Coronado Times

Animation Celebration: Short Film Festival
2024-07-17 18:00, 2024-07-20 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Coronado Library Winn Room, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library’s First Annual ANIMATION CELEBRATION, dedicated to showcasing an eclectic spectrum of styles and techniques in this vibrant and imaginative art form. This celebration will take place in two parts. The first will take place Wednesday, July 17 at 6 p.m. The second, all-ages focused celebration will take place on Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m. and feature shorts to entertain the young and old.
Highlights of the festival include:

Closed Mondays (1974), Will Vinton’s groundbreaking, Oscar-winning claymation;
Paradise (Paradis) (1984), a surreal fable utilizing multiple exposures, cell animation and pinholes;
Quasi at the Quackadero (1975), a psychedelic trip to an amusement park traversing time, dreams and memories; and
Betty Boop in Snow White (1933), the Boop-oop-adoop girl stars in this wacky take featuring the rotoscoping of Cab Calloway.

Other titles include: Hunger (1974); The Wizard of Speed and Time (1979); Is it Always Right to be Right (1970); Logorama (2016); Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase (1992).
This event will supersede Film Forum for this week only.

AI International Film Festival Shorts - "AI in Films - What Next"
2024-07-18 18:30 - 21:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
On Thursday, July 18, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Coronado’s Village Theatre, film enthusiasts will gather to honor independent short films in “AI in Films – What Next,” an AI International Film Festival Shorts event.
With judges from around the globe, the AI International Film Festival showcases international independent films, bringing creative filmmakers together to share their visions and skills about how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping our lives and reshaping cinema.
Tickets for the AI International Film Festival Shorts are now available at tickettailor.com and aifilmfest.org. Students 17 and older, as well as faculty, AI and film professionals can order tickets free of charge.
“14 great films have been selected to be screened out of the 73 films from 24 countries which were submitted for the month ending June 2024. Film crews will discuss their films and the future of AI in filmmaking with the audience, followed by an Awards Show,” says Bert Holland, AI International Film Festival Executive Director.
“The AI International Film Festival Shorts offers a diverse selection of international independent films that focus on the societal effects of Artificial Intelligence, as well as those produced using AI tools. Highlights include a plot-twisting experimental film from Iran, a poetic art film from China, a robotic LGBT film from USA, a captivating music video from an Azerbaijani filmmaker, and a prescient flick about mind-bending AI from Argentina,” says Holland.

The AI International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports creative independent and student filmmakers whose work educates the public and students about the potential effects of Artificial Intelligence on Society and Filmmaking. The festival strongly supports the rights and fair treatment of content creators and talent regarding compensation and intellectual property everywhere in acting, screenwriting, animation, directing, production, and all other filmmaking-related activities.
The AI International Film Festival encourages open discussion regarding the use of AI tools and how they affect people in the industry. The festival is committed to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for independent and student filmmakers from diverse communities worldwide.

Free Screening of "Jesus Revolution"
2024-07-19 18:30 | First Baptist Church Coronado, 445 C Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
First Baptist Church of Coronado is honored to hold a free screening of “Jesus Revolution” on Friday, July 19 at 6:30 pm at 445 C Avenue in Coronado.
Set in the 1970s, the film tells the true story of a young Greg Laurie searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher. Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what Time Magazine dubbed a Jesus Revolution.
Rated PG-13 for “strong drug content.” No childcare provided.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" Still Sizzles After All These Years
2024-07-31 17:00 - 19:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Every month, Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) treats the town to a classic movie at the gloriously restored 1947 Village Theatre at 820 Orange Avenue. You may have seen these films a zillion times on TV, but to see them the way they were meant to be seen – larger than life on the big screen – is a whole new experience!
Join CIFF on Wednesday, July 31, for the 1958 film adaption of the Tennessee Williams 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Feast your eyes on two of the most gorgeous icons in cinematic history, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, who star as Maggie the Cat and her alcoholic husband Brick Pollitt. Burl Ives, reprising his role from the play, also shines as the bombastic family patriarch, Big Daddy Pollitt. Doors open at 5 p.m. for complimentary adult beverages, followed at 5:30 by a vintage cartoon and the feature presentation. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now at coronadofilmfest.com.
Creating a sense of claustrophobia and tension, while adding to the film’s Southern personality, the story is set in the confines of the family mansion and takes place over the course of one day in the life of the wealthy southern Pollitt family. The family, in all its glorious dysfunction, is gathered under one roof to celebrate Big Daddy’s 65th birthday. The film also stars Jack Carson and Judith Anderson, along with an impressive supporting cast. This movie is a Master Class in ensemble acting, worth watching closely for that reason alone.
Although Tennessee Williams was disappointed in the changes to his original play, necessary due the the censorship of the time, the film nonetheless holds up brilliantly as a thought-provoking study of the complexities of the human relationship. It was well-received critically and at the box office, and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Newman), Best Actress (Elizabeth Taylor), Best Director (Richard Brooks), Best Writing (Richard Brooks and James Poe), and Best Cinematography (William Daniels). It was MGM’s most successful release of 1958, but “Gigi” swept the 1959 Oscars with a record-breaking nine wins!
Next month, celebrate America’s love of baseball with the 1984 heartwarmer, “The Natural,” starring Robert Redford, on Aug. 28. Tickets are available now. And – YES! – now is the time to get your badges for CIFF 2024, Wed. Nov. 6 – Sun. Nov. 10.

