The 2019 San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival Successfully Hosted in Northern San Diego
As the leading role of the kids’ film festivals worldwide, the 2019 San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival ( SDIKFF) successfully hosted between August 23rd to 25th in Carlsbad and Oceanside, two sea side cities in northern San Diego county in California.
More than 150 films from 30 countries and regions were selected by the festival and screened. All events and screenings held in 4 venues in Carlsbad and Oceanside. Those venues present the beauty of San Diego to the guests from the worldwide alone with the festival programs.
SDIKFF’s glorious journey made its kids and family theme film festival to become a primary professional film makers’ career platform, and youth filmmaker’s up to day industry skill learning ground. In the past 16 years, countless filmmakers sailed from this platform, step by step to a broader and bigger stage. The festival has two opening films, an animated feature film from Iran, “The Last Fiction,” and the California comedy “Chocolate Chip Cookies .” These two films would present diverse film perspectives to fans from all over the world.
The opening reception gala on the first day was exclusively named by International Talent Association, a famous Hollywood talent agency, and is hosted by movie star Zander Rice and San Diego local musician Jenna Pekny. Jenna performed the national anthem started the gala. SDIKFF Youth Ambassador Chalet Lizette Brannan presented certificates to all the official selections. Young Chinese actor Youchen Hu, who was nominated for the Rising Star award brought excellent Chinese style live performance. The Flamenco with Roots Performing Arts’ performance led the evening to a climax.
The second day of the festival is dominated by film screenings and panel discussions in the film industry, to share the professional Hollywood experience with filmmakers from all over the world. This year the panels include “Screenplay for Worldwide Audience”, experienced Hollywood filmmakers as Fred Ashman, Antonio F. Vianna, famous Producer and Director from China, Mr. Shenglei Wang, and Jesse Saunders who’s an experienced Director and proud veteran.
Many groups of participants prepared relevant materials and scripts for their pre-production projects at “Pitch and Catch” Panel, to present their excellent ideas to the film investors, producers, directors who might be interested in joining their projects.
“Work with China” Panel aimed to build up the bridge between the Chinese film market and the filmmakers from worldwide. Hollywood filmmakers shared their stories with all the attendants on the panel, including famous Hollywood Actor, Director and Screenwriter Mike Shields II, successful Director and Producer Wei Zheng, producer and screenwriter Yu Tang and Music Supervisor and Composer Eiko Jin.
The Family Film Market is one of the signatures of the SDIKFF. Since 2016, it has been opening to all film industry workers and fans without a threshold, giving them a window and platform to understand and participate in the various aspects of film production and distribution. Huashi Glaxy Media Co., Hongwenye Culture Development Co., Golden Artemis Entertainment and many more made their deals successfully in the 2019 market.
In the second evening, it is a reception night for film makers. Program included the screenplay showcase (Mythatania – write by Nicholas Julius; directed by Brian Keon); Maeya Angel Competition ( Lucas Yang from New York won the title); The live play of Best Film Music selection, the jurists judged together and commented the winner – Love is the Only River by Trinity Rose and Ian Sloane
On the third day of the festival, at the morning, Ms. Lynn Tang, the Director of SDIKFF, hosted the Distributor Mixer, the Hollywood Producer Michael Matteo Rossi, and Sherwood Jones shared their experience.
In the early afternoon, “Audition for Kids” Panel invited professional audition coach from Hollywood to be the panel speakers, guests included Giovannie Espiritu, a professional casting director in Hollywood, and SAG member, Samuel Warren, producer, television presenter, Tina Hunt, etc.
The prestigious red carpet awards ceremony held at Mira Costa College Concert Hall in the third day later afternoon. SDIKFF red carpet has always been an official feature segment, established movie stars and kids’ filmmakers to walk on it with their families. Filmmakers’ achievements are inseparable from the support and trust of their family, the glorious moment is worth the whole family to have together. Best-known Hollywood hosts Matthew Eli and Lilian Khan interviewed the red-carpet guests and poses with them in front of the signature wall where they put on their mark as a milestone in their life and career.
On the award ceremony, Carolina de Athey and Robert Gatewood, the famous actors and hosts of Hollywood, presided over the awards ceremony. The local Ballet Institute of San Diego gave the fans an excellent ballet performance, followed by a hot cheerleading dance by the energetic San Pasqual Varsity Dance Team. Cady Mariano, who was the official Youth Ambassador of the SDIKFF, performed a wonderful modern dance that evening, showing her outstanding role as the Ambassador of the SDIKFF
With the announcement of exciting awards, award-winning movies from all over the world came on stage to express their feelings of winning the award, which filled the award ceremony with joy and touching atmosphere and drew a successful conclusion to the SDIKFF 2019. At the same time, the SDIKFF Committee sincerely thank the sponsors Andersen Corporation, ITA Group, and “ Public Sevens” Production for their sponsorship and support. With their trust and recognition of the influence of the SDIKFF which can make the Festival go a long way and benefit more international filmmakers, to spread their dream road out of their own brilliance.
