‘La La Land’ to centerpiece Middleburg Film Festival

The highly anticipated film “La La Land,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, will serve as the centerpiece selection of the three-day Middleburg Film Festival.

“La La Land” director Damien Chazelle will attend the Oct. 22 screening of the musical romance film, which is expected to arrive in theaters nationwide Dec. 2.

The Middleburg Film Festival, which runs Oct. 20-23, features screenings at Salamander Resort & Spa and other locations throughout town. The festival, founded by Salamander Hotels & Resorts CEO Sheila Johnson, is now in its fourth year.

“Filmgoers are in for a very special treat,” Susan Koch, the festival’s executive director, said in a statement. “Damien Chazelle’s ‘La La Land’ is a charming, original and innovative take on the golden age of Hollywood musicals, filled with memorable song and dance — and featuring the talented and perfectly paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.”

The festival will also feature a keynote conversation with Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, that will discuss the academy’s initiatives, including the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, now under construction in Los Angeles.

“We are inspired by Cheryl’s work and applaud her commitment to changing the numbers for women and people of color working in the film industry both in front of and behind the camera,” Johnson said in a statement.

To purchase tickets for the festival or learn more about the event, please visit middleburgfilm.org.