La Costa Film Festival Info and Ticket Giveaway

 Enter the giveaway at the end of this post!

Adding to the LCFF line up of celebrities, one of my favorite TV personalities, John C. McGinley, will be receiving the Legacy Award.

“Better known as Dr. Perry Cox on the NBC’s Emmy-nominated medical comedy Scrubs, actor, writer, producer John C. McGinley has had a remarkable career in film and television both in front of and behind the camera. Showcasing a diverse range of characters in over sixty feature films, some of McGinley’s most notable collaborations have been with director Oliver Stone in Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Talk Radio (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Nixon (1995) and Any Given Sunday (1999). McGinley will receive the La Costa Film Festival Legacy Award for the astonishing depth and breadth of creative work spanning three decades. Last year’s Legacy Award recipient is actor/producer/director Ed Harris (2014).

Included on the list of 47 films to be screened and as many as five “must see” world premieres all of which are sports-focused: the surfing documentary “7 Miles of Paradise,” “The Play” about the greatest play in the history of American football and “Tose,” about the former Philadelphia Eagles owner who established the first Ronald McDonald House.

“Our Festival is unique not simply because the venue is a legendary Hollywood get-away destination, the posh Omni La Costa Resort & Spa currently celebrating its 50^th Anniversary, but also for its emphasis on showcasing groundbreaking sports films,” states Festival President and co-founder Michael Callihan. “That’s not by accident. A key Festival sponsor, Mandalay Sport Entertainment (MSE), is a sports-focused content and media company that creates high quality and high volume programming. Their generous participation is instrumental in helping us attract some of the greatest sports filmmakers on the planet.”

The quintessentially Southern Californian opening night gala features the screening of All In Time under the stars on a huge 30×17 foot screen set up on the Resort’s center court where so many tennis greats have played.  A dramatic comedy about life, love, passion, All In Time actors Lynn Cohen, Sean Modica, Laura Shay, and Pritesh Shah as well as co-director/co-writer/producer Marina Donahue will be participate in a “Q&A with the audience” session.

In fact, the Festival boasts 18 “Q&A with the audience” session after film screenings. In addition, there are three panel programs free to the public:

1.       The Reel Pitch – a live film maker pitch competition.

2.       Game Changer – why diversity matters in business and film.

3.       Storytelling Through Sports – why it works.

“What I’m most excited about is not simply the amazing quality of movies (Festival-goers have given the dozens of feature and short films screened an average of 4 out of 5 stars) and the accessibility of the fans to the stars and film-makers, but our energetic connection with the Carlsbad community – especially the kids,” comments Festival co-founder Ruby Callihan.

Funded by the Coastal Community Foundation, the Festival collaborated with the digital media education non-profit Outside the Lens to hold an intense filmmaking workshop free to local 7th-9th graders. A truly hands-on experience, the students took the core film making concepts they learned and produced a short narrative film, FORE! which will screen on Saturday at the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium. Callihan adds, “for me, it’s perhaps the most important film of the entire event – not because of what is says so much as who is saying it – America’s next great film makers.”

In addition to the other film award categories, the winners of the high school short film competition will be announced and presented a $1,000 cash prize from ScholarShare later on Saturday’s La Costa Honors Awards Gala held at the Omni La Costa Resort’s edge pool.”

For tickets and information please visit LaCostaFilmFestival.org or email Tickets@LaCostaFilmFestival.org

• 2015 La Costa Film Festival movie trailers.
• 2015 La Costa Film Festival schedule.
• 2015 La Costa Film Festival sponsors and partners. 

Now for the giveaway. Please do any or all of the following actions. Each one gives you one entry. The more actions you complete increases your chances of winning the screening passes.  Winner will be selected Wednesday evening, and will be given a unique code to register on the LCFF website for the screening. Please read the Terms and Conditions.

If you’re interested in purchasing a festival pass, please use this friends and family 20% off code at checkout: LCFFFAM20.

See you at the La Costa Film Festival!