Screening of "Límite"
2024-08-08 18:00 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) and Planet 9 Films on August 8 will present a screening of Límite, a George Nicholas short film, at the Village Theatre.

Límite is a 40 minute film that follows Manuel, a 16-year-old living in Tijuana, Mexico with his grandfather while his mom works in the United States. When he meets a girl, he sees an opportunity to assert his independence, but what he doesn’t know about her will push him to the limit.
“This powerful film sparks tough conversations, calling for humanity and compassion. It reveals the complexities of drug-related issues and youth involvement in cartels, urging against blanket judgment for real change, or at the very least awareness to ignite change,” says Merridee Book, CIFF CEO & Artistic Director.
A Q&A will follow the screening with cast members Jorge Domínguez Cerdá (Manuel Sr.) and Carla Culebro (Maria), Director George Nicholas, Executive Producer John Cappetta, Producer Eliza Bonev, Associate Producer Carlos Carrillo, and Casting Director Isaac Brown.
VIP tickets are available and include a post-screening reception with the cast and crew at the Brigantine in Coronado (1333 Orange Ave.). The reception includes a curated Mexican-inspired menu and a no-host bar.
The screening is part of the collective series of events hosted throughout the year, on both sides of the border, celebrating and highlighting the distinguished World Design Capital designation awarded to San Diego and Tijuana. This is the first time two cities have been awarded this prestigious recognition and the first time there has been a cross-border collaboration. By showcasing our region as a global hub for design, innovation, arts, and culture, WDC 2024 will foster lasting economic, social, cultural, civic, and environmental impact.
Tickets can be purchased at the CIFF website.

"My Penguin Friend" Free Film Screening
2024-08-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
A sweeping family adventure, My Penguin Friend is a triumphant tale of friendship between a lonely father and a little lost penguin who recharges his spirit and heals his family with an unshakable, ocean-crossing loyalty. Humble fisherman João (International star Jean Reno) has turned away from the world in the wake of tragedy. But when he discovers a penguin drifting alone in the ocean, drenched in oil from a spill, his first instinct is to help. To his wife’s (Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza) dismay, he not only rescues the sea creature, but takes the flightless bird under his wing. For the first time in years João starts to feel joy, even if he cannot fathom just how unbreakable a bond is being formed. When the penguin suddenly disappears back into the immense wilds of the ocean, João believes it is impossible that he will ever see his friend again. But thousands of miles away, the penguin is caught in misadventures of his own, determined to use his unique GPS-like powers to find his way back to the place he now considers home. Based on an emotional true story that riveted the world and filmed on the spectacular coasts of Brazil and Argentina, My Penguin Friend is a tale that traverses the magic of the ocean, the beauty of nature, and the transformative power of love.
Seating is not guaranteed, so arrive early to secure your spot in line!
5:00pm Line opens
5:30pm Theater doors open
6:00pm Film presentation begins
PLEASE READ

General Public Seating is open on a first come basis. Although there are plenty of seats in the Village main theater we recommend arriving early.
Saving seats will not be allowed so please make sure your whole party enters the theater at the same time.

