I started my San Diego International Film Festival experience in La Jolla, California on October 20th, 2022 at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. This was the second day of the festival and its 21st anniversary. The event I covered that night was Night of the Stars Tribute which was dedicated to celebrating some of Hollywood's most accomplished filmmakers and fan favorites. The night began with excitement as some of the cast and directors of this year's film submissions walked the red carpet.
Andy Garcia, recipient of the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence, was one of the talented individuals of the film industry walking the red carpet that evening. Mr. Garcia is most recognized for his role in The Godfather Part III as Vincent Corleone and in other films such as Ocean’s Eleven and The Lost City. Regina Hall and Lisa Ann Walter were there too to receive the Cinema Vanguard Award and the Virtuoso Award respectively. Regina Hall, a fan favorite character from the Scary Movie franchise, had nearly all attending the reception cheering enthusiastically. Dr. Brook Parker-Bello’s walk through the red carpet added to the excitement. Her emotional and impactful story honorifically and understandably earned her the Humanitarian Award. The award ceremony presenters did a phenomenal job educating the audience on Dr. Brook as a survivor and founder of More To Life Incorporated, a non-profit agency advocating aid to victims of sex-trafficking. Night of the Stars Tribute was more than recognition for the stars and their cinematic work; it was a demonstration of the humanity of individuals on and off the big screen.
There are two films from the film festival that moved me dearly. First, Lovely Jackson is a documentary film based on Rickey Jackson who spent 39 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. The film is an in-depth story about the investigation, the court hearings, and testimonies from the people involved. The film does well in documenting the mental state of Mr. Jackson throughout his prison sentence. We see how he changes beginning when he is convicted for murder, followed by his sentence to the electric chair, and ending when he is finally released because of the work of The Innocence Project. Lovely Jackson is heartwarming, passionate, and at times an infuriating work of art that documents how a fellow American can be treated so harshly. The strength and persistence of Rickey Jackson is inspiring and the use of black and white was creatively poignant strategy.
The second film I greatly appreciated was The Wind and the Reckoning directed by David L. Cunningham. This film was an extraordinary achievement from the almost all native Hawaiian cast and crew. It was a pleasure to listen to the film because nearly the entire dialogue was in the native Hawaiian language. During the question and answer part of the film screening, the cast described what an incredible blessing it was to share the real story of Pi’ilani and to do so with her people and their language. The film was shot in 14 days in Hawaii. The film mixes action and drama with good performances and a compelling historical story.
I will conclude by thanking Variety, Authenticid, All for Humanity, and all the patron members for making the San Diego International Film Festival such an enjoyable experience for the community. The festival was on break because of the pandemic but came back strong supporting and promoting various projects. I felt the festival provided an intimate setting for all art consumers and creatives. The lounges at the AMC UTC 14 and at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center were excellently organized. I send a big shout-out to the CEO and Artistic Director Tonya Mantooth and the film interns who helped keep this event fun and uplifting.