherings of more than 10 individuals.
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With these guidelines, and for the safety of both our patrons and staff, we have made the following changes to the May Friday Cheers schedule:
Jade Bird with Sweet Potatoes that was previously scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2020 is cancelled.
Billy Strings with Andrew Alli and Josh Small is rescheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
RVA Music Night – Palm Palm is rescheduled for Friday, May 21, 2021.
Jay Som with Angelica Garcia – We are working to reschedule this show for Friday Cheers 2021 and will provide details when finalized.
Venture Richmond Events staff is working to reschedule Friday Cheers’ early June artist performances, and remain cautiously optimistic about performances later in June.

From the Riverrock Festival’s webpage:

In conjunction with Governor Northam’s recently-issued statewide Stay At Home Order, Sports Backers and Venture Richmond are very disappointed to announce that the 2020 Dominion Energy Riverrock festival planned for May 15-17 at Brown’s Island and Historic Tredegar is cancelled.

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“Megan Leavey” At Virginia War Memorial This Saturday

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Saturday, March 7, the Virginia War Memorial will celebrate Women’s History Month with a screening of “Megan Leavey” (2017, PG-13) – a story of a Marine and her military K9 dog – followed by a panel discussion with women veterans of the so-called “the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)”.

Just keep in mind that “Hollywood isn’t in the business of telling true stories”, and some have criticized the film as being “oblivious to Iraqi suffering”.

Also, star actress of the movie, Kata Mara later joined the Humane Society in delivering close to 200,000 petition signatures to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urging the agency to restore online records of inspections and violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act after it had suddenly purged many records.

The screening is free and open to the public. and doors open at 10:00 AM. Movie begins at 10:30 AM. Snacks will be available during the film.

Dirtwoman For The Rest Of The World – Spider Mites Of Jesus DVD Release

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From the press release:

This coming Friday the 13th is a lucky one for Dirtwoman fans. The DVD and streaming versions of SPIDER MITES OF JESUS: THE DIRTWOMAN DOCUMENTARY will be available on DirtwomanDoc.com. The DVD will also be on sale in Carytown at Mongrel and Plan 9 (Richmond and Charlottesville).

Speaking of Cville, the FINAL PUBLIC SCREENING will be at Charlottesville’s Vinegar Hill Theatre
on Thursday, March 12, 7pm. Coming full circle, this is the theatre where the movie first premiered at the 2018 Virginia Film Festival.

Directory Jerry Williams will be there for Q&A and to sell early copies of the DVD

Williams also attended five additional festivals in 2019, visiting San Francisco, Palm Springs, Orlando and Atlanta. In January 2020, the film had a 4-week run at Movieland in Richmond. “I was expecting audiences who knew Dirtwoman from his notorious days, but was thrilled that younger viewers who had no idea about Dirtwoman were so enthralled by his outsize personality, plus a glimpse of Richmond’s counterculture from the 70s and 80s.”

Purchased in 2015 by Light House Studio, Vinegar Hill Theatre now screens independent and documentary films by filmmakers both local and abroad. This showing at the VHT holds a special place in Williams’ heart, “Not only did it premiere here two years ago, VHT is a special cinema for me. I went to many films there when I lived in Charlottesville in 1971, while running a record store.” Interestingly, the early film buff went on to review movies for TV, print and radio (and still is).

Read more about Donnie, watch the trailers and exit interviews at DirtwomanDoc.com.

Pixar’s Inside Out At St. Andrew’s Church Wednesday

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In addition to the RVA Environmental Film Festival this week, St. Andrew’s Church is starting its own community movie series.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, in the Chapel, 240 S. Laurel St., Richmond, VA US 23220

So much of our faith is influenced by popular culture and many films have themes and ideas that challenge how we think about God and ourselves. Join Andrew at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12, for the first session of our new Faith & Film series. We’ll watch the Pixar classic Inside Out and afterwards have a conversation about how our faith and our emotional life grow and change. Popcorn will be provided and feel free to bring snacks or your dinner to enjoy as we watch this wonderful movie together.

Miss Fisher Con Coming In July

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As Richmond’s tourism grows, more people are discovering its historic charm.

The Adventuresses’ Club of the Americas, a nonprofit social club committed to creating community around the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries TV shows, books, and upcoming movie, have scheduled a ‘con’ or conference for Richmond this coming July.

Because of the era portrayed in the series, they highlighted Oregon Hill on the con webpage.

Also, they are looking for local artists with a fondness for Miss Fisher and the Art Deco era to become vendors at their con.

Unrepresented Film Screening On Tuesday

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The political documentary film ‘Unrepresented’ will be showed on Jan 28, at 6:00 PM at the VCU Commons Theater (901 Floyd Ave).

From the event page:

The documentary Unrepresented investigates the mechanisms that give political insiders enormous, unchecked power. If you are tired of the status quo taking place in Virginia, then come to the screening of the documentary and take part in a panel discussion following the movie to see the unprecedented movements taking shape to break this cycle. Engage with panel speakers Virginia Del. Sam Rasoul; Jeff Thomas, author of The Virginia Way: Democracy and Power after 2016; Liz White, Deputy Director of OneVirginia2021; Elizabeth Melson, President of FairVote Virginia; and Nancy Morgan of the Virginia chapter of American Promise. Hear about the grassroots movements taking place here at the state level that you can join to make a difference.
Richmond is the first stop on the film’s State Capital Tour across the country. Come ensure you are Represented!

‘Dirtwoman’ Documentary ‘Spider Mites Of Jesus’ Comes To Movieland January 24

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Having premiered at some festivals, the new documentary about one of Oregon Hill’s most colorful progeny comes home- ‘Spider Mites Of Jesus’ plays at Movieland, starting January 24th.

Created by local director Jerry Williams, this film has it all- the Spring Street childhood and the over-the-top life of Donnie Corker, whose depraved antics and good-hearted gestures earned him acclaim as a beloved and outrageous Richmond icon.