23rd Annual San Diego International Film Festival Reveals 2024 Slate

The 23rd Annual San Diego International Film Festival is ‘Celebrating the Power of Film’ with curated screenings that inform, inspire and entertain. 

Count on the Festival to get the conversation started with compelling Social Impact Films and Q&As including: Environmental Sustainability, Social Inequities, Individuals with Disabilities and Inclusion, American Indian Native Experience, LGBTQIA+ Rights, and other topics affecting our world and our communities. 

This year’s Main Slate showcases an exceptional lineup from 25 countries and 10 world premieres chosen from a record-breaking 3,500 submissions. The selection includes a diverse array of narrative, documentary, shorts and animation. Gala and spotlight films from Festivals worldwide including, Netflix’s newly acquired film by Pablo Larraín Maria starring Angelina Jolie, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez (Jury Prize at Cannes, Best Actress Award at Cannes: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón), Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch starring Amy Adams (Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection, TIFF Tribute Performer Award: Amy Adams), Bob Trevino Likes It, Starring Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo (SXSW, Audience Award & Grand Jury Award), The Strangers’ Case (Berlin International Film Festival, Amnesty International Film Award) JAZZY, starring Lily Gladstone (Tribeca, Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux) and Executive Producer Taika Waititii’s We Were Dangerous. 

The Opening Night film premiere and party will be held at The Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park on Wednesday, October 16th. The Night of the Stars Tribute red carpet event will take place at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla on Thursday, October 17th. The San Diego International Film Festival honors some of the film industry’s most accomplished actors, directors and filmmakers.

Each year we are proud to present the Gregory Peck Award of Excellence in Cinema with the support of the Peck family.  Partial list of past honorees include Laurence Fishburne, Sir Patrick Stewart, Annette Bening, Andy Garcia, Kenny Loggins, Kate Beckinsale, Geena Davis, Judd Apatow, Adrian Brody, Regina Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, Heather Graham. Culinary Cinema takes place on Sunday, October 20th and is a perfect recipe for Sunday fun and a dream come true for foodies! Hosted by Shawn Styles from CBS8’s ‘Cooking with Styles’, the ingredients begin with an extravagant nosh at the Capital One Cafe, followed by a cuisine-themed film, Susan Feniger. FORKED. The Festival will then continue from October 18th through October 20th at the AMC14@ UTC Westfield, La Jolla, CA. The most up to date festival information is available at www.sdfilmfest.com. 

The San Diego International Film Festival panel showcase brought to you by Serial Wines is providing a platform to show audiences just what is going on in the industry today. Starting with, On Screen and Beyond:  Conversations with Actors, offering a unique glimpse into their journeys from auditions to roles, their career management strategies, and behind-the-scenes stories. The Future of Film and Entertainment: Industry Insights, exploring the impact of streaming media and shorter theatrical releases. Gain valuable insights into how the industry is transforming and what lies ahead.

Women in Film: Breaking Barriers and Shaping the Industry, Moderated by news journalist  Sandra Maas, Board President of the Women’s Museum of California, this panel will explore the evolving role of women in filmmaking and how women are shaping the future of film. The “Reel” Influencer Revolution, is diving into the role of influencers in shaping and producing content and how traditional media and influencers are collaborating and evolving together.

According to Tonya Mantooth, CEO/Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival, “This year’s Festival is honored to use the power of film to partner with extraordinary organizations that are having a global impact and changing lives.  We can’t wait to put the spotlight on UCSD IPATH (Life Sciences Research to combat the global Superbug crisis); San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation (First Responders trauma and mental health); Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films (Championing individuals with disabilities) and the Women’s Museum of California (Cultivating the diverse voices of Women Filmmakers).” 

Mantooth announced the following partnerships aligned with the Festival’s mission to use the experience of film to explore issues of global impact, to create dialog, and ultimately to develop empathy and understanding in an increasingly diverse and complex world. 

• UC San Diego Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) 
  This innovative collaboration will inspire conversation about the newest research in the treatment against antibiotic resistant superbugs. IPATH is co-directed by Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D. and Robert Schooley, M.D. and the center is part of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.  Attendees will screen the film: Last Chance To Save A Life by Australian Writer/Director Emma Watts, which was inspired by Dr. Steffanie Strathdee’s successful efforts to save her husband’s life with phage therapy.
  Why it matters:  The superbug crisis represents a significant threat to modern medicine, and without urgent action, it could lead to a post-antibiotic era where common infections once again become deadly.  Currently, it is estimated that superbugs cause over 1.2 million deaths/year globally.

