Susan Sarandon to Speak at the San Diego Film Festival
Two San Diego entrepreneurs and film makers have taken on a huge responsibility of furthering the role of the San Diego Film Festival. Tanya Mantooth, with 20 years of film production experience, and an eight time Emmy award winner, is director of programming for the San Diego Film Festival (SDFF). Her partner and husband, Dale Strack, with an extensive career in executive management, training, marketing, real estate and publishing, is chairman of the board and CEO for the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation, producer of the San Diego Film Festival.
To their credit, they have been able to enlist the support of Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon and filmmaker Thomas Morgan (“Waiting for Manu”) of Reframed Pictures who are set to partner with the SDFF to form the Social Justice Initiative, a panel making its inaugural appearance at this year’s fest. The Social Justice Initiative is a platform for documentary films to tell transformational stories with lasting social impact, with the goal of shining a light on socially relevant causes, people and issues. The Initiative will serve to reframe those stories in a way that is enlightening and eye opening. Sarandon and Morgan’s Reframed Pictures will work with the SDFF Vice President of Programming Tonya Mantooth to curate the featured films.
SDFF will kick off September 30, with the Social Justice Documentary Panel and Workshop on October 2. Moderating the panel will be Jeffrey Lyons and Ben Lyons, noted film critics. Set to appear at the panel are the following internationally renowned filmmakers: Kweku Mandela, Out of Africa Films; Dawn Porter (“Gideon’s Army,” 2014 Spirit Award winner); and Thomas Morgan (“Waiting for Manu”).
“Following last year’s great success, we are thrilled to continue to grow and strengthen the Film Festival with the help of our partners at Reframed Pictures,” said Mantooth. “We are honored to have Susan and her fellow filmmakers join the fold to make 2015 the best year yet.”
Tanya Mantooth and Dale Strack are on a mission, to get the word out about the San Diego Film Festival and the importance of documentary films.
The Film Festival, now in its 14th year, will commence on September 30 and run through October 4, featuring more than 100 film screenings which will be held at the Reading Theater in Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter (701 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, 92101) and ArcLight Cinemas in La Jolla (4425 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, 92122). As in past years, the fest will comprise winning independent films, filmmakers, actors, panels and parties.
According to Mantooth, filmmakers love coming to San Diego and see the benefits of the assets of the area. She also said that filmmakers like Sarandon identify San Diegans as being compassionate and eager to participate in social justice initiatives. Mantooth’s priority is to get the word out about the festival and to create national and international attention to the importance of documentary films with a cause.
For more information, visit www.sdfilmfest.com.
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