Alexandria — A standing room only crowd packed the Old Town Theatre May 19 for the GI Film Festival’s world premiere of “Field of Lost Shoes,” the story of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute and their role in the Battle of New Market during the Civil War.

The film was co-written by former University of Virginia classmates David Kennedy and Tom Farrell, who is now president and CEO of Dominion Resources.

“My family has a long history of military service and this is a story that I grew up with,” said Farrell at the opening night reception for the GI Film Festival. “I have wanted to write it for 25 years but it wasn’t until four years ago that I finally convinced David that this story needed to be told.”

Also in attendance at the film’s screening was Virginia-born actor David Arquette, who plays Union Capt. Henry A. DuPont.

“My grandfather had a Civil War artifacts business in Gettysburg, so I was raised with a deep appreciation of that time in our nation’s history,” Arquette told the audience following the film. “It is a real honor to be a part of this film and to tell the story of these amazing young men.”

Known as Sundance for the Troops, the GI Film Festival runs through May 25 and features 56 film screenings. Visit www.gifilmfestival.com for more.