AI International Film Festival, Final 11 Screening
2024-08-15 18:30 - 21:00 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Out of 91 submissions from 25 countries, the final 11 winning selections of the AI International Film Festival will be screened on Aug. 15. The festival includes four World Premieres, numerous US and Festival Premieres, Audience Choice, and Awards Show.
Mark your schedules and get your tickets at bit.ly/aifilmfestshorts (before they sell out). The festival will take place on Thursday, August 15, 6:30-9 pm at the Coronado Village Theatre.
At the festival, cutting-edge international and domestic filmmakers will engage in discussions and Q&A sessions, both in person and via Zoom, making this a truly interactive event.
Click the links to check out this month’s selection of outstanding short films including:

ADAM – Yaniv Bloch – Israel – Animated Humous Short about our Future with AI
Ocular Whispers – David André, Bruno Pereira – Portugal – Animated Short in Comic Style about our Future with AI
Mother – Meta Puppet – USA – Classic Horror / Thriller using AI
Postcards – Directed by Kenneth Russo – Spain – AI Animated Photography brings postcards to life
Gone Producer – Directed by M-phago (AI machine) – Korea – Experimental Documentary Web Series Pilot directed by AI
Evolution Goes Wrong – Reza Delevar – Iran – AI Animation
Broccoligeddon – Rosa Lykiardopoulos – UK – AI Children’s Thriller
Modello Linguistico Divino – Arthur Machado – New Zealand (in Italian language) – Experimental AI Art Music Video
Blackbird – Michael Cole – USA – AI Fan Music Video
Solidify Me – Wang Yue – China – Brilliant AI Treatise on Aging and Depression
Chocolate Gate – Zoé Mahfouz – France – AI short on Cyber-bullying and Chocolate

An enthusiastic full house for the previous sold-out program in July enjoyed 14 boundary-busting short films from around the world, and enlightening audience/filmmaker discussions centering on the future of AI followed each short.
“Now that AI tools have democratized creativity, curation is more important than ever. During the festival, I was amazed at the quality of the selected films, and excited to interact with such talented creators via zoom,” said winning Argentinian filmmaker Andres Aloi (The Abyss), “As such, taking home two major awards was certainly an honor.”
“As a film professional, I drove 75 miles to see this festival, and it was worth it” says attendee Mila Albertson. “Fantastic films all of them, and it was fascinating to discuss each film interactively together with a panel of such wonderful international filmmakers and an engaged audience.”
Reserve your tickets at bit.ly/aifilmfestshorts.

CIFF Classic Film "The Natural"
2024-08-28 17:00 - 19:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
If you’re following the smokin’ hot San Diego Padres these days, then you understand why Coronado Island Film Festival couldn’t resist bringing you the beloved 1983 baseball classic, “The Natural,” as its monthly Classic Movie selection for August.
See this inspiring film as it was meant to be seen: on the big screen at Coronado’s Village Theatre. Doors open at 5 p.m. for complimentary adult beverages, followed at 5:30 by a vintage cartoon and the feature presentation. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now at coronadofilmfest.com.
The stellar cast includes Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Robert Prosky, and Richard Farnsworth. The film is based on Bernard Malamud’s 1952 novel and was directed by Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson (“Rain Man,” 1988).
It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Glenn Close.
Film critics have noted that, unlike most Hollywood actors who have starred as baseball players down through the years, Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs in the 1983 classic “The Natural,” actually looks the part!
Redford, who celebrated his 88th birthday on August 18, was 47 when he filmed “The Natural,” portraying Hobbs at ages 19 and 35. Too old for the part, yes, but his boyish good looks and genuine athletic ability make it all work.

Film Forum Coronado: "Woman on the Run"
2024-09-04 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
September 4: Woman on the Run (1950, PG-13, 80 min)
A lost gem rediscovered! Orson Welles protege Norman Foster directed this witty, wise-cracking take on the travails of romance and marriage. Join the wild chase around San Francisco as the sole witness to a gangland slaying goes into hiding, trailed by a police bird dog, a roguish newspaper man (Dennis O’ Keefe) and the witness’s wife (Ann Sheridan).

Film Forum Coronado: "The Intruder"
2024-09-18 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
September 18: The Intruder (1962, PG-13, 84 min)
Roger Corman’s searing and incendiary effort to dissect the massive resistance of organized racists to school integration. William Shatner stars as a charismatic white supremacist sent to rouse the smoldering white citizens of a small southern town.

Spoilers Book Club: "Postcards From The Edge" by Carrie Fisher
2024-09-21 14:00 - 17:30 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Spoilers Book Club reads books that have been turned into movies. We read the book and get together to watch the film. We compare the two and discuss what we did and didn’t like.