• San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation
  The world premiere of Into the Unknown. This powerful documentary explores the trauma and resilience of paramedics across the U.S., revealing the profound courage behind their everyday heroism. Into the Unknown provides an intimate look at the lives of five diverse paramedic teams, highlighting their challenges and strength. The premiere, in collaboration with the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation, aims to raise awareness about the mental health struggles of first responders and promote essential support.  Following the screening there will be a Q&A which will include Dr. Richard Camona, 17th Surgeon General, who will discuss the impact of trauma on first responders and the film's insights.
  Why it matters:  The impact of trauma on first responders, including paramedics, is profound and multifaceted, affecting their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. These professionals are regularly exposed to traumatic events, which can have both immediate and long-term consequences that requires attention from both healthcare systems and society.

• Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films. 
  Inclusion Films was started in 2007 by veteran filmmaker Joey Travolta and teaches both the hard and soft skills of filmmaking to individuals with developmental differences in dedicated production studios across the country. The ongoing goal of Joey Travolta and Inclusion Films’ film training programs is to continue to encourage and enable employment of individuals with developmental differences. The Festival continues its long standing partnership with Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films with the screening of the next season of  ‘Lights, Camera, Friendship!’  This docu-series follows young adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate friendship. This year’s partnership includes a Q&A with cast and crew members after the film screening.
  Why it matters:  Adults comprise a significant portion of the 6.5 million people in the United States with developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.  

• Women’s Film Series
  In partnership with the Women’s Museum of California. Together – the organizations discover, cultivate and amplify diverse voices of women filmmakers who help shape our cultural landscape through the art of cinematic storytelling. This commitment to diversity, racial equity and inclusion is grounded in values established by both organizations. Seven women helmed films will receive the “Women’s Film Series” designation.
  Why it Matters:                    

The film industry has made progress toward gender equality, particularly in the last decade, but the ratio of men to women in key roles remains heavily skewed in favor of men. In Hollywood, for example, women directed about 18% of the top 250 highest-grossing films in 2022 and 26% of the writers were women. Continued efforts to address these disparities, through policy changes, advocacy, and industry initiatives, are essential to achieving a more balanced representation.

Now in its 23th year, the San Diego International Film Festival is the region’s premier film festival and one of the leading stops on the film circuit. The Film Festival is proud to screen narrative, documentary and short films, both in and out of competition, vying for top award honors. The lineup below includes 102 films total, 22 Gala and Narrative Competition films, 9 Documentary Competition films, and 71 Short films. 

2024 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

Gala and Narrative Competition (22)

• amalock, Dir. Kazuhiro Nakamura, Japan, North American Premiere

• Bang Bang, Dir. Vincent Grashaw, USA, California Premiere

• Bob Trevino Likes It, Dir. Tracie Laymon, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Drive Back Home, Dir. Michael Clowater, Canada, United States Premiere

• Emilia Pérez, Dir. Jacques Audiard, France, San Diego Premiere

• Evergreen$, Dir. Stéphane Moukarzel, Canada, West Coast Premiere

• If You See Something, Dir. Oday Rasheed, USA, World Premiere Premiere

• JAZZY, Dir. Morrisa Maltz, USA, San Diego Premiere

• LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE, Dir. Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger, USA, California Premiere

• Maria, Pablo Larraín,Italy, San Diego Premiere

• Mother Valley, Dir. Carlos Chahine, France, Lebanon, Southern California Premiere

• Mr. Blake At Your Service, Dir. Gilles Legardinier, France, Southern California Premiere

• Nightbitch, Dir. Marielle Heller, USA, San Diego Premiere

• SEEN, Dir. Logan Marshall, New Zealand, World Premiere

• Sugar And Stars, Dir. Sébastien Tulard, France, Southern California Premiere

• The Black Sea, Dir. Derrick B. Harden, Crystal Moselle, USA,  West Coast Premiere

• The Collaborator, Dir. Travis Hodgkins, USA, India, Republic of Georgia & UK, World Premiere

• The Mariana Trench, Dir. Eileen Byrne , Luxembourg, United States Premiere

• The Strangers’ Case, Dir. Brandt Andersen, Jordan, Southern California Premiere

• The Uninvited, Dir.Nadia Conners, USA,  California Premiere

• Way Home, Dir. Charlotte Sieling, Denmark, North American Premiere

• We Were Dangerous, Dir. Josephine Stewart Te-Whiu, New Zealand, West Coast Premiere

