The San Diego International Film Festival is back for its 25th year this October!
We caught up with Tonya Mantooth, CEO/Artistic Director, to learn more about her and the Festival.
1. There aren’t a lot of CEO/Artistic Directors around! Tell us how you got into the Festival business.
Tonya: My career has been a producer in commercial and film production so I’m very passionate about the art of cinematic storytelling in all of its forms. 13 years ago, when several of us were asked to step in and rebuild the Festival, there were a couple of exciting opportunities: to create an economic driver for San Diego through cultural tourism and to give a voice to independent filmmakers from around the world, which is very meaningful to me.
2. You talk about ‘Celebrating the Power of Film’. Can you expand on that?
Tonya: Film is a unique medium that is so immersive it’s like walking in someone else’s shoes. You may not be a mountain climber, but watch a film about Sherpas and you gain a visceral understanding of what it’s like. So film has the power to broaden our perspectives and the potential to bridge our understanding of one another in our very complex and often divisive world.
3. Why would someone go to a Festival vs streaming films at home?
Tonya: I’m all for streaming films at home on my couch with a bowl of popcorn (and a nice glass of wine!). That being said, there’s something special about the Festival experience. It means seeing films from around the world that you can’t find anywhere else on a big screen in a theater together with other film lovers. Quite often it means hearing directly from the Filmmaker either in a post-screening Q&A or in a casual conversation in the festival lounge. You just don’t get that from your couch at home!
4. As the scope and influence of the Festival has grown, what makes you most proud?
Tonya: It’s two things. First, I’m so moved each year when independent filmmakers fly in from around the world at their own expense to attend the screening of their film at the Festival. Creating a film often takes years of work and it is so gratifying that they want to be with our audience when their film is shown on the big screen!
The second is our FOCUS on Impact Education Program and Film Library designed to help prepare our future leaders. This program provides anytime access to an extensive library of short films addressing various social issues with curriculum and interviews with filmmakers. All of the short films come out of the Festival – and FOCUS allows us to continue impactful conversations with the next generation of decision makers. It’s important to showcase films that show the social issues we face as human issues.
This program is in partnership with the San Diego Unified School District, the San Diego Community College District and through the San Diego County Office of Education we are able to offer this program to the Monarch Schools, Foster Youth Schools and in the classrooms inside the Juvenile Detention Center.
5. You’ve met a lot of interesting people. Who stands out to you?
Two people stand out. A few years ago we presented Annette Bening the Gregory Peck Excellence in Cinema Award at our Night of the Stars Tribute which takes place during the Festival. Up until then I hadn’t done a lot of public speaking and having your first major speech be to Annette Bening (oh and Warren Beatty was sitting next to her) to say I was very nervous is an understatement. It was such an honor for me and she was absolutely delightful – very down to earth and gracious.
The other is Bonnie Raitt – my all time favorite musician. I had the opportunity to go backstage to meet her at a concert she did at the Balboa Theater. I just remember having trouble forming a sentence…while she was so warm and welcoming.
6. And tell us something about Tonya that most people don’t know.
Tonya: Because my career has focused around film, people don’t know that I was a music major and studied classical piano. My grand piano is my prized possession and playing the piano is my own best form of meditation.
Editor’s Note: We found out a bit more about Tonya that most people don’t know. She is quite possibly the most awarded female producer in San Diego with 10 Emmys, ADDYs and other creative awards for commercial and film production! And, the San Diego International Film Festival has won The Reader’s Best Film Festival for several years in a row while MovieMaker Magazine recognized the Festival as one of America’s ‘20 Best Festivals in a Vacation Destination’! Congratulations, Tonya!
More info at sdfilmfest.com
