{"id":46960,"date":"2025-11-10T20:15:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/46960\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:15:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:15:10","slug":"from-colors-to-culinary-cinema-shorts-to-star-studded-features-ciff-had-something-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/46960\/","title":{"rendered":"From colors to culinary cinema, shorts to star-studded features, CIFF had something for everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Coronado Island Film Festival had a colorful array of more than 130 films including \u201cThe Pantone Guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a jam-packed five days as the Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) went all out for its 10th anniversary, with more than 130 films shown at seven venues. The lineup included independent titles, spotlight films, and a ShortsFest Exhibition. The festival opened with Dead Man\u2019s Wire and included revealing international stories; American Solitaire proved to be an intense drama delving into veteran and gun issues; there were an array of documentaries, a special look at costume design with Edith Head, and star-studded movies like Jay Kelly with George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Billy Crudup. Closing out the weekend were Sentimental Value and the traditional end of the festival: Some Like It Hot.<\/p>\n

A very small sampling of the many films I enjoyedThe Pantone Guy (The King of Color)<\/p>\n

Creating a new language is not an easy feat, and although he didn\u2019t set out to accomplish that, Larry Herbert developed the Pantone Matching System\u00ae, which is the universal language of color. When The Pantone Guy documentary was made, Herbert was nearly 95 years old and he felt it was time for his legacy to be immortalized. Growing up as a Jewish immigrant in Brooklyn, he set his sights on becoming a doctor, purely as a way to make money. But after obtaining a biochemistry degree, he got sidelined in the Korean War and ended up taking a color matching job at Pantone \u2013 at the time both an advertising agency and a commercial printer.<\/p>\n

Herbert revolutionized printing by creating a split fountain press which allowed 28 colors to be printed simultaneously. Ultimately, he was able to buy the company from the two brothers that owned it, with money loaned to him by a carpool friend, who said she did it as penance for her German ancestors. He was able to quickly pay her back, but she wouldn\u2019t accept shares in the company or even the Cadillac she coveted.<\/p>\n

At the time, there were no standardized color formulas, and people didn\u2019t understand the chemistry of color. Herbert began to create formulas and produced a dictionary of colors that would translate worldwide. His Pantone System showed that with black and white, along with eight basic colors, 500 colors could be created. This was demonstrated in color books that could be widely distributed.<\/p>\n

In a unique discovery, Herbert found that his eyes saw colors in a unique way, with one eye seeing how the ink looks wet and the other visualizing the variation in color when it dries. His son and two daughters worked at Pantone also, and he continued inventing and developing ideas, translating his system to the publishing, fashion, design, and digital industries, to name just a few.<\/p>\n

The now well-known and influential Color of the Year was announced in 1999 and debuted with Cerulean blue for 2000. Herbert shared that colors evoke emotions and the sky blue was selected to help calm the Y2K fears and light the potential of the new century. Recent colors were peach fuzz in 2024 and mocha mousse for 2025<\/a>. Herbert sold the company in 2007 for $180 million and became an active philanthropist.<\/p>\n

\u201cColor is joy,\u201d stresses Herbert. I thoroughly enjoyed learning this hidden story, which was filmed over two years, including nine hours of interviews with him \u2013 he is now 97 and shared that he loves to be the center of attention. Through his involvement with the American Film Institute (AFT), he was able to approach them with funding secured to make a movie about his life.<\/p>\n

Color is a universal language, and Herbert is the little-known inventor of creating a shared understanding of color communication that changed the world. During the informative Q&A after the film, Producer H. Nelson Tracy shared that distribution rights have been secured with a new name The King of Color, which will show in limited theater release in December in New York and Los Angeles, then go to Amazon and other streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

Culinary Cinema\"\"<\/a>The Q&A at the Culinary Savory Shorts gave interesting insights into the filming of food.<\/p>\n

Launched at CIFF 2018, the Culinary Cinema Series is a fan favorite. I immensely enjoyed the Culinary Savory Shorts which featured three films.<\/p>\n

The first highlighted the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has graduates now working as chefs in 14 countries.<\/p>\n

The second documentary was Gus Doesn\u2019t Serve Calamari and is a nod to Chef Gus Trejo of the Jack O\u2019Neill Restaurant in Santa Cruz. He sources food locally from 18 farms to which he pays homage on the menu.<\/p>\n

The third in the series featured Lisa Dahl in\u00a0Blessed by Grace, about her culinary journey changing the food scene in Sedona, Arizona, since relocating there after the tragic loss of her son. With six restaurants of different ethnicities, she gets joy from feeding others. She has launched the Lisa Dahl Foundation<\/a>, which is twofold with Soup Hope, providing a hearty, protein soup for those in need, and Justin\u2019s Garden, which is an urban garden for those down on their luck. An enlightening Q&A followed the films, followed by a food and wine pairing with Lisa and her husband Rick on hand to greet guests.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Lisa Dahl, \u201cBlessed by Grace,\u201d and her husband Rick were on hand to serve attendees her delicious Soup Hope and empanadas.<\/p>\n