“Postcards From The Edge” by Carrie Fisher

When we first meet the extraordinary young actress Suzanne Vale, she’s feeling like “something on the bottom of someone’s shoe, and not even someone interesting.” Suzanne is in the harrowing and hilarious throes of drug rehabilitation, trying to understand what happened to her life and how she managed to land in a “drug hospital.”
Just as Fisher’s first film role—the precocious teenager in Shampoo—echoed her own Beverly Hills upbringing, her first book is set within the world she knows better than anyone else: Hollywood. This stunning literary debut chronicles Suzanne’s vivid, excruciatingly funny experiences inside the clinic and as she comes to terms with life in the outside world. “Postcards from the Edge” is more than a book about stardom and drugs. It is a revealing look at the dangers—and delights—of all our addictions, from money and success to sex and insecurity.
Film
“Postcards from the Edge” (1990)
Rated R
Runtime: 1h 41m

Spielberg’s 1998 Masterpiece, "Saving Private Ryan"
2024-09-25 17:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Nominated for eleven, and winner of five, Academy Awards, “Saving Private Ryan” is considered by many to be the greatest war movie ever made. Presented by Coronado Island Film Festival as part of the popular monthly Classic Film Series, it will screen at Coronado’s Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave., on Wednesday, September 25.
Doors will open at 5 pm for a Meet and Greet with complimentary wine, followed by the feature presentation at 5:30. Tickets are $15 and are available at coronadofilmfest.com.
Director Steven Spielberg won the Oscar for his work, as did cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. The opening 24-minute battle scene on Omaha Beach cost $12 million to film over a four-week period, using 1500 background actors, and is thought to be one of the greatest pieces of combat cinema ever made.
The film is set in Normandy, France, and stars Tom Hanks as Capt. John Miller, who has been ordered to locate a young private from Iowa named James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) behind enemy lines, to send him safely home to his grieving mother after his three brothers have all been killed in action.
The cast includes Edward Burns as rebellious soldier Richard Reiben, Tom Sizemore as Mike Horvath, Miller’s great friend and second-in-command, and Jeremy Davies as Timothy Upham, the French and German interpreter.
Also watch for the familiar faces of Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, and Bryan Cranston. The music by John Williams is just perfect.
As one reviewer put it in 1998, “It gives us a million reasons why no one should go to war and one very powerful reason to go to war. It’s a soul-numbing, realistic depiction of what our grandfathers, fathers, uncles, brothers and sons have faced in humanity’s darkest moments. Not just in WWII, but in any war. No one can see this movie without being altered in some way.”
Tickets are available at coronadofilmfest.com. And – while you’re at it – now is the time to get your badges for CIFF 2024, Wed. Nov. 6 – Sun. Nov. 10.
On October 30, be sure to join us at our next classic film offering for another of Mel Brooks’ adventures into pure wackiness, “Bride of Frankenstein,” as we celebrate Halloween together.

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "The Spiritualist"
2024-10-02 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.

October 2: The Spiritualist (1948, Approved, 80 min)
From out of the surf it came… a familiar voice… a voice that belonged to the afterlife. John Alton’s stunning cinematography elevates this supernaturally-tinged, moody masterwork. A psychic (Turhan Bey) insinuates himself into the cliffside mansion of a wealthy widow by convincing her he can communicate with spirits. With Cathy O’Donnell and Lynn Bari.

Movie in the Park: "Wreck-It Ralph"
2024-10-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Spreckels Park, 601 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Free Movie Night at Spreckels Park!
Gather your family and friends for a delightful evening of cinematic fun at our second annual “Movies in the Park” event! On October 12, we invite you to enjoy a family-friendly film in the iconic Spreckels Park, starting at 7 p.m.

This year’s movie night features the heartwarming and adventurous film “Wreck-It Ralph” (PG), the perfect film for all ages! Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and popcorn to create the ultimate movie-watching experience.
Important Reminders:

Bring Your Own Seating: Feel free to bring blankets or lawn chairs for comfortable seating.
Pets: Spreckels Park does not allow pets leashed or unleashed.

This community event is made possible by the City of Coronado’s Recreation & Golf Services. For more information about the event, please contact Coronado Parks and Beaches at 619-964-6646 or email pbc@coronado.ca.us.
Come make memories with your loved ones under the stars and enjoy a night of movie magic in the great outdoors. We can’t wait to see you there!

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "In the Palm of Your Hand"
2024-10-16 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.

