Featured Archives - Catalina Film Festival & Institute

CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL NAMED ONE OF MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE’S TOP 50 FILM FESTIVALS WORTH THE ENTRY FEE IN 2022

Ron Truppa — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 12:21:30 +0000

Los Angeles – MovieMaker today announced that Catalina Film Festival has been named to its annual list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, celebrating festivals that serve moviemakers and audiences in some of the most intriguing destinations in the world.

MovieMaker, a film magazine and website based in Los Angeles, compiles its annual list based on surveys, filmmaker testimonials, and visits to festivals, among other factors. Key considerations include how much assistance a festival provides to traveling filmmakers; recent premieres at the festival; opportunities to meet distributors, fans, fellow filmmakers and press; and whether festivals are Academy-qualifying.

“For 12 years we’ve kept our original team and pour our hearts into every cycle,” says executive director and founder Ron Truppa, whose reward is the “genuine smiles and comments when people hear and see what Catalina is all about.”

The former home of Marilyn Monroe and playground of Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford and Betty Grable now hosts a festival that truly puts rising filmmakers first, offering prizes that have included $25,000 camera packages and grants of up to $10,000 from the Catalina Film Institute.

“Since we’re all eager to travel, we gave extra points this year to festivals in magnificent destinations we might never visit if not for an excellent film festival. And we weighed whether those festivals make travel easy and affordable for filmmakers,” said MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy. “Also, you caught us — there are over 50 festivals on this list. We very enthusiastically endorse every single one of these festivals, and decided it wouldn’t be right to force tie-breakers just to get to an even 50.”

MovieMaker is dedicated to the art and craft of making movies. The list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2022 is in the Spring 2022 issue, with past Catalina Film Festival Charlie Chaplin ICON award recipient, Nicolas Cage, on the cover. https://www.moviemaker.com/50-film-festival-worth-the-entry-fee-in-2022/

Here’s the list of MovieMaker’s 2022 List of Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, in alphabetical order:

American Black Film Festival

Atlanta Film Festival

Austin Film Festival

BendFilm Festival

Bentonville Film Festival

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

Blackstar Film Festival

Brooklyn Film Festival

Calgary International Film Festival

Camden International Film Festival

Catalina Film Festival

Cinequest Film & VR Festival

Cleveland International Film Festival

Cucalorus Film Festival

Edmonton International Film Festival

Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival

Fantasia International Film Festival

Fantastic Fest

Female Eye Film Festival

FilmQuest

FIN Atlantic International Film Festival

Florida Film Festival

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Galway Film Fleadh

Hamptons International Film Festival

Heartland International Film Festival/

Indy Shorts International Film Festival

Hollyshorts Film Festival

Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival

IndieLisboa International Film Festival

Indie Memphis Film Festival

Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

Locarno Film Festival

Louisiana Film Prize

Mammoth Lakes Film Festival

Miami Jewish Film Festival

Micheaux Film Festival

Nashville Film Festival

Nevada City Film Festival

New Orleans Film Festival

Oberhausen International Short Film Festival

Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival

Portland Film Festival

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

SCAD Savannah Film Festival

Slamdance Film Festival

Tallgrass Film Festival

Vancouver International Film Festival

Warsaw Film Festival

Whistler Film Festival

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CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS 7TH ANNUAL FEST WITH AWARDS IN 14 CATEGORIES

Ron Truppa — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 10:43:08 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Chidester
Jennifer@modernPRinc.com
858.472.1952

CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS 7TH ANNUAL FEST WITH AWARDS IN 14 CATEGORIES FROM 113 FILMS IN COMPETITION; CAREER TRIBUTES, FILM & NEW MEDIA SUMMIT ROUNDED OUT THE FIVE-DAY FEST

Attendees Included Catherine Hardwicke, Matt McGorry, Jordan Vogt-Roberts,
91-Year-Old Veteran Producer, Marcia Nasatir, Theodore Melfi, Wyatt Oleff,
Cady McClain, Jon Lindstrom and More

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 3, 2017) —The 7th annual Catalina Film Festival (CFF) wrapped with awards issued in 14 film competition categories selected from 113 films screened at venues throughout the famed Catalina Island. The annual film festival also featured career tributes, as well as the three-day Film & New Media Summit.

