The Coronado Island Film Festival opened with Sam Mendes's Empire of Light is a deeply personal drama starring Academy Award®-winner Olivia Colman, followed with a Centerpiece screening of Elegance Bratton's The Inspection, and finished it's impressive group of Gala selections with a Closing Night presentation of Maria Schrader's She Said starring two-time Academy Award® nominee Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, along with the film festival's traditional screening of Billy Wilder's classic Some Like it Hot (1959) , which of course shot some of its most memorable scenes at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado.
Over the course of the film festival's four days, CIFF balanced the film lineup with presentations featuring several star-studded honorees and special guests. Those special events included a Master Lab appearance by legendary director Joe Dante, a book signing by two-time Academy Award® winner and screen icon Geena Davis, a conversation on film between Academy Award® nominated and Golden Globe Award® winner, Jacqueline Bisset with Leonard Maltin, a special screening of Bull Durham followed by a Q&A with writer/director Ron Shelton, and a special presentation of Killing Me Softly with His Songs, Danny Gold's documentary of music and composing legend Charles Fox's life, followed by a Q&A with Fox and Gold. Additional special events included the "Babe and Lloyd Return to Coronado" panel featuring Babe Ruth's grandson and Babe Ruth historian, Tom Stevens, Suzanne Lloyd, Harold Lloyd's granddaughter and President of Harold Lloyd Entertainment, TV Celebrity and former announcer for the San Diego Padres, John Weisbarth, and Film historian, Tim Reid, as well as PARALLEL WORLDS: ART IN FILM SERIES featured Danish Director Andreas Koefoed, who screened his acclaimed feature documentary, The Last Leonardo. Famed Australian Digital Artist and Animator, Kathy Smith also presided over a unique presentation and exploration using 2D and 3D animation as an art form of expression with themes covering consciousness.
BEST NARRATIVE
Dealing with Dad
Director: Tom Huang
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Song For Hope - The Ryan Anthony Story
Director: Chris Haigh
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM
Bus Girl
Director: Jessica Henwick
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Nice To Meet You All
Director: Guen Murroni
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
When I Get Grown-Reflections of a Freedom Rider
Director: Chris Preitauer
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
Into Dust
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
Sandstorm (Mulaqat)
Director: Seemab Gul
BEST ANIMATION SHORT
Louis I. King of the Sheep (Louis 1er Roi des Moutons)
Director: Markus Wulf
The Night of the Living Dread
Director: Ida Melum
STUDENT GRAND PRIZE AWARD
El Carrito
Director: Zahida Pirani
BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Pete the Pond
Director: Will Clothier
BEST ANIMATED STUDENT SHORT FILM
The Most Boring Granny in the World
Director: Damaris Zielke
BEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM
The Oubliette
Director: Max Hendrickson
HIGH SCHOOL AWARD
Miyeok-Guk
Directors: Yezy Suh, Meia Voss, Alexis Applebaum, Michael Gutierrez
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min
FEARLESS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARD
Anxious Nation
Directors: Vanessa Roth, Laura Morton
MARY PICKFORD AWARD
Bus Girl
Director: Jessica Henwick
FRANCIS MARION AWARD
Sandstorm (Mulaqat)
Director: Seemab Gul
Song For Hope - The Ryan Anthony Story
Director: Chris Haigh
HONORABLE MENTION
Flying Fur
Directors: Alicia Wszelaki, Matthew Nothelfer
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
She Said
Director: Maria Schrader
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Immediate Family
Director: Denny Tedesco
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Yellow Wallpaper
Director: Ricky Rhodes
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
When I Get Grown-Reflections of a Freedom Rider
Director: Chris Preitauer
BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT
Table for 3 (Mesa para 3)
Directors: Ålvaro G. Company, Meka Ribera
BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Freedom Swimmer
Director: Olivia Martin-McGuire
BEST LOCAL FILM
Sole Trail
Directors: Daniel M. Dyer, Petey Dyer
BEST ANIMATION
A Cartoon of a Cat Sleeping
Director: Randall Christopher
BEST EMERGING FILMMAKER - TIE
Little White Shadows
Director: Ayannah Love
The Pomegranate Tree
Director: Kanika Vora
