Middleburg Film Festival Sets 'Being Heumann' as Closing Night Film

The Middleburg Film Festival has set Being Heumann as its closing night film for the 14th edition, which runs from October 15 to 18. The festival will open with The Debut, with La Bola Negra as the Friday Spotlight and Behemoth! as the Sunday Spotlight.

Among the honorees are Martin McDonagh, who will receive the Director Spotlight Award for Wild Horse Nine; Brad Bird, who will receive the Spotlight Animation Award for Ray Gunn; and Seth Rogen, who will receive the MFF Artistic Achievement Award at an 'In Conversation with Seth Rogen' event. Rosalind Eleazar will receive the Breakthrough Actor Award for Misty Green.

Adam Caldwell and Bernard Telsey will receive the Special Achievement in Casting Award and join a post-screening Q&A. Guitarricadelafuente will receive the International Spotlight Award and participate in a post-screening discussion and the Songwriters and Composers Panel. Gilroy will take part in a post-screening conversation for Behemoth!, as reported by Variety.

Special guests include Billie Jean King, who will attend with the documentary Give Me the Ball! and participate in a post-screening conversation on Sunday, October 18, and Bill Pullman, who will attend with Everybody Digs Bill Evans.

The annual Songwriters and Composers Panel will feature Ari Balouzian, Lesley Barber, Jesse Eisenberg, Lukas Frank, Guitarricadelafuente, Daniel Pemberton, Christopher Spelman and Diane Warren. Bob Pauley will lead a masterclass and a drawing demonstration focused on new characters from Toy Story 5.

An Awards-Season Staple

Over the past decade, Middleburg has become a reliable fall stop for awards hopefuls. The Academy's achievement in casting category enters its second year. Ray Gunn is a passion project more than 30 years in the making, and Bob Pauley was part of the original Toy Story creative team and designed Buzz Lightyear for the 1995 film.