A Short History of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival was founded in 1993 by Mary Harris, Cathy Peacock, Jim Dee, Patty Dee and Lee Cogan. Originally a week-long celebration of classic films, it included 32 screenings and a tribute to film director, George Sidney. He won the King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking that year and began the annual tradition of awarding a successful motion picture industry personality with the prestigious award on the stage of the beautiful Fremont Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Mary Harris continued to spearhead the festival for the next nine years, growing it to include the George Sidney Independent Film Competition which brought exciting, independent cinema to San Luis Obispo helping to promote independent filmmaking and young up-and-coming talent. She also added filmmaking seminars to the festival which attracted a wide variety of filmmaking professionals from nearby Hollywood and all over the country.
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival continues to grow and thrive as an oasis for independent filmmakers to screen their films and have face to face contact with enthusiastic audiences in talk-back sessions and workshops.
In 2004, the festival moved from October to March and the 2006 SLOIFF was held just two days after the Academy Awards and included more independent films than ever before. Over 25 filmmakers attended the 6 day festival with 29 films competing for awards. The red carpet was rolled out for Greg Noll, Stacey Peralta, and Jeff Clark attending a special sold-out screening of Riding Giants and later that week, the King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking went to actor, Morgan Freeman who was applauded by yet another sell-out crowd at the Fremont Theatre after the pre-release screening of his newest film, "Lucky Number Slevin." In attendance were good friends Malcolm McDowell, Phil Alden Robinson and Academy Award-winning editor, Neil Travis. Awards were also presented to independent filmmakers by actors Keith Carradine and Zac Efron.
The 2007 festival played host to over 85 visiting filmmakers, close to 100 independent and classic films, and many special events, workshops and parties. Irving Thalberg recipient, Norman Jewison was honored with a King Vidor Award on the first weekend of the festival along with a screening of one of his great films, "Moonstruck." Academy Award nominee, James Cromwell was awarded a King Vidor award on the second weekend and participated in an acting panel. Henry Jaglom, Melissa Joan Hart and many other excellent new and veteran filmmakers won awards in the George Sidney Independent Film Competition, and the famous surf filmmaking family, Bruce, Dana and Wes Brown were on hand for the second annual Surf Night in SLO.
The 2008 festival featured an exciting lineup of over 100 independent and classic films, special guests like Josh Brolin and David Crosby and King Vidor Award honoree, Peter Fonda. Surf Night in SLO sold out once again with a memorable tribute to 95-year old Bud Browne, the grandaddy of surf filmmaking. Legendary surfers, Gerry Lopez, John Peck, Fred Van Dyke, Linda Benson, Joel Tutor and many others were here to pay their respects and enjoyed one of Bud's films, "Surfin' the 50's." The new Hollywood & Vines events brought together great classic films with excellent local wines and food, at some unusual venues around the county. King Vidor was the focus of film retrospective. 2008 Schedule.
The March 2009 Festival featured an unusual opening night gala at Corbett Vineyards, where Malcolm McDowell received the King Vidor Award. The Festival boasted a great lineup of new films and many filmmakers and attendees enjoyed the multitude of parties and special events throughtout the 10 days, in venues all over the county. Robert and David Carradine, along with stuntmen Norman Howell and other riders, robbed the train at Santa Margarita Ranch; Australian surf legend Nat Young was honored at the 4th annual Surf Nite, with his son Beau and world champion Linda Benson in attendance; and John Waters helped close the Festival with a hilarious show at the Fremont Theatre, after the Independent Film Awards hosted by film critic, Mick LaSalle. 2009 Schedule.
The 2010 Festival is shaping up to be another great one! There are sponsorship opportunities still available - become a sponsor of a film, a reception or even a Red Carpet event. For more information, please call Festival Director, Wendy Eidson - (805) 235-1507.
The King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking
King Vidor, a former local resident, holds the record in the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest career as a film director: beginning in 1913 with Hurricane in Galveston and ending in 1980 with a documentary called The Metaphor. In the course of his career, he directed sixty-four films, including War and Peace, The Fountainhead, and second-unit work on The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind.
He made the transition from silent to sound and from black-and-white to color film, and he was nominated for five Academy Awards. King Vidor lives on through this nobel namesake presentation, bestowed each year on filmdoms most deserving honorees.
We present the King Vidor Award as an annual tribute to a talented filmmaker, actor, or film artist in recognition of his or her exceptional artistic contributions to the motion picture industry and to filmmaking in general.
King Vidor Award Recipients
- 1993 - George Sidney
- 1994 - Delbert Mann
- 1995 - Edward Dmytryk
- 1996 - Robert Wise
- 1997 - Ernest Borgnine
- 1998 - Stanley Kramer
- 1999 - Jim Dee
- 2000 - Robert A. Harris & James C. Katz
- 2001 - Howard Keel
- 2002 - Elmer Bernstein
- 2003 - festival restructured
- 2004 - Eva Marie Saint
- 2005 - festival changed to March
- 2006 - Morgan Freeman
- 2007 - Norman Jewison & James Cromwell
- 2008 - Peter Fonda
- 2009 - Malcolm McDowell
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
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