Documentary Competition (9)

• Bring Them Home Aiskótáhkapiyaaya, Dir. Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald, Daniel Glick, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Flyways: The Untold Journey of Migratory Shorebirds, Dir. Randall Wood, Australia, California Premiere

• Into the Unknown, Dir Tom Putnam, United States, World Premiere

• Last Chance To Save A Life, Dir. Emma Watts, Australia, North American Premiere

• Lights, Camera, Friendship! - Valdosta, Dir. Joey Travolta, USA, World Premiere

• MOSES - 13 Steps, Dir. Michael Wech, Germany, West Coast Premiere

• Sono Lino, Dir. Jacob Patrick, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Susan Feniger. FORKED, Dir. Liz Lachman, USA, San Diego Premiere

• The Bitter Pill, Dir. Clay Tweel, USA, West Coast Premiere

Shorts Tracks Competition  (71)

Animation Filmmaking:

• Bottle George, Dir. Daisuke 'Dice' Tsutsumi, Japan, Southern California Premiere 

• BRIDGE -My Little Friends-, Dir. Kazuyuki Ishihara, Japan, California Premiere 

• Dandelion, Dir. Zhengwu Gu, Ling Zhao, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• Le Charade, Dir. Erika Tortoro, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• Luki and the Lights, Dir. Toby Cochran, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• Nix’s Symphony, Dir. Karina Loerchner, Canada, San Diego Premiere 

• Tennis, Oranges, Dir. Sean Pecknold, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• The Dog’s Highway, Dir. Carlos Rueda, Mexico, North American Premiere 

• VAINGLORIOUS, Dir. Gabriel Ugbodaga, USA, San Diego Premiere 

Docudrama:

• Anywhere Aloha: The Call, Dir. Nolan Grose, USA, West Coast Premiere 

• Hello Stranger, Dir. Amélie Hardy, Canada, San Diego Premiere 

• Marks of Majesty, Dir. Holle Singer, USA, California Premiere 

• Motorcycle Mary, Dir. Haley Watson, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• Sludge: A PFAS Uprising, Dir. Jeff Christian, USA, San Diego Premiere 

Dramedy:

• 4th Dementia, Ian Wexler, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Camping In Paradise, Eirik Tveiten, Norway, West Coast Premiere

• Good Grief, Megan Chumbley, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Mature Parts, Holle Singer, USA, West Coast Premiere

• Donor, Erin Doyle Cooper, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Pathos, Andrea Noceda, Spain, North American Premiere

For Shorts & Giggles

• B.E.C., Dir. Douglas Lennox-Salinas, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Dirty Towel, Dir. Callie Carpinteri, USA, San Diego Premiere

• H.A.U.N.T, Dir. Shannon McInally, USA, World Premiere

• Johnny Malibu, Dir. William Mazzola, USA, San Diego Premiere

• O.C.D., Dir. Luca Pizzoleo, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Portland Is the New Portland, Dir. Christopher Scamurra, USA, West Coast Premiere

• Summons, Dir. Ken Cheng, USA, San Diego Premiere

Heart Strings: 

• An-De-Lu, Alan He, USA, West Coast Premiere

• And The Ocean Agreed, Tanya Modini, Australia, San Diego Premiere

• Hey Dad, Aaron Schoonover, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Il taglio di Jonas / Jonas' haircut, Rosario Capozzolo, Italy, World Premiere

• The Last Ranger, Cindy Lee, USA, West Coast Premiere

• Buscando Alma, Melissa Fisher, USA, California Premiere

On Pins and Needles: 

• Caller 102: A Ballad of Cyberspace, Jack Goldfisher and Turner Barrowman, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Grieving, Chris Chi, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Missing, Maura Foley, Ireland, United States Premiere

• The Door, Alexander Seltzer, Canada, San Diego Premiere

• Mean Ends, Emile Lavoie, Canada, San Diego Premiere

San Diego Scene: 

• Canta Santiago, James Valdez, USA, Southern California Premiere

• Once There Was & Once There Was Not, Natalie Koski-Karell and Earthbased.media, USA, World Premiere

• Ghost Tours, Brandon Plantz, USA, World Premiere

• Locals Only, Taryn O'Connor, USA, West Coast Premiere

• Ambush at St. Mary's, Anthony Parisi, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Milestone, Tim Kressin, USA, West Coast Premiere

