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Northern Virginia District

The Northern Virginia District is the newest region of the state to hold official district designation, however it's quickly become a strong outpost for VPA members. 

Northern Virginia is often considered to be part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, but it has a long and rich history in the production of film, television, news, cable series, and educational videos in its own right. Anyone filming in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) will find that Northern Virginia is well-supplied with crew, production companies, studios, equipment suppliers, and talent and casting companies.

The proximity of Discovery Communications (The Discovery and Learning Channels), PBS and the National Geographic Television has helped to elevate the local production industry.

Located in Fairfax, George Mason University is home to an exceptional film & video studies program with many filmmakers and production professionals that contribute to the region’s creative community.

Upcoming events

  • Virginia Production Alliance Presents: How We Shot It

    • 29 Sep 2026
    • 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Visual Arts Center - 1812 W Main Street Richmond, VA
    Register

    VIRGINIA PRODUCTION ALLIANCE PRESENTS:

    HOW WE SHOT IT

    Visual Arts Center
    1812 W. Main St., Richmond, VA

    September 29, 2026
     6–8 PM

    Free to Attend - Registration Required
    Refreshments Provided!

    SIX EPISODES. 30 DAYS. MICRO-BUDGET.

    How do you take a script and turn it into an award-winning television series—without a Hollywood budget?

    Join the team behind Sundays After Church for a candid behind-the-scenes conversation about how we actually made it happen.

    We’ll break down the process from writing and fundraising to directing, cinematography, sound, production, post-production and distribution.

    MEET THE TEAM

     Eric “Cinnamon” Brown — Writer / Executive Producer
    Creator and founder of Cinnamon Brown Entertainment. Brown wrote Sundays After Church and led the project from concept and financing through production and distribution.

     Ethan X. Evans — Director
    Richmond filmmaker, director, writer and actor who brought the script to life while navigating the creative and logistical challenges of an aggressive independent production schedule.

     Will Roye — Director of Photography
    Richmond-based visual storyteller responsible for helping create the cinematic look and visual language of Sundays After Church—on a micro-budget.

    ️ Jonathan Jamarr — Associate Producer / Assistant Director
    Filmmaker and production professional who helped keep the production moving, coordinating the many pieces required to shoot an entire season on a compressed schedule.

     Miles Hopkins — Sound Supervisor
    Richmond media professional and co-founder of Three TV who oversaw sound for the series and helped ensure the story came through loud and clear.

    Come hear what worked, what didn’t—and what we’d do differently.


    Come with questions. Leave with the blueprint.

    #HowWeShotIt #SundaysAfterChurch #VirginiaProductionAlliance #IndependentFilm #RichmondVA #Filmmaking #IndieFilm #VirginiaFilm #FilmProduction

    Show details


DISTRICT CHAIR

LARS SANDVIK

Lars is President and co-owner of ThunderShot Studios. Starting out in the industry on national automotive advertising projects, Lars learned the value of working for different types of directors and experimented with a broad range of visual techniques. He is now a multiple Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and his expertise as a director of photography, lighting designer and jib operator keep him in demand with producers from HBO, Discovery Communications, Bravo, PBS, and the History Channel. Lars is a founding member of the Northern Virginia District where he serves as Chair and has served on the VPA's Executive Board of Trustees since 2017.

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