THE IMITATION GAME, DIOR AND I, RED ARMY TAKE TOP PRIZES AT

MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL

Audiences select their favorites among a slate of the upcoming season’s most anticipated titles

 The Middleburg Film Festival named THE IMITATION GAME winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative. DIOR AND I and RED ARMY tied for the Audience Award for Best Documentary.  More than 3000 film enthusiasts converged on the Virginia countryside this weekend to screen a curated slate of exceptional films that both entertained and engaged audiences. 

“All the incredible films in our slate deserve notice,” said MFF founder Sheila C. Johnson.  “The audiences adored DIOR AND I and RED ARMY so much, they chose both for Best Documentary Award in a tie. Likewise THE IMITATION GAME won over festival-goers who named it Best Narrative.

“We could not be more pleased with the success of this year’s festival. Our audience grew significantly in our second year, thanks in large part to the distributors, filmmakers and the support of the local community.”

"To be able to welcome Director Morten Tyldum, Screenwriter Graham Moore, and Actor Allen Leech made the screening of THE IMITATION GAME so personal and special.  The audience not only saw a fantastic film, but were treated to fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.”

An intense and haunting portrayal of a brilliant, complicated man, THE IMITATION GAME follows a genius who under nail-biting pressure helped to shorten World War II and, in turn, save thousands of lives.  British mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a pioneer in modern day computing, leads a motley group of scholars, linguists, chess champions and intelligence officers in a race to crack the so-called unbreakable codes of Germany's Enigma machine.

DIOR AND I brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director. The film is a colorful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision.

RED ARMY is about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Filmmaker Gabe Polsky tells an extraordinary human story from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the friendships, the betrayals, and the personal dramas, which led to his transformation from national hero to political enemy.

Winners were chosen by audience ballot. 

About Middleburg Film Festival

The Middleburg Film Festival offers four days of films in a spectacular setting.  A carefully curated selection of narrative and documentary films will screen in an intimate theatre environment, followed by Q and A’s with filmmakers and actors. The films include festival favorites, premieres, and Academy Award contenders.

Venues throughout Middleburg include the National Sporting Library, The Hill School, Buchannan Hall, the newly opened Salamander Resort & Spa (the official filmmaker venue) and Boxwood Winery.

Festival attendees experience the natural beauty, local food and wine and warm hospitality of historic Middleburg and the Piedmont countryside at the height of fall foliage.   The intimate and relaxed settings provide the ideal backdrop for bringing together filmmakers, actors, opinion leaders, journalists, and filmgoers to engage in conversation and celebrate the best in film.