Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) has appointed Andy Friedenberg as Co-Executive Director and Producer, it was announced by Mary D. Sikes, the festival’s CEO and board chairman.
Friedenberg joins CIFF Founder Doug St. Denis at the helm of the organization, which gears up for its inaugural festival, Jan. 15 – 18, 2016.
“After two years of preparation, community outreach and brand development, we were looking to bring someone on board who could take us to the next important level – the actual launch of the four-day festival,” St. Denis said. “Andy is our perfect guy; he’s passionate about films as well as extremely knowledgeable about the industry and film festivals.”
Friedenberg’s name is well known in regional film circles. He is the founder and director of the 800-member Cinema Society of San Diego, and has expanded the Cinema Society into chapters in La Jolla, Las Vegas and two in Arizona.
Friedenberg holds a bachelor of science in communications from Boston University, School of Public Communications. His early career in film marketing, publicity and promotions included positions with Hollywood’s major studios: MGM (Metro Goldwin Mayer), Columbia Pictures and United Artists.
Friedenberg founded the Cinema Society in 1983 in an attempt to shape San Diego into a truly cosmopolitan city and to rejuvenate the arts community.
He was the creator of the annual “Cox Communications Film Festival,” a free open-air film series that utilized the many parks in San Diego County, and presented “Pictures at the Prado” series, a series of eight dinner and classic movies packages at the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park.
Friedenberg was founder and presenter of the San Diego Symphony’s popular “Classic Film” silent film series, and served as cinema director for the San Diego County Fair’s “Cinema Summer.”
He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts-Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA).
He is frequently heard on local radio and television shows on the subject of motion pictures. With his travel-agent wife, Beth, he leads film lovers to various film festivals around the world, including Palm Springs, London, New York and Havana.
Friedenberg has already begun work with CIFF, which has just opened submissions for its first season, and views Coronado as having all the right elements for a hugely successful and popular festival on the world circuit.
“I’m deeply honored to be a part of the shaping the beginning of the Coronado Island Film Festival” Friedenberg said. ” I see this as a festival to rival other classic film festivals on the world cinema stage, from Cannes to Telluride, from Sundance to Tribeca.”
Filmmakers (including student filmmakers) can learn about the submission process at CIFF’s website, www.coronadoislandfilmfest.com.
