The Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) is kicking off its 8th season with the opening of badge sales on Monday, July 10th. The annual festival will be held over five days, November 8-12, 2023, and will be jam packed with screenings, panels, parties, special engagements, and the premiere gala event, the Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala, which will be held this year at Loews Coronado Bay Resort.
The all-inclusive Emerald Badge is the best way to experience all that the festival has to offer – early reservations for films, events, parties, priority entry line, the Kick-off BASH (Taste of the Festival), Opening Night Film + After Party, Jury Awards, compelling panels, Culinary Cinema Series, MasterLab Workshops, and hosted weekend happy hours.
An Industry Badge, open to professionals in the entertainment and media industry, will also be available. This will include the same features and perks as the Emerald Badge at a discounted rate. To qualify, please visit the website and submit the credential form. Once verified, the discount code will be confirmed.
CIFF is aligned with the tagline “Frames of Mind,” a double entendre that reflects not only how a film is physically created through the framing of each shot through the camera and the vision of the director but it also touches upon the transcendent magic of watching a film, and the mood and space we enter into when the lights in the theater go down. The power of cinema forces us to view stories from a different perspective, reframing what we think we know or enforces what we believe in.
The festival continues to be one of the best networking opportunities for working professionals in the entertainment industry, whether it be guests who work in front of the camera or behind the scenes. Festival attendees have the opportunity to mingle with a variety of industry leaders including festival Host and Honorary Jury President, Film Critic, and Historian, Leonard Maltin, whose Industry Tribute Awards Gala has become the festival signature event honoring emerging talent, composers, cultural icons, humanitarians and legendary actors whose contributions have greatly impacted the film industry. This year’s honorary Gala Chair is Carolynn Berardi Towbin, longtime CIFF Benefactor and CEO and Dealer/Principle of Towbin Motorcars.
Last year, CIFF presented Geena Davis with the Legacy Award, with other honorees including Jaqueline Bisset, Elegance Bratton, and Ron Shelton. Previous honorees included Nancy Utley in recognition of her 21 year legacy and stewardship of Searchlight Pictures resulting in many of Searchlight’s most successful films to date with a total of 122 Golden Globe and 165 Oscar nominations including Best Picture Winners for “Nomadland,” “The Shape of Water,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Birdman,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” In 2020, the Leonard Maltin Award went to Director Chloé Zhao, who went on to win the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Film, becoming the first woman of color, first Asian, and the second woman to receive this honor. Other honorees include Cloris Leachman with the Legacy Award, Oscar-winning Composers, Alexandre(add accent) Desplat, and Kris Bowers, Oscar-winning actor and civics activist, Richard Dreyfuss, Oscar-nominated music legend, Diane Warren, and icons Michelle Philips and Stephen Bishop, actors Andy Garcia, Jacob Trembly and legacy actress Ann Blyth, among others.
Continuing this year with strong submissions, CIFF will showcase another solid lineup of films stemming across all genres. Over the years, red carpet films went on to win Academy Awards®, including “Women Talking,” “King Richard,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “The Favourite,” “Marriage Story,” “Darkest Hour,” “Green Book,” and “Roma.” Other notable films include “The Finest Hours,” “Pig,” “Widows,” and “7 Days,” among others.
“It is hard to believe CIFF is celebrating its 8th year! 2023 is going to be a phenomenal year for cinematic stories, independent film, industry guests, networking and our incredible attendees all coming together to create an unforgettable festival experience!,” states CEO & Artistic Director, Merridee Book.
The Emerald Badge is recommended, but individual tickets will be sold online or at the festival box office closer to the festival date, and will be based on availability. Separate tickets to the coveted Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Gala will also be sold separately. For festival information, or to purchase tickets and memberships visit coronadofilm.com.
