KPBS, in collaboration with the GI Film Group and the Film Consortium San Diego, announces the event schedule for the inaugural GI Film Festival San Diego to be held Oct. 13 to Oct. 18, 2015 at various venues throughout San Diego. The GI Film Festival, hosted annually in Washington DC, will make its first trip to San Diego and will feature a variety of films for, about and by service men and women. The festival aims to reveal the struggles, triumphs, and experiences of the military through compelling and authentic storytelling. All major film genres will be featured including dramas, documentaries, shorts, and personal narratives.
“GI Film Festival San Diego events and film selections have been carefully curated to accommodate the interests of San Diegans,” says Tom Karlo, general manager, KPBS. “Our selections include films from the DC festival, but will also take into account what families and aspiring filmmakers want, such as our Family Night on the USS Midway Museum and our Career Fair at NTC Liberty Station, where experts will gather to share their knowledge with attendees about how to break into the entertainment industry.”
Many of the events will be open to the public with special discounted opportunities for active duty personnel and veterans. KPBS will announce ticket prices and the final screening schedule in a few weeks. As of August 12, 2015, the list of festival events is as follows:
• Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.: Kick-off Screening & Party at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. This screening features the 2014 British film, Kilo Two Bravo, a dramatic retelling of a harrowing rescue in the midst of the Afghanistan conflict.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.: Screening & Filmmaker Talk. USD Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
• Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.: Screenings & Filmmaker Talks. Village Theatres in Coronado
• Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Family Movie Night featuring Max at the USS Midway Museum.
• Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Career Fair & Workshops Barracks 17 at NTC Liberty Station. Free admission.
• Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at 5 p.m.: Screenings & Filmmaker Talks. UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley at Hazard Center.
• Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015 at 12 noon: Local Film Showcase. UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley at Hazard Center.
• Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015 at 6 p.m.: Local Film Showcase Awards Ceremony. DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego – Mission Valley.
The GI Film Festival San Diego is part of an expanding KPBS initiative to better serve local military with meaningful content. Such content includes a four-part radio series called Incoming, which aired in May and featured stories written and narrated by local veterans. KPBS also contributes to the NPR series Back at Base, a multi-station collaborative chronicling the lives of U.S. troops in their local communities. By presenting the GI Film Festival San Diego, KPBS will continue to build on its military-related content and engagement programs.
Now in its tenth year, the GI Film Group produces and curates the annual GI Film Festival, which takes place each May in Washington, DC and Virginia. The San Diego festival allows the GI Film Group to extend their mission of preserving and sharing the stories of America’s GI to a new audience in San Diego. The GI Film Festival San Diego is sponsored by Qualcomm, Inc., National City Mile of Cars, and Lewis University with additional support provided by Scatena Daniels Communications. The festival is presented by KPBS in partnership with the GI Film Group and the Film Consortium San Diego.
About GI Film Group
The GI Film Group is a full service media company dedicated to preserving the stories of military veterans. GIFG is the production entity behind the award-winning GI Film Festival (GIFF), a 501 c(3), also known as “Sundance for the Troops,” which is held each May in Washington, DC. The festival is the first in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film.
About Film Consortium San Diego
The Film Consortium San Diego LLC is a social venture that stimulates film and television production in the region and increases networking, employment, education, funding and distribution opportunities in film, television and new media. The Film Consortium holds the Fall Film Festival, San Diego Film Awards, Winter Film Showcase, Summer at the Drive-in and various other screening and networking events.
About KPBS
KPBS serves the San Diego community with news and entertainment programming that respects our audience with inspiring, intelligent and enlightening content. KPBS delivers this content via multiple outlets, including television, radio, and digital media and will adapt and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
