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CORONADO ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL
Beyond the balance sheet
CIFF's binational San Diego–Baja identity and five-day industry footprint bring filmmakers, press, and jury members – including Oscar and BAFTA nominees and winners – into Coronado hotels and restaurants for a full week, positioning the City nationally as host to a serious, well-regarded festival. We are also several years into an intentional push toward Oscar-qualifying status for the ShortsFest, which, if achieved, raises Coronado's profile in exactly the way the City's other cultural investments are designed to do. None of that shows up in a per-hour facility fee comparison, but it is the return the waiver is actually buying.
That reach extends to how we promote the festival itself. CIFF invests more than $80,000 annually in PR, advertising, our website, and promotional materials – all of it built around Coronado as the festival's home. Our Orange Avenue banners are one small, visible piece of that campaign: custom-designed and City-approved, they welcome visitors across the bridge and signal, in a way nothing else does, that Coronado hosts a cultural event the whole town celebrates. We are, in effect, brand ambassadors for the City, spending real dollars to promote Coronado as our backdrop and host – and we're grateful for the platform that partnership provides.
What we're asking
We respectfully ask the Council to retain CIFF's current facility-use treatment – full waiver – rather than moving us to Tier 3. If the Council proceeds with a tiered framework, we ask that CIFF's placement account for our CPAC investment, our self-sufficient staffing model, and the fact that we are structurally a reinvestment event rather than a fundraiser; that any dollar comparison be run against CIFF's actual 2026 footprint rather than trailing-year figures; and that the Council weigh CIFF's cost impact against the other nonprofit organizers affected, not in isolation, when it returns in October with final tier assignments and phased-implementation options.
I am glad to provide any additional detail – hour-by-hour venue schedules, AV cost breakdowns, or CPAC investment records – that would help the Council in its deliberation.
Thank you for your time and your continued partnership with CIFF. It has never been taken for granted - the community grant and fee waivers has allowed us to continue to focus on the allocation of these critical funds where they are most needed and where the strongest return on investment lies-our community, the filmmakers experience, and affordable access for attendees.
Sincerely,
Merridee Book
CEO & Artistic Director
Coronado Island Film Festival
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Many of these events are offered free of charge or at minimal cost, making them available to a broad audience. CIFF is also proud to help generate year-round activity at the historic Coronado Village Theatre, one of the few remaining historic theatres in San Diego County. As the theatre enters a period of transition under new ownership, CIFF remains committed to supporting and activating this important community asset in ways uniquely suited to a nonprofit cultural organization.
Expanding Access to Film and Cultural Experiences
A central part of CIFF’s mission is making arts and cultural programming available to people who might not otherwise have access to it. During the Festival and throughout the year, we provide complimentary admission to students, military-connected individuals, community members, and the general public for more than 100 films, discussions, panels, and special programs.
Our partnerships with organizations such as Vet Tix, local schools, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations help us reach a wide range of participants. Through these efforts, attendees have opportunities to experience independent and international filmmaking, engage with filmmakers and industry professionals, and explore creative and educational interests.
For many complimentary screenings, advance registration is encouraged to help us manage seating and maintain appropriate event security. However, our Film Forum programs at the Coronado Public Library remain open and accessible to the community without a registration requirement.
Recognizing and Supporting the Military Community
Coronado’s longstanding connection to the military makes it especially important that the experiences and perspectives of service members, veterans, and military families have a place within our cultural programming.
Through CIFF’s Salute to Military programming, we present films and stories that explore service, sacrifice, perseverance, courage, and resilience. Active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families are invited to attend this programming at no cost during the Festival.
CIFF also provides complimentary Festival Badges to filmmakers with military connections, ensuring that those who have served have opportunities both to share their stories and participate in the Festival community.
Supporting New Perspectives and Future Filmmakers
CIFF creates opportunities for filmmakers at different stages of their careers and from a wide variety of backgrounds. For emerging artists in particular, the Festival can provide an important opportunity to have their work viewed by audiences and to establish connections with experienced industry professionals.
We also strive to recognize and celebrate the work of women and girls in filmmaking through conversations, panels, and special programming. By presenting a broad range of voices and perspectives, CIFF helps foster a community that is creative, inclusive, and culturally engaged.
