Coronado Film Festival

Billy Knight Q+A
2025-11-07 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | Village Theatre Main, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118

Creative Crossroads
2025-11-07 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | Hotel Del Coronado: Spreckels Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, 92118
A dynamic selection of films that explore unique voices and fresh perspectives, offering powerful stories and thought-provoking themes.
The films included in this showcase are Main Man, The Heart of Texas, Flavor of the Month, What It's Like To Be Okay, and Butterfly on a Wheel.
A Filmmaker Q&A will immediately follow the screenings.

Panel | The Art & Innovation of Filmmaking
2025-11-07 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Sacred Heart, 655 C Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
From soundscapes to visual effects, editing rhythms to wardrobe and design, discover how today’s creators harness technology and artistry to push the boundaries of storytelling and elevate the magic of cinema.

Building on the Edge
2025-11-07 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Denver) | Village Screen 3, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118

Land of Mustaches
2025-11-07 10:30 - 12:30 UTC | Village Screen 2, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
For the children and women of all wars, it never leaves.
Land of the Mustaches is an autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in the Displaced Persons refugee camps with her mother and grandmother after World War Two left them starving and stateless, and her father's disappearance into Stalin's notorious Gulag labor camps in Siberia with only what he was wearing the day he was abducted—two hard paths that parallel each other until they finally merge into one story: The ultimate celebration of resilience and the human spirit.
Noted film critic Rex Reed said, "I found your film to be so tender and truthful and honest ... It is constantly mesmerizing."
Our film is a visual memoir told through rich and real vignettes, heightened by archival footage and animation, illuminating how inter-generational, female family life persists and humans persevere even in the most extreme circumstances: In 1947, there were still about a million refugees in the Displaced Persons camps of occupied Europe; there are over a hundred million globally today. The mind struggles to comprehend such numbers, but the story of one family is recognizable. In our seemingly endless wars, the plight of their voiceless victims--families stripped of everything, women and children left on their own with no support, left bereft--is just as true today as it was 80 years ago when I grew up in the rubble and converted concentration camps.
It was shot in two back-to-back 18-hour days. We chose to film minimalistically and theatrically, using the early style and approach of Brian de Palma, with whom Rutanya had worked in his films Greetings ('68) and Hi, Mom! ('70). At the end of the second day of shooting my D.P. handed me the 3 1/2 hours of film. I held the film in my hands and thought: What now? May this film be an inspiration to all the first time filmmakers.
Six Academy members came together to make this unique, truly independent, and micro-budget film: Actress Rutanya Alda (The Deer Hunter, Mommie Dearest, Amityville II, among 110+ film and TV credits), writer, producer, and performer of Land of the Mustaches; acclaimed Emmy-nominated editor, David Ray (Scarface, Reds, All That Jazz, the Bronx Tale); brilliant Emmy-winning composer, Charles Bernstein (ASCAP Deems Taylor award, 140+ films); director and award-winning filmmaker, Leon Joosen (Disney's The Little Mermaid, Scooby-Doo, Muppet Babies); Emmy-winning animator, Candy Kugel (MTV, Sesame Street, Berenstain Bears, A Warm Reception in L.A.), and producer Donna Dickman (who publicized Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Pianist, and The Motorcycle Diaries.)

Everywhere Man: The Lives and Times of Peter Asher
2025-11-07 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Village Theatre Main, 820 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
Blending documentary and musical memoir, EVERYWHERE MAN tells the extraordinary life story of Peter Asher—pop star, producer, manager, and confidant to legends from Paul McCartney to James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and many more—across six decades at the heart of rock and roll history.

Animation Showcase I
2025-11-07 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Hotel Del Coronado: Spreckels Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, 92118
A powerful and imaginative selection of shorts that blend artistry, emotion, and inventive storytelling across cultures and styles.
The films included in this showcase are: The Little Ancestor, Wednesdays with Gramps, Budō, Hoofs on Skates, Wan, Forever, Teddy On the Edge, Stalking The Bogeyman, and Hurikán.
Q&A with filmmakers will immediately follow the screenings.