CAREER TRIBUTE AWARDS INCLUDED:

Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award: 91-year-old veteran producer, Marcia Nasatir (The Big Chill,
Rocky, Carrie, Apocalypse Now)
Maverick Award: Actor and Activist, Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder)
Crest Award—Directing: Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island, Metal Gear, Destiny 2)
Crest Award—Acting: Wyatt Oleff (IT, Guardians of the Galaxy)

FESTIVAL AWARDS INCLUDED:

U.S. Feature — Winner: ROCKAWAY / Excellence: Tater Tot & Patton
Documentary — Winner: Black and Blue / Excellence: A Classy Broad
Wes Craven Horror — Winner: Matthew 19:14 / Excellence: The Madame in Black
Screenplay — Winner: Time Zero / Excellence: The Joyrider
Animation — Winner: Alike / Excellence: Catching the L Train
U.S. Short — Winner: Chocolate / Excellence: The Visit
Conservation — Winner: Manmade Waters / Excellence: Gaviota: The End of Southern California
Advanced Student — Winner: Icarus / Excellence: The Transfer
High School Student — Winner: Puget Sound / Excellence: Color My Dreams
International Short — Winner: Pushing Night Away / Excellence: Girl in White
International Feature — Winner: Secret from the Past / Excellence: Generation Wolf
Festival Treasure — My Loyal Audience
Deb Bauer Unsung Hero — SEARCHDOG
Golden Fox Award for Excellence in Directing — Brian Crano, Permission

PRESS IMAGES are available for use (*appropriate credit must be given*) here: http://bit.ly/2kjCul1. For more info, visit www.CatalinaFilm.org.

About Catalina Film Festival

Catalina Film Festival is an annual celebration of film on the West Coast’s only resort island, just 26 miles from Los Angeles. Sponsors include Panasonic, IEX Helicopters, Catalina Express, Island Spa Catalina, ALS Limo and Car Service, Catalina Flyer, BIG, Horseshoe Bend Vineyards and The Cafaro Group. Past CFF honorees include Nicolas Cage, William H. Macy, Andy Garcia, Sharon Stone, Jon Favreau, Emmy Rossum, Mena Suvari, F. Gary Gray, Stan Lee and more.

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CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL TAKES OVER HOLLYWOOD’S ISLAND SEPT. 27-OCT. 1 100+ FILMS, ANNUAL FILM & NEW MEDIA SUMMIT WITH NEW “LION’S DEN” LIVE FILMMAKER INVESTOR PITCH, INDUSTRY TRIBUTES, AND MORE

Ron Truppa — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:35:34 +0000

Honorees, Attendees Include 91-Year-Old Trailblazer, Marcia Nasatir (Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award),

Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Matt McGorry, Theodore Melfi, Wyatt Oleff, and Catherine Hardwicke

LOS ANGELES (September 27, 2017) — The 7^th annual Catalina Film Festival (CFF) takes over Catalina Island Wednesday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Oct. 1. The film and television industry, acclaimed and aspiring filmmakers, and Hollywood powerhouses converge on the West Coast’s only resort island as it plays host to the competitive fest and film market featuring 110 films from 23 countries, including premieres at the famed Art Deco Avalon Theatre.

Catalina Film Festival 2017 honorees and attendees include: Producer Marcia Nasatir (The Big Chill, Rocky, Carrie, Apocalypse Now) who will be receive the inaugural Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award. The first female Vice President of Production at a major studio, Nasatir is the subject of the documentary on her career, A Classy Broad. Actor and activist, Matt McGorry (Orange is the New Black) will receive the Maverick Award. Wyatt Oleff, the 14-year-old actor known for IT and Guardians of the Galaxy, will receive the Crest Acting Award; directors Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures) and Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) will attend with The Black Ghiandola, a Make-a-Film Foundation project that fulfilled the dream of 16-year-old Anthony Conti, featuring Johnny Depp and Laura Dern; and Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) will receive the Crest Director’s Award.

