History
The beginning years (1993–2002)
The inaugural Festival was launched in 1993 with the support of a special grant from the City of San Luis Obispo, along with the key involvement of Jim Dee and the Palm Theatre. It debuted November 4–7, 1993, complete with searchlights and an Opening Night Gala at which the restored film El Cid was presented.
Mary Harris continued to lead the festival for the next nine years. As Artistic Director, Cathy Peacock created the George Sidney Independent Film Competition, which brought more independent cinema to San Luis Obispo and helped promote up-and-coming talent. They also added seminars that attracted filmmaking professionals from nearby Hollywood and all over the country.
The King Vidor Award
Veteran film director George Sidney was the first recipient of the King Vidor Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Filmmaking, and Sidney became an enthusiastic booster for the event. In recognition of his contributions to film, as well as his involvement with the Festival, the Festival’s independent film competition was named in his honor.
King Vidor, a former local resident, holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest career as a film director: beginning in 1913 with Hurricane in Galveston and ending in 1980 with a documentary called The Metaphor. He directed sixty-four films, made the transition from silent to sound and from black-and-white to color, and was nominated for five Academy Awards.
We present the King Vidor Award as an annual tribute to a talented filmmaker, actor, or film artist in recognition of his or her exceptional artistic contributions to the motion picture industry and to filmmaking in general.
A spring festival (2004–2020)
In 2004 the festival moved from October to March. Wendy Eidson joined as Artistic Director and went on to lead the festival as Festival Director until 2021, expanding the program of new, unreleased independent films while keeping the history of film in every festival with classics, silent films, seminars and panels.
Surf Night in SLO began in 2006 and became an audience favorite. The first downtown Festival Lounge opened in 2016, and the 25th festival in 2019 honored Alfred Molina. In March 2020 the in-person festival was cancelled because of COVID-19 and moved online as “Watch at Home”.
A new era (2021–today)
In 2021 Skye McLennan became Executive Director, with Wendy Eidson as Artistic Director; the festival was mostly virtual, with over 100 films. 2022 brought the first full in-person festival since the pandemic, opening with Fire of Love and honoring King Vidor recipient Dale Dickey. In 2023 opening night hosted BlackBerry, Surf Nite returned, and the festival closed with iMordecai, with Judd Hirsch receiving the Spotlight Award.
The Palm Theatre now also hosts the SLO Film Center, showcasing independent film year-round.
Recent festivals (2024–2026)
Year by year
1993
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival debuted November 4–7, 1993. It opened to great fanfare, complete with searchlights and an Opening Night Gala at which the restored film El Cid was presented. The Festival celebrated the 100th anniversary of the movies with a slate of restored and classic films, as well as new independent films. The first King Vidor Memorial Award for lifetime achievements in the art of filmmaking was presented to Academy Award-winning director and producer George Sidney.
1994
The Opening Night Gala featured the screening of the newly-restored My Fair Lady. The King Vidor Memorial Award was presented to Academy Award-winning director Delbert Mann, and a retrospective of his films was shown. A remembrance of noted composer Henry Mancini marked his recent passing. The Festival screened several King Vidor films in honor of his centennial. In addition to new films with Central Coast premieres, a number of classic films were shown, and noted screenwriters participated in the Festival’s first panel event, “Ethical Issues in Screenwriting.”
1995
Opening Night featured the screening of A Hard Day’s Night, in honor of the 75th anniversary of United Artists. Special guest producer Walter Shenson discussed the making of this landmark film. Other Festival highlights included An Evening with Noah Wyle; a Tribute to film director Edward Dmytryk, King Vidor Memorial Award recipient; an appreciation of film noir; a Buster Keaton Centennial Celebration with audience favorite Bob Mitchell providing live accompaniment; and a Salute to Art Directors with a stellar lineup of award-winning art directors participating in a panel discussion and screenings of their films.
1996
The Festival expanded to 10 days, and began with an Opening Night screening of The Music Man, complete with the SLO High Marching Band performing 76 Trombones as they marched down the aisles of the Fremont Theatre. The King Vidor Memorial Award was presented to Academy Award-winning director Robert Wise; showings of his films The Sound of Music and The Day the Earth Stood Still were wildly popular. Additional highlights included the inaugural year of the George Sidney Independent Film Competition; An Evening with Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro; a Salute to Film Editors with panel discussion and special screenings, and the silent film Wings accompanied by Bob Mitchell.