Panel | NO GUTS, NO GLORY: The World of Stunt Professionals
2025-11-07 10:00 - 11:00 UTC | Sacred Heart, 655 C Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
Behind every jaw-dropping chase, fight, and fall is a fearless stunt team making the impossible look effortless. Seasoned stunt performers and coordinators reveal the craft behind designing action, balancing practical special effects, and the training it takes to bring high-risk, high-reward moments to the screen.
Moderated by Deadline

Opening Night: Dead Man's Wire + After party at the Tavern
2025-11-06 18:30 - 21:00 UTC
Set in 1977 and based on a true story, Tony Kiritsis, a former real estate developer puts a dead man's switch on himself and the mortgage banker who did him wrong, demanding $5 million and a personal apology.
Then join us at the Tavern for an after party!

More Than a Game
2025-11-06 16:00 - 18:00 UTC | Hotel Del Coronado: Spreckels Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, 92118
An inspiring showcase of films that capture resilience, rivalry, and the spirit of competition—showing how the pursuit of victory reaches far beyond the field. The films included in this showcase are: Passarinho, Interloper, Starting Line, As Tough As Ice, Bike Short, and A Good Day Will Come.
A Filmmaker Q&A will immediately follow the screenings.

Panel | Women on the Move
2025-11-06 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Sacred Heart, 655 C Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
A dynamic conversation with the women shaping the future of the industry. Meet the groundbreaking women redefining cinema’s future. This panel unites producers, filmmakers, and creative leaders to share insights, challenges, and triumphs from the set to the boardroom. A powerful discussion on leadership, representation, and the impact of female voices in shaping storytelling.
Presented by DEADLINE
Moderated by Deadline

Unscripted
2025-11-06 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Hotel Del Coronado: Spreckels Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, 92118
A diverse collection of documentary films capturing real lives, raw truths, and unexpected journeys. The films included in this showcase are: Shanti Rides Shotgun, Georgie, Hustle and Run, 300, and Richard Neutra's Maslon House.
A Filmmaker Q&A will immediately follow the screenings.

Culinary Cinema : Babette's Feast - A Culinary Classic
2025-11-06 12:00 - 15:00 UTC | John D. Spreckels Center, 1019 7th St, Coronado, CA, 92118
Babette's Feast - A Culinary Classic
At once a rousing paean to artistic creation, a delicate evocation of divine grace, and the ultimate film about food, the Oscar-winning Babette’s Feast is a deeply beloved treasure of cinema. Directed by Gabriel Axel and adapted from a story by Isak Dinesen, it is the lovingly layered tale of a French housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late nineteenth-century Denmark. Babette’s Feast combines earthiness and reverence in an indescribably moving depiction of sensual pleasure that goes to your head like fine champagne.
CULINARY PARTNERS

Panel | State of the Industry: Navigating a New Era
2025-11-06 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Sacred Heart, 655 C Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
The entertainment landscape is evolving at lightning speed. From AI and streaming dominance to shifting audience habits and Hollywood’s new realities, industry leaders explore the forces reshaping film and television. Gain insights into the future of content creation, marketing, and distribution in this pivotal conversation.
Resented by MovieMaker
Moderated by : Tim Malloy, Publisher

No Place Like Home: Local Shorts
2025-11-06 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Hotel Del Coronado: Spreckels Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, 92118
San Diego and surrounding regions are rich in talented filmmakers and remarkable storytellers! This selection of well-crafted films is a testament to our local creative talent, personalities, and artists. The films included in this showcase are The Second Sunday of May, Is It True?, Aunt Cindy and The Alchemist, Crane, Stone Garden, and Handwoven. Q&A with filmmakers will immediately follow the screenings.

The Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala
2025-11-05 17:30 - 23:00 UTC | Hotel Del Coronado Crown Room, 1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Crown Room at the Iconic Hotel Del Coronado
5:30 PM Hosted Champagne Reception and Red Carpet on the Vista Terrace * non-hosted bars will be open
7:00 PM Dinner & Awards Presentation
9:30 PM Industry Tribute Wrap Party