Past CFF honorees include Nicolas Cage, William H. Macy, Andy Garcia, Sharon Stone, Jon Favreau, Emmy Rossum, Mena Suvari, F. Gary Gray, Roman Coppola, Kate Bosworth and Stan Lee.

FILM AND NEW MEDIA SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS: Geoff Boucher (LA Times, E!); screenwriter Jim V. Hart (Hook); Lion’s Den accredited investors Ryan Hodson, principal at Kodiak Capital and Sway Ventures, and Carl Cafaro, The Cafaro Group; Sr. Yahoo! Finance Correspondent, JP Magalindan and blockbuster casting directors, Carol Grant (Wedding Crashers) and Michelle Lewitt (Transformers), to name a few.

Complete list of films, events and attendees: www.CatalinaFilm.org. PRESS IMAGES

About Catalina Film Festival

Catalina Film Festival is an annual celebration of film on the West Coast’s only resort island, 26 miles from Los Angeles. Supported by Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors: Panasonic, IEX Helicopters, Catalina Express, Island Spa Catalina, ALS Limo and Car Service, Catalina Flyer, The Cafaro Group. www.CatalinaFilm.org

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MEDIA: FERRY TRAVEL REQUEST FORM

Ron Truppa — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 14:30:15 +0000

REQUESTING A MEDIA COMP FOR FERRY TRAVEL? FILL OUT THIS FORM IF YOU’RE TRAVELING FROM THE LA AREA.

IF YOU CAN TRAVEL FROM NEWPORT BEACH/SAN DIEGO/ORANGE COUNTY, NOTE NEWPORT BEACH ON YOUR CREDENTIAL REQUEST FORM FOR EASIER PROCESSING.Catalina Express Media Questionnaire 2017

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2017 Call for Press Credentials

Ron Truppa — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:13:51 +0000

Given limited island lodging and demand for ferry transport, CFI is requesting all press credentials be submitted no later than 9/18. Please follow this link to submit your press credential request and allow for 48 hours to process: 2017 CFF Media Credentials

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The 2015 Catalina Film – Red Carpet Interviews

Ron Truppa — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 18:42:33 +0000

The 2015 Catalina Film had some amazing talent walk across the red carpet. Steffanie Siebrand crossed paths with them and had some interesting conversation. As you know, “what happens on the red carpet…gets broadcast”. We have some amazing interviews here from Kristin Davis, Diane Warren, Lucas Till, Mena Suvari, Robert Englund, F. Gary Gray, and Billy Zane! Kristin Davis – The 2015 Catalina Film Festival Conservation Activist Award Honoree

Diane Warren – 2015 Catalina Film Festival Soundtrack of Our Lives Award Honoree

Lucas Till – 2015 Catalina Film Festival Crest Award Honoree

Mena Suvari – 2015 Catalina Film Festival Avalon Award Honoree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaAoSnr1ekE Robert Englund – Catalina Film Festival 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La54I5RnQns F. Gary Gray – 2015 Catalina Film Festival Stanley Kramer Social Artist Award Honoree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MchT1WyKxrU Billy Zane – 2015 Catalina Film Festival Maverick Award Honoree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIzkx232uw

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Commemorative Coins and Map Posters–2015 Catalina Film Booty

Ron Truppa — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:46:36 +0000

These 5-year, Commemorative Catalina Film Festival coins, were found on the beach this morning, guarded by the seagulls and the pigeons. You can avoid the beaks and pick one up in the Festival Lounge located in The Metropole Hotel’s Conference Room. You will see design elements on the coin that are consistent with the posters and the program. Much of that design was from the talented man pictured here, J.B. Ong. We’re really pleased with how each item. The good news is that you can get these items in the festival lounge. * The coins are just $2. * The posters are only $3. For $5 you’ll have a nice memento set. Additionally you can pick up some T-shirts. * You can choose the red V-neck for $20 * You can also opt for the black crewneck for $15 We’re not hard-selling the $35 complete wardrobe extension, but we wouldn’t argue if you inclined to take advantage of this stylish bargain. These items are all currently available in the Festival Lounge, located the Metropole Hotel!