1997
The Festival added screenings in Arroyo Grande to the mix, and opened with a Gala Tribute to Academy Award-winning actor Ernest Borgnine, recipient of the King Vidor Memorial Award. The Festival also presented a tribute to the Western; an Homage to director Don Siegel; a Salute to Cinematographers with panel discussion and screenings; a celebration of Academy Award-winning director Frank Capra; a collaboration with Cinewomen, and a silent film closing event featuring silents by Capra accompanied by the San Luis Obispo Symphony Ensemble.
1998
Opening Night was a memorable tribute to Stanley Kramer, recipient of the King Vidor Award.
1999
The festival paid tribute to Jim Dee of the Palm Theatre, recipient of the King Vidor Award.
2000
Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz received the King Vidor Award.
2001
Howard Keel received the King Vidor Award.
2002
The 10th anniversary festival, with a tribute to King Vidor Award recipient Elmer Bernstein.
2004
Eva Marie Saint received the King Vidor Award.
2006
Morgan Freeman received the King Vidor Award, and Surf Night in SLO began.
2007
The 2007 festival played host to over 85 visiting filmmakers, close to 100 independent and classic films, and many special events, workshops and parties. Irving Thalberg recipient Norman Jewison was honored with a King Vidor Award on the first weekend of the festival along with a screening of one of his great films, Moonstruck. Academy Award nominee James Cromwell was awarded a King Vidor Award on the second weekend and participated in an acting panel. Henry Jaglom, Melissa Joan Hart and many other excellent new and veteran filmmakers won awards in the George Sidney Independent Film Competition, and the famous surf filmmaking family, Bruce, Dana and Wes Brown, were on hand for the second annual Surf Night in SLO.
2008
The 2008 festival featured an exciting lineup of over 100 independent and classic films, special guests like Josh Brolin and David Crosby and King Vidor Award honoree Peter Fonda. Surf Night in SLO sold out once again with a memorable tribute to 95-year-old Bud Browne, the granddaddy of surf filmmaking. Legendary surfers Gerry Lopez, John Peck, Fred Van Dyke, Linda Benson, Joel Tudor and many others were here to pay their respects and enjoyed one of Bud’s films, Surfin’ the 50’s. The new Hollywood & Vines events brought together great classic films with excellent local wines and food, at some unusual venues around the county. King Vidor was the focus of a film retrospective.
2009
Malcolm McDowell received the King Vidor Award.
2010
Alan Arkin received the King Vidor Award.
2011
Greg Kinnear received the King Vidor Award.
2012
Richard Taylor received the King Vidor Award. The first Spotlight Award went to celebrity photographer Timothy White.
2013
John Hawkes received the King Vidor Award, and documentary filmmaker Leslie Iwerks the Spotlight Award.
2014
Jeff Bridges received the King Vidor Award, and actor Adam West the Spotlight Award.
2015
Peter Bogdanovich received the King Vidor Award, and screenwriter and director John Milius the Spotlight Award.
2016
The first downtown SLO Festival Lounge opened. Ann-Margret received the King Vidor Award, and screenwriter Anthony Peckham the Spotlight Award.
2017
A Mardi Gras-themed Opening Night with Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges. Josh Brolin received the King Vidor Award, and film critic Leonard Maltin the Spotlight Award.
2018
Attendance grew again. Pam Grier received the King Vidor Award, and screenwriter, director and producer Robin Swicord the Spotlight Award.
2019
The 25th festival. Alfred Molina received the King Vidor Award.
2020
The in-person festival in March was cancelled because of COVID-19 and moved online as “Watch at Home”. Lawrence Kasdan received the King Vidor Award.
2021
Skye McLennan became Executive Director, with Wendy Eidson as Artistic Director; the festival was mostly virtual, with over 100 films.
2022
The first full in-person festival since the pandemic, opening with Fire of Love and honoring King Vidor recipient Dale Dickey.
2023
Opening night hosted BlackBerry, Surf Nite returned, and the festival closed with iMordecai, with Judd Hirsch receiving the Spotlight Award. Rick Carter received the King Vidor Award.
2024
Heather Graham received the King Vidor Award.
2025
Bob Mackie received the King Vidor Award, and director, producer, actor and writer Jay Duplass the Spotlight Award.