October 16: In the Palm of Your Hand (1951, Not Rated, 112 min, Spanish with English subtitles)
Roberto Galvadon directed this entrancingly sensuous drama of deception, seduction and murder. A fraudulent clairvoyant (Arturo de Córdova) uses the secrets of his female clients to blackmail them, while being a pawn in the higher game played by a treacherous widow (Leticia Palma).

Spoilers Book Club: The Mist by Stephen King
2024-10-19 14:00 - 17:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Spoilers Book Club
The Spoilers Book Club reads books that are turned into movies. We read the book and get together to watch the film. We compare the two and discuss what we did and didn’t like.
Event Details

In the wake of a summer storm, terror descends…David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton join dozens of others and head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies following a freak storm. Once there, they become trapped by a strange mist that has enveloped the town. As the confinement takes its toll on their nerves, a religious zealot, Mrs. Carmody, begins to play on their fears to convince them that this is God’s vengeance for their sins. She insists a sacrifice must be made and two groups—those for and those against—are aligned. Clearly, staying in the store may prove fatal, and the Draytons, along with store employee Ollie Weeks, Amanda Dumfries, Irene Reppler, and Dan Miller, attempt to make their escape. But what’s out there may be worse than what they left behind.
This exhilarating novella explores the horror in both the enemy you know—and the one you can only imagine.
The Mist (Rated R)
2007
2h 6m

CIFF Celebrates Halloween with "Young Frankenstein"
2024-10-30 17:00 - 19:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Ready for a break from the ever-constant and, oh so brutal election-year vitriol? Well, CIFF has a welcome treat for us all with a screening of the 1974 comedy horror spoof, Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” on Wed., October 30, at Coronado’s Village Theatre, 820 Orange Avenue.
Presented by Coronado Island Film Festival as part of the popular monthly Classic Film Series, doors open at 5 pm for a Meet and Greet with complimentary libations, followed by a vintage cartoon and the feature presentation at 5:30. Tickets are $15 and are available at coronadofilmfest.com.
Halloween costumes are encouraged.

The film, a parody of the classic horror films of the 1930s and ’40s, is directed by Brooks and written by Brooks and his friend and frequent collaborator, Gene Wilder, who plays the title character. Also starring are Peter Boyle as the monster, Terry Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman, in a hilarious turn as the Blind Hermit.
Cloris Leachman is her usual fearless self as the intimidating housekeeper Frau Blücher. Those who attended the CIFF Leonard Maltin Celebrity Tribute Award Gala at the Del in 2019 will never forget her as she accepted that year’s Legacy Award, bringing down the house by climbing onto a stunned Leonard Maltin’s lap! That may have been one of her last public appearances before her death in 2021 at age 94.
At Brooks’ insistence (and a firm stand with the studio, who wanted color), “Young Frankenstein” is shot entirely in black and white for vintage authenticity. To make his point, he changed studios from Columbia to 20th Century Fox.
This is a cast of very funny people who obviously “got” Brooks’ brand of comic genius and had great fun working together. Many of the lines are ad-libbed (and left in) and scenes regularly required extra takes because the cast and crew repeatedly cracked up.
Mel Brooks, still active at age 98, considers this the best film he ever directed. It so happens this is the second Brooks film CIFF has screened in this year’s Classic Series (remember “Blazing Saddles” in June?), deemed appropriate because both movies were released in the same year (1974), fifty years ago.
Tickets are available at coronadofilmfest.com. And, while you’re at it, CIFF 2024 badges and individual tickets are now available for our 9th annual festival, Wed. Nov. 6 – Sun. Nov. 10.

Billy Wilder’s "The Apartment" - CIFF Classic Film
2024-11-27 17:00 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Island Film Festival and the creative mind of the great Billy Wilder (“Some Like it Hot”) have just made your Thanksgiving holiday a little bit racy and a lot more fun.
The 1960 romantic comedy-drama “The Apartment” will come to Coronado’s Village Theatre on Wed., November 30 (the night before Thanksgiving).
Produced, directed and written (with I.A.L. Diamond) by Wilder and nominated for ten Academy Awards (winner of five), the film is part of CIFF’s monthly Classic Film Series. Doors will open at 5 pm for a Meet and Greet with complimentary libations, followed by a vintage cartoon and the feature presentation at 5:30. Tickets are $15 and are available at coronadofilmfest.com.