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Live Boxcast Streaming of 2015 Catalina Film & New Media Summit, and the Catalina Film Festival Red Carpets

Ron Truppa — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 07:41:23 +0000

It’s pretty safe to say, that our Catalina Film & New Media Summit events have been extremely popular, for those who are fortunate enough to attend. The industry leaders on the panels provide the expertise and the filmmakers infuse their perspectives by participating and asking great questions, leading to productive, insightful and educational discussions. For the first time ever, you can participate in the Catalina Film & New Media Summit, from wherever you are, thanks to Boxcast live streaming technology. In addition to the Summit, we will be streaming the red carpet interviews, so you can hear from the celebrities, directors, writers, etc., directly. You’re likely to hear conversations ranging from thoughtful to funny, personal to industry focused. You never know what is going to happen on the red carpet! We will be streaming 7 total events: 5 industry panels and 2 red carpet events. If you’re unsure about your connection or about the video quality or anything else, you can try it out for yourself. There is a 90 second free preview. You can enjoy the full streaming event…all seven events…for only $20. Check out www.boxcast.com/cff for even more information and to start streaming!

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We Are Making the 2015 Catalina Film Festival, the SWEETEST Yet!

Ron Truppa — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 01:43:19 +0000

Filmmakers will have this view for the next few days and it could be a whole lot worse, right? One of the great things about the island, is that you get to enjoy it before even setting foot ashore. The ferry ride from either Long Beach or Newport Beach is comfortable and relatively quick. Today, it took us 70 minutes and the sea was calm and welcoming. Great start, right? This picture to the left is from the front of our Catalina Express ferry. We made it safely and in good spirits, so our next move was to grab our luggage. After that we found out accommodations and got to work. Oh, I almost forgot. When you are riding over, be sure to take the example of these ladies and get yourself a #selfieonaboat. When that fun is over, you’ll hit land and you’ll just want to look back at people like you’re famous. You might even find yourself taking a picture of someone taking a picture of something, like a tall palm tree. The point is that there is always something fun to do on Catalina. You just have to use your imagination…or go shopping, if you can’t think of anything on your own. OK, that was all just getting here. You haven’t even seen the films yet. Here are the trailers! https://catalinafilm.org/2015-catalina-film-festival-trailers/ Are you tempted to take a day-trip? We blogged about some options with deals! https://catalinafilm.org/festival-deals-ultimate-paradise-day-trip/ Let’s take a break for a peek at one of our sponsors getting things ready to WOW you. I love these Mercedes Benz F Cell cars that run on hydrogen. Amazing, right? The week is young and we promise to keep you up to speed with all the excitement that starts tomorrow. We can’t promise that there won’t be a few bad jokes along the way. For example, we’d like to assure everyone that our film judges do not work here! OK, that was a REALLY bad joke. Here’s some good news. We can’t wait for you to escape to this island paradise with us to enjoy the cinematic gems that have been put together for this event. We also love that you can put things like traffic and parking out of your mind, for a few days. This is a Catalina traffic jam with a parallel parking challenge. OK, that’s enough. We’ll just leave you with more of the beauty of the island. Until tomorrow, friends!!

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Festival Deals = Ultimate Paradise Day Trip

Ron Truppa — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 00:51:15 +0000

It’s Festival Week and you still have time to take advantage of some amazing deals. Rooms are hard to find, but the Catalina Film Festival experience makes for a great day trip!

You can enjoy the Treasure Hunt, the Filming Wine Mixer, Stella Artois Beer Gard…en, The Saturday Night Award Show, Film and Gala and STILL make it home for Church! 1:00AM Catalina Express to Long Beach! Put in September 27th for your return! Catalina Film Festival passes deal! https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-santa-catalina-film-festival Treasure Hunt deal! https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-catalina-treasure-hunt

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