• WEEKLONG, Brooke Raines, USA, West Coast Premiere

• Ayo, Check Up!, Nathan Xia, USA, San Diego Premiere

Short & Sweet:

• Alejandro!, Dir. Christopher A. Brown, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Buddy Love, Dir. Kiefer O' Reilly, Canada, San Diego Premiere

• Gloria, Dir. Cloe Velarde, Costa Rica, United States Premiere

• In the Fold, Dir. Manuel Del Valle, USA, San Diego Premiere

• My Week with Maisy, Dir. Mika Simmons, UK, San Diego Premiere

• The Runt, Dir. Christy Stratton, USA, San Diego Premiere

Student Showcase:

• Donut Boy, Dir. Bunthoeun Real, USA, San Diego Premiere

• In-Security Guard, Dir. Riley Segal, USA, Southern California Premiere

• KEVIN, Dir. Lindsey Esch, USA, World Premiere

• Mirage, Dir. Yu-Ming Huang & Haonan Ma, UK, North American Premiere

• NOCTURNE, Dir. Isaac Lee Greenblatt, USA, West Coast Premiere

• The Only Son, Dir. Piotr Matyja, USA, San Diego Premiere

• Vroom Vroom, Dir. Alec Deland, USA, West Coast Premiere

Twisted Humor: 

• Cherry Pie, Dir. Pat Mulderrig, USA, World Premiere 

• Olga’s Eyes, Dir. Sarah Calot Jaber, Belgium, West Coast Premiere 

• One Note (单注), Dir. Jamie Ting, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• STILL SCATTERED, Dir. Jeff Lorch and Dominic Burgess, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• Under the influence[r], Dir. Alberto Accettulli, USA, San Diego Premiere 

• What You Left in the Ditch, Dir. Tucker Bliss, USA, San Diego Premiere 

When Worlds Collide:

• Blowing in the wind, Dir. Nikolay Kouleshov, Israel, North American Premiere

• Go in Peace, Dir. Jean Gaspa, France, West Coast Premiere

• Neither Donkey Nor Horse, Dir. Robin Wang, USA West Coast Premiere

• Room Taken, Dir. TJ O'Grady-Peyton, Ireland, San Diego Premiere

• Trapped, Dir. Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz, USA, San Diego Premiere

About The San Diego International Film Festival:

The San Diego International Film Festival is the region’s premier film event and one of the leading stops on the independent festival circuit. The Festival offers a totally unique film experience; including world premieres, never before seen studio releases and the best in independent filmmaking. We believe cinema is a catalyst for positive change. The festival programming is diverse – however everyone has a genre that speaks to their heart – including us. With a passion for social impact topics, we’ve focused the lens on curated independent films that explore the issues affecting our world including homelessness, prejudice, pollution of the world’s rivers, animal and environmental extinction, sustainability, sex-trafficking, military stories and more.

About the San Diego Film Foundation:

CREATING EMPATHY IN A COMPLEX WORLD….

Our mission is to use the experience of film to explore issues of global impact, to create dialog, and ultimately to develop empathy and understanding in an increasingly diverse and complex world.  We leverage these important conversations via our partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Community College District to use cinematic storytelling to help educate future leaders on key issues affecting our communities and world. 

A 501c.3. The San Diego Film Foundation brings the finest independent cinematic storytelling from around the world to San Diego each year. We present films that make a difference through a variety of events and programs year round including: 

• FOCUS on Impact Film Series in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Community College District (Fall and Spring 2024/2025)

• Film Insider Series (May - August 2024)

• 2024 San Diego International Film Festival (October 16-20, 2024)

• Opening Night 

PASS PACKAGES:

The Festival’s signature events (Opening Night Film and Pre-Reception and Culinary Cinema) typically sell out.  The best way to guarantee reservations at these events is to purchase a pass and reserve your spot in the films and events. 

The VIP Pass Package includes: Opening Night Film and Pre-Reception, Culinary Cinema, first access to all film screenings, panels, special events and VIP Lounge  

The Fest Pass Package includes all screenings on Thursday - Sunday as well as Culinary Cinema.  

The Weekend Pass Package includes all screenings on Saturday and Sunday only. Culinary Cinema not included 

Individual event tickets to the signature events will go on Sept 9th on a space available basis. 

There are a variety of Festival Packages available to suit every budget. Individual screenings can be purchased for $20 all the way up to the VIP PASS PACKAGE for $550.  Learn more about Festival ticketing options HERE.

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