Following the success of 1958’s “Some Like it Hot,” Wilder was eager to work again with actor Jack Lemmon, whom he compared to the brilliant Charlie Chaplin and thought could do no wrong. The film also stars Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, and Jack Kruschen. The film won Best Picture, Best Director (Wilder), and Best Screenplay (Wilder and I.A.L Diamond). Lemmon and MacLaine were nominated for Best Actor and Actress, and Kruschen, who plays Lemmon’s doctor neighbor, for Best Supporting Actor. Both Lemmon and MacLaine won Golden Globes for their performances.
Austria/ Hungarian-born Wilder and the Romanian-born Diamond enjoyed a thirty-year collaboration, including the1958 “Some Like it Hot.” The two managed to combine witty dialogue with sexual situations, exploring male-female relationships with the right mix of satire, humor, and sentiment without ever becoming sleazy or cliché.
“The Apartment” tells the story of lonely bachelor insurance clerk C.C. “Bud” Baxter (Lemmon) attempting to curry favor and climb the corporate ladder by allowing his married superiors to use his Upper West Side apartment for their illicit romantic liaisons. Meantime, Baxter falls for the building’s elevator operator Fran Kubelik (MacLaine), who, as it turns out, is having an affair with Baxter’s boss. Oh dear.
In the hands of any other director, this could have been yet another wacky rom-com with some sex thrown in, but Wilder has given these characters depth and humanity, and his cast more than rises to the occasion. Prepare to enjoy brilliant writing, directing, and spot-on, Oscar-worthy performances, all on Village Theatre’s big screen. There’s no experience quite like it.

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "The Russian Question"
2024-12-04 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Library Winn Room, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.

December 4: The Russian Question (1948, Not Rated, 91 min, Russian with English subtitles)
Renowned director Mikhail Romm’s controversial, rarely screened feature throws audiences back to the dawn of the Cold War when a natural affinity between two nations had been corrupted by American yellow journalism and the power of capitalist money. An honest journalist struggles with his conscience when he is forced to write a scaremongering report about Soviet belligerent and expansionist intentions in order to further a campaign of propaganda undertaken by American media and conservative elites.

Student Classic Film Series -"Christmas In Connecticut"
2024-12-08 13:00 - 15:30 | Coronado Library Winn Room, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Movie lovers of all ages are invited to attend a special screening of Christmas in Connecticut, Warner Brothers delightful 1945 holiday screwball romantic comedy. This Christmas Classic features Barbara Stanwyck in one of her most beloved comedic roles starring opposite one of Warner Brothers stalwart romantic leading men, Dennis Morgan.
The event will take place on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 to 3:30 pm in the Winn Room of the Coronado Public Library. It is free and open to the public.
READ MORE:
Coronado Island Film Festival Kicks Off 2025 Student Classic Film Series With “Christmas In Connecticut”

CIFF December Classic Film: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
2024-12-18 17:00 - 19:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
As part of its monthly Classic Film Series, Coronado Island Film Festival will present the 1989 John Hughes Christmas comedy classic, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a complimentary “Meet and Greet Happy Hour.” Tickets are $15, are available now, and may be purchased at coronadofilmfest.com.

Get ready to laugh out loud as Chevy Chase, perfectly cast as the hapless Clark Griswold, who decides to plan a “good old-fashioned Christmas” for his family and everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong. Hilariously so. The third and final installment in National Lampoon Magazine’s vacation series, it also stars Beverly d’Angelo and Dennis Quaid. You can count on a stellar supporting cast that includes Miriam Flynn, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Diane Ladd, John Randolph, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, but the movie clearly belongs to Chevy Chase. It’s directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written and co-produced by John Hughes, based on characters created by John Hughes in his short story, “Christmas ’59,” which was published in National Lampoon Magazine.
2023 Festival attendees will remember Diane Ladd, who was here with us to receive the CIFF Legacy Award, presented by Leonard Maltin at the Industry Tribute Gala.
What’s different in this Lampoon film is that instead of taking the family away for a vacation, as in the first two, Griswold decides to invite a motley group of relatives to come to their house for Christmas in snowy Chicago. Ever the optimist, Clark Griswold imagines a cozy, warm and fuzzy Christmas family reunion, which of course does not happen, not even close.
But you just have to love Clark and his unwavering enthusiasm for the beautiful idea, and you root for him all the way. Because at the center of all the wacky silliness this film has to offer, there lies a great big heart full of love and hope and joy. This movie is a funny, lovely gift we can all use right now, and it’s what all of us at CIFF wish for all of you and yours this holiday season.
And Happy New Year! We’ll be announcing our 2025 Classic Film lineup very soon, but mark your calendars now for Wednesday, January 29 for “Good Will Hunting,” starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams. Tickets are available now.

