Events Start Tonight: Washington West Film Festival 2014 Reston Town Center

The fourth annual Washington West Film Festival is coming to Reston Town Center Oct. 22-26.

Tickets are on sale for the festival’s opening night film, ‘Alive Inside,’ winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for U.S. Documentary.

Here’s a look at the schedule:

Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.: Concert at The Hamilton in DC, featuring Sara Niemietz and W.G. Snuffy Walden, with Robbie Schaefer. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$20.

Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.: Opening night film, “Alive Inside,” will be shown at Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston. The 2014 Sundance Audience Award Winner (U.S. Documentary) is about a social worker who fights to increase the use of music therapy in elderly patients suffering from memory loss; he discovers the profound way it touches the souls of humans both old and young alike. There will be a reception after the film. Tickets are $20-$25.

Friday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.: Shorts Program One: Times Are A-Changin’ at Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston. The characters in these six short films all have to deal with major changes — whether it’s a wounded veteran coping with his loss of the ability to conceive, or an animated deer that suddenly finds himself in the third dimension — but what defines these characters is how they learn to adapt to the change. Tickets are $10-$12. The shorts program will also be showing Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

The six shorts are:

• As It Used to Be
• The Brunchers
• Martha and Karl
• Waking Marshall Walker
• Rabbit and Deer
• The Next Part

The film festival continues through the weekend, culminating in a closing night film, awards and party. See the full schedule and more details on the Washington West Film Festival Web site.

Taking the Silver Line to the Silver Screen? SmarTrip holders enjoy 10 percent off opening night tickets by entering the code SMARTRIP10 at this Web site: http://ow.ly/BVOkt

PHOTO of film festival program courtesy of Washington West Film Festival via Facebook