Catalina Film Festival

Annual event at the end of September, the Catalina Film Festival takes place on the United States' only West Coast resort island, "Hollywood's Island", Catalina Island, situated in Los Angeles County within the city of Avalon, California.

Catalina Film Festival
Opening filmMay 29, 1929
LocationSanta Catalina Island, Avalon, California
Founded byRon Truppa

Founded by Festival Director [Ron Truppa], Catalina is known as "Hollywood's Island", as it is the only west coast resort island in the United States, situated in Los Angeles County. Below a 6,200 person ballroom in the Avalon Casino, one of the main venues for the festival, the 1,154 seat Avalon Theater started construction in February 1928 to become the first sound theater ever built in the world by chewing gum-magnet William Wrigley, Jr. After its opening on May 29, 1929, Hollywood pioneers like Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith would come to Catalina just to screen their first "Talkie films." Marilyn Monroe lived on Catalina with her first husband during its World War II occupation. The Chicago Cubs, owned by William Wrigley, Jr., who also owned the controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company, held the Chicago Cubs spring training on the island for 30 years. In 1936 a young sports announcer named Ronald Reagan was discovered in Hollywood because he was in Catalina covering the spring training. Because of that history, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation honors his Hollywood legacy with an annual "Great Communicator" award at the Catalina Film Festival along with other industry tributes given by the festival with the cooperation of the families of Charles Spencer Chaplin, with the Charlie Chaplin ICON Award, Stanley Kramer, with the Stanley Kramer Social Artist Award, along with other industry trophies established by the festival. Many names in the entertainment business vacationed, filmed, or lived on Catalina over the past 100 years like Mack Sennett, Cary Grant, John Barrymore, Errol Flynn, Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Rooney, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, John Wayne, and so many more.

This non-profit organization and international film festival focuses on independent film, but also helps support the host island through its philanthropic efforts and beneficiary, the Catalina Island Conservancy. As protectors of 88% of the island's natural habitat, the Conservancy is not only credited with the quickest recovery of any endangered species in the world, the Catalina Island fox, but it also takes care of all the plant, marine, and wildlife on and around the island. The Conservancy gives out its own honor at the film festival, the ISLA Earth Award, focused on drawing attention to filmmakers and films that educated or project a message of conservation.

Past Industry Award Winners
2019
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
  • Stan Lee, Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award
  • Mark Rydell, Career Tribute Award
  • With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (Filmmakers), Majestic Award
2011
  • Ed Begley, Jr., ISLA Earth Conservancy Award
  • Atlas Shrugged, Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award

Past Filmmaker Awards
2018
  • Love Possibly (dir. Michael Boccalini & Che Grant), Best International Feature
2015
  • Loveband (written by Nicola Pedrozzi), Best Screenplay Award
2013
2012
  • Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy (dir. Rob Heydon), Best Feature
2011
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References
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