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "Repeat Performance"
2025-01-08 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Library Winn Room, 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
*This month, FILM FORUM CORONADO will take place on the second Wednesday of the month, January 8.*
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
January 8: Repeat Performance (1947, Approved, 93 min)
A highly original hybrid of film noir, supernatural fantasy and backstage drama. The film stars Joan Leslie as a Broadway actress who magically relives the past year of her life, but can she alter the fateful mistakes that led to a New Year’s Eve tragedy? Co-starring Louis Hayward.

Classic Film Screening: "Good Will Hunting"
2025-01-29 17:30 - 19:30 | Village Theatre, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Popular 1997 film to kick off CIFF 2025 Classic Series

When organizers of Coronado Island Film Festival’s monthly film series announced from the theatre stage last month that the first film selection of the 2025 classic series would be the 1997 favorite, “Good Will Hunting” on January 29, the audience erupted in applause.
And no wonder. It was the breakout film of two cute young unknown guys who grew up in Boston named Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Close friends since childhood, they co-wrote the script of GWH and, against all odds in an industry partial to proven winners, secured the services of a top director (Gus Van Sant), a first-rate cast (Robin Williams, Stellan Scarsgärd, and Minnie Driver among others), and garnered nine 1998 Academy Award nominations. It won two, including Best Screenplay for Affleck and Damon, the two youngest recipients ever to win that award (25 and 27, respectively). The screenplay began as a 40-page one-act play written by Matt Damon while a student at Harvard.
Both Damon and Affleck also starred in the film. It was the first and only Oscar for Robin Williams, who was named Best Actor in a Supporting Role. When Damon was asked in an interview years later years later about working with Robin Williams, his response was, “Robin. Wow. He was a very deep, deep river.”
Additional Oscar nominations were Best Picture (Lawrence Bender, producer), Best Actor (Damon), Best Supporting Actress in a Supporting Role (Minnie Driver), Best Director (Van Sant), Best Film Editing (Pietro Scalia), Best Original Song (Elliot Smith), and Best Original Dramatic Score (Danny Elfan).
“Good Will Hunting” will screen at Coronado’s Village Theatre, 820 Orange Avenue on Wednesday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for a complementary “Meet and Greet Happy Hour” (and best seat selection). Tickets are $15, available now, and may be purchased at coronadofilmfest.com.
So come enjoy “Good Will Hunting” for what it is, a “timeless little opus that managed to make South Boston look romantic and happened to make Ben Affleck and Matt Damon some of the most deserving superstars in recent memory.” [IMDB user review}
Next month, on Wed., Feb 26, CIFF will present “What Women Want,” starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt: a film by a favorite filmmaker of ours, Nancy Myers (i.e. “The Holiday,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “It’s Complicated,” “The Parent Trap”).
We’re still awaiting final approval of our complete 2025 film lineup. It’s one of our most exciting and we can’t wait to tell you about it!

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "Past Lives"
2025-02-05 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
February 5: Past Lives (2023, PG-13, 106 min)
Celine Song weaves her discreet magic in a sweeping romance that explores lost loves, changing identities and the road not taken. As fate reunites two childhood sweethearts for a week in NYC, the couple must grapple with issues of destiny and divergent life choices. With Emily Cass McDonnell, Greta Lee and John Magaro.

CIFF Student Classic Film: "Mrs. Miniver"
2025-02-16 13:00 | Winn Room, Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado community is invited to the Library’s Winn Room for the first CIFF Student Classic Film of 2025. This “open to the entire community” screening will be William Wyler’s Best Picture Oscar winning classic “Mrs. Miniver.”
The complete Student Classic Series schedule and reservations are available on the CIFF website under the “Year-Round” dropdown tab. All Student Classic screenings are free.
LEARN MORE HERE:
The 2025 CIFF Student Classic Film Series: WWII – The War That Shaped Our World

FILM FORUM CORONADO: "Detour"
2025-02-19 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
February 19: Detour (1945, Not Rated, 70 min)
Edgar Ulmer’s pulpy, Poverty Row masterpiece epitomizes the dark heart of film noir. A down-on-his-luck NY night club pianist (Tom Neal) hitchhikes across the country to rejoin his girlfriend, but fate tosses him into the clutches of the acid-tongued, snarling Vera (Ann Savage).
February 19 Bonus: Key Lime Pie (2007, Not Rated, 4 min)
Trevor Jimenez’s clever and creative noir homage uses all the noirish tropes to tell a tale of food lust. A man’s obsession with this savory deliciousness brings him face-to-face with the Grim Reaper.

