Local cinephiles will be among the first audiences in the U.S. to see a new film chronicling the life and career of classic Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart.
The biopic titled simply “Jimmy” is set to make its East Coast premiere at Look Dine-In Cinemas in Reston Town Center on Oct. 10 as part of the Washington West Film Festival, which will return to Fairfax County for its 15th year next month.
Designated as the festival’s “closing night” film, “Jimmy” will screen at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The earlier showing will include a 20-minute tribute to the late Robert Duvall with his wife, Luciana Duvall, to celebrate both his professional work and his charitable contributions through the Robert Duvall Children’s Fund, which was a philanthropic partner of the festival from 2015-2018.
Starring KJ Apa, best known as Archie on The CW’s “Riverdale” TV adaptation, “Jimmy” covers a six-year period between Stewart’s Oscar win for “The Philadelphia Story” and his casting in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with a focus on his World War II military service.
Reston will be only the second location to screen the movie, following its world premiere on Oct. 8 at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. A nationwide theatrical release is scheduled for Nov. 6.
Also as part of the East Coast premiere festivities, Washington West will bestow a lifetime achievement award to Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when she was 6. Now 86, Grimes had a limited role in the movie but left a lasting impression with her delivery of its final line: “Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
“Karolyn’s line near the end of the film is truly one of the most famous movie lines in cinematic history, and we’re so honored to host her for the East Coast Premiere of Jimmy,” Washington West founder and president Brad Russell said in an announcement of the award on Sept. 10.
Started in 2011, the Washington West Film Festival doubles as a cinematic showcase and a charitable initiative, with organizers donating all box office proceeds to select nonprofit partners. This year’s recipients haven’t been announced yet.
Officially running from Oct. 8-12, the festival will be preceded, like in the past, by a free outdoor screening at Reston Town Center’s pavilion. This year, the Reston Town Center Association will present Disney’s animated “Beauty and the Beast” on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
The festival will then kick off on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. with the opening night film, “Stronger Than You Think,” a documentary following swimmer Ali Truwit’s journey to the 2024 Paralympics after she survived a shark attack.
The lineup also features several Sundance Film Festival selections, including “Union County” and “Jane Elliott Against the World”; short films; showcases of work by George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University students; and both feature fiction and documentary films on a variety of subjects, from a man trapped in a time loop (“Yesterday Island”) to immigrants learning to speak English (“ESL: More Than a Language”).
While most screenings are at Look Cinemas at Reston Town Center (11940 Market Street), Washington West will conclude on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. with the documentary “Holding Liat” at Reston Community Center’s Leila Gordon Theatre (2310 Colts Neck Road). Director Brandon Kramer is scheduled to appear after the screening for a discussion, per the festival’s website.
Tickets for all films are now on sale, with prices varying depending on the movie.