Another highlight of the festival was the Beatles special engagement on Saturday afternoon with more than 350 attendees. All participants are encouraged to scan the QR code on their program or visit coronadofilmfest.com<\/a> to vote for their favorite films. Kudos to the CIFF staff and many volunteers who pulled off another cinematic feat, which this year saw an audience of approximately 10,000 reservations and ticket bookings. Everyone I talked to cannot wait to see what enlightening stories will be on the screens next year when the curtains open.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>2025 Jury Award Winners<\/p>\n

Additionally, CIFF has announced its 2025 Jury Award Winners, honoring outstanding achievements in filmmaking and screenwriting. This year\u2019s honorees represent a powerful blend of creativity, originality, and cinematic vision, from emerging student filmmakers to established storytellers whose work continues to inspire audiences.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Merridee Book. Photo by Joel Ortiz<\/p>\n

\u201cCelebrating the 2025 Jury Award winners is more than honoring individual achievements\u2014it\u2019s a testament to creativity, vision, and the enduring power of story,\u201d said Merridee Book, CEO & Artistic Director of the Coronado Island Film Festival. \u201cTheir stories reflect courage, imagination, and the kind of cinematic voice we\u2019re thrilled to champion. This cohort of winners demonstrates the incredible range of talent and passion that defines CIFF, showcasing the power of storytelling to connect and inspire audiences around the world. We\u2019re honored to celebrate their achievements and excited to see how they continue to shape the future of independent film.\u201d<\/p>\n

2025 Jury Award Winners \u2013 Film Categories<\/p>\n

The Emerald Award
Film:\u00a0Wild Hope: Significant Otters and Building for Birds
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Sarah Arnoff
Prize:\u00a0$3,000<\/p>\n

Dr. George M. Sanger Student Award \u2013 Jury Grand Prize for Student Film
Film:\u00a0You & Me (& Chaz & Rodney)
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Lilly Lion
Prize:\u00a0$1,500<\/p>\n

Dr. George M. Sanger Student Award \u2013 Jury Prize Advanced Student
Film:\u00a0We\u2019re Not the Same
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Claire Elyse de Vries
Prize:\u00a0$750<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Hunter Niclkess. Photo by Joel Ortiz<\/p>\n

Dr. George M. Sanger Student Award \u2013 Jury Prize High School Student
Film:\u00a0Where We Left Off
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Hunter Nickless
Prize:\u00a0$750<\/p>\n

The Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Award \u2013 Mary Pickford Award
Film:\u00a0Magic Hour
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Jacqueline Christy
Prize:\u00a0$1,500<\/p>\n

The Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Award \u2013 Fearless Female Filmmaker Award
Film:\u00a0Seems Like Love
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Yana Klimova-Yusupova
Prize:\u00a0$1,000<\/p>\n

The Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Award \u2013 Frances Marion Award
Film:\u00a0We\u2019re Not the Same
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Claire Elyse de Vries
Prize:\u00a0$1,000<\/p>\n

The Bardin Animation Award \u2013 Jury Grand Prize
Film:\u00a0Forevergreen
<\/a>Winners:\u00a0Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears
Prize:\u00a0$3,000<\/p>\n

The Bardin Animation Award \u2013 Jury Special Recognition
Film:\u00a0The Little Ancestor
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur
Prize:\u00a0$2,000<\/p>\n

Best Documentary Short Jury Award
Film:\u00a0Inside, The Valley Sings
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Nathan Fagan<\/p>\n

Best Narrative Short Jury Award
Film:\u00a0A Guest in My Country
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0John Gray<\/p>\n

Best Narrative Feature Jury Award
Film:\u00a0Charliebird
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Libby Ewing<\/p>\n

Best Documentary Feature Jury Award
Film:\u00a0Building on the Edge
<\/a>Winners:\u00a0Mike Scalisi, Bruce Borowsky<\/p>\n

Best International Short Jury Award
Film:\u00a0A Good Day Will Come
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Amir Zargara<\/p>\n

Best International Feature Jury Award
Film:\u00a0Seems Like Love
<\/a>Winner:\u00a0Yana Klimova-Yusupova<\/p>\n

2025 Jury Award Winners \u2013 Screenwriting Categories<\/p>\n

Screenwriting Award \u2013 Limited Series Jury Grand Prize
Winner:\u00a0Kelly Blackard\u00a0for\u00a0Crate Diggers
Prize:\u00a0$2,000<\/p>\n

Limited Series Pilot \u2013 Top Finalist
Winner:\u00a0Bixby Elliot\u00a0for\u00a0Weeki Wachee
Prize:\u00a0$500<\/p>\n

Feature Script \u2013 Jury Grand Prize
Winner:\u00a0Michael Graf\u00a0for\u00a0The Last Indian War
Prize:\u00a0$2,000<\/p>\n

Feature Script \u2013 Top Finalist
Winner:\u00a0Jamie Campbell\u00a0for\u00a0Kirby in Limbo
Prize:\u00a0$500<\/p>\n

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