Spoilers Book Club: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
2025-02-22 14:00 - 18:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Spoilers Book Club reads books that are turned into movies. We read the book and get together to watch the film. We compare the two and discuss what we did and didn’t like.

Film Forum Coronado: "Midnight Special"
2025-03-05 18:00 - 20:45 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Coronado Public Library, in partnership with the Coronado Island Film Festival, presents FILM FORUM CORONADO, taking place the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library’s Winn Room. Film expert Ralph DeLauro provides a brief introduction to each film and leads a discussion afterwards, often including pointers about how lighting or camera angles contribute to a scene’s mood or propel the story.
March 5: Midnight Special (2016, PG-13, 112 min)
Jeff Nichols fires the imagination in this shape-shifting, genre-defying sci-fi road movie. A father (Michael Shannon), his mysterious friend (Joel Edgerton), and his son (Jaeden Lieberher) with supernatural abilities go on the run to uncover the truth behind the special gifts, all the while pursued by shady government forces. Co-starring Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst and Sam Shepard.

CIFF Student Classic Film Series: "They Were Expendable"
2025-03-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
They Were Expendable (John Ford, 1945, 2hr 15min)

The Coronado Island Film Festival’s (CIFF) Student Classic Film Study Program is open to any upper-middle and high school students attending public, charter, or parochial schools, as well as those who are homeschooled. All students are welcome to attend and join the post-screening moderated discussion.
The 2025 The War That Shaped Our World CIFF Student Classic Film Series continues – To honor the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWI, the 2025 CIFF Student Classic Film Series continues to present a slate of Hollywood film classics made during and/or about WWII on Sunday March 16 at 1PM in the Library’s Winn Room with an “open to the entire community” screening of Legendary Hollywood Director John Ford’s They Were Expendable starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Donna Reed. WWII themed screenings will continue through May. The complete Student Classic Series schedule and reservations are available on the CIFF Website under the “Year-Round” dropdown tab. All Student Classic screenings are free.
In October 1944, General Douglas McArthur returned to the Philippines, as he had promised, after being evacuated to Australia in 1942. Less than a year later, Japan surrendered, ending the Second World War. Director John Ford’s 1945 They Were Expendable is based on a bestselling book of the same name recounting the heroic actions of Navy officers and sailors assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three during the disastrous fall of the Philippines in the wake of the December 7th 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Ford’s film is a fictionalized account of the exploits of Medal of Honor recipient John C. Bulkeley and the men of Squadron Three. Just before the fall of Corregidor, it was LT Bulkeley and his crew who evacuated MacArthur and his family aboard PT 41, a 77-foot motor torpedo boat, and carried them over 600 miles of open ocean to Mindanao, from where they were flown to Australia. As MacArthur put it, “You have taken me out of the jaws of death. I shall never forget it.”
MacArthur left behind more than 36,000 Army, Marine and Navy forces, including the men of Squadron Three, few of whom escaped the disastrous consequences of a military defeat that stunned our nation. The dogged resistance of those who remained delayed the Japanese advance. They bought, with their lives and blood, desperately needed time for the Pacific Fleet to rebuild and rearm to begin to take the fight to the enemy. More than 60,000 Filipino and 15,000 American prisoners of war suffered through the infamous 66-mile Bataan Death March. The film also honors The Angels of Bataan, the 11 Navy nurses, 67 Army nurses captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, the largest group of American women ever captured and imprisoned in wartime.
Director John Ford (then Captain Ford USNR on active duty) crafted a movie, with a screenplay by visionary Naval Aviator and Coronado legend, Frank “Spig” Wead (CDR USN Ret.), that tells a gripping story of honor, courage, and commitment, perhaps better than any other Navy themed film in Hollywood history. Ford’s unflinching dramatization of a disastrous military defeat examines the human and emotional costs of war and the impossibly difficult choices those who lead officers, sailors and, yes, even nurses, face in wartime. Starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Donna Reed, this superb motion picture is a history lesson necessary and appropriate for all ages. It is a “must see” for all who have served our Navy and for all those whose loved ones who have served or are serving today in uniform.
The complete 2025 Student Classic schedule and reservations are available on the CIFF Website under the “Year-Round” dropdown tab. All Student Classic Film screenings are free.