Our programs bring together filmmakers, artists, students, educators, performers, volunteers, military families, residents, visitors, and other community organizations. Creating those connections and shared experiences is one of the most meaningful aspects of CIFF’s work.
Providing Opportunities for Community Volunteers
Volunteers are fundamental to the success of CIFF and our year-round programs. Coronado residents of all ages contribute their time and talents, with particularly strong participation from members of our senior community.
Volunteers assist with welcoming guests, supporting screenings and special events, helping filmmakers and audience members, and contributing to activities at the Village Theatre. Their involvement strengthens both CIFF and the broader community.
For many senior volunteers, participation offers benefits that extend well beyond volunteering at an event. It provides opportunities for social connection, continued engagement, access to Item 8.b
meaningful cultural experiences, and a sense of purpose. It also gives them a chance to contribute to a community and a historic venue that are personally important to them.
The Importance of Continued Fee Waivers and City Support CIFF operates with a modest nonprofit budget and limited staffing. Our organization has one full-time paid staff member—our Executive Director/Artistic Director—who is responsible for managing numerous aspects of the organization’s operations. Much of what CIFF is able to accomplish depends upon the commitment of our Board of Directors, volunteers, community partners, contractors, and supporters.
Because our resources are limited, significant increases in expenses or reductions in grants, donations, fee waivers, or in-kind assistance could have a serious effect on our ability to sustain both the annual Film Festival and our year-round programming.
For this reason, City fee waivers are much more than an operational benefit. They allow CIFF to use its limited resources where they can have the greatest impact—on films and programming, student opportunities, accessibility, filmmakers, military families, local businesses, and continued activity at the Village Theatre—rather than directing those funds toward administrative or event-related expenses.
We believe the City’s continued partnership with CIFF produces meaningful benefits for Coronado. Together, we support local economic activity, help preserve and activate a historic theatre, make arts programming accessible to a wider audience, encourage emerging talent, recognize the military community, and create opportunities for residents and visitors to come together.
We respectfully ask the Mayor and City Council to continue providing CIFF with fee waivers, financial assistance, and in-kind support. The City’s investment has played a vital role in the development of our organization, and continued support will help ensure that CIFF remains a strong and valuable cultural resource for Coronado in the years ahead.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for the City’s ongoing commitment to CIFF and the Coronado Village Theatre. We appreciate the confidence and support the City has shown our organization and remain proud to serve the community we call home. We look forward to continuing our work with the City of Coronado and to building upon the many ways film, the arts, and shared cultural experiences can bring our community together.
Sincerely,
Coronado Island Film Festival Board Member - Pam Sauter Item 8.b
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country and the globe – spending money at local hotels, restaurants, and retail locations.
Through their social media posts and networking, they spread the word about the beauty, charm, and artistic vitality of our community. The cultural return on that investment is immeasurable; the film festival brings together people of all political and personal persuasions – to laugh, cry, learn, think, discuss, and engage with one another around the art of film. As much as any community tradition, the film festival is a unifying event.
The longstanding partnership between the City and CIFF has produced enormous dividends for the community and will continue doing so with the City’s ongoing support. Please keep the facility fee waivers in place for the Coronado Island Film Festival. They are critically important to an institution that provides vital cultural and economic life to our community.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeanmarie Bond
Secretary
CIFF Board of Directors
Former Commissioner
Coronado Cultural Arts Commission
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Alison Lancaster
Treasurer, CIFF Item 8.b
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Respectfully,
Jennifer M. Franks
CIFF Board Member
--
nks
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and other special events. Many of these programs are free or offered at a very low cost, allowing residents and visitors of all ages to participate in meaningful arts and cultural experiences. CIFF is a top source of year-round activity and income for the historic Coronado Village Theatre, one of the last remaining historic theaters in San Diego County. As the theatre transitions to new ownership, CIFF is committed to supporting the Village Theatre in ways that only a nonprofit cultural organization can.
Making Film and the Arts Accessible
CIFF believes that high-quality arts and cultural programming should be accessible to everyone.
Throughout the year and during our festival, CIFF provides complimentary tickets to students, community members, military-connected individuals, and the general public for more than 100 carefully selected films, panels, and special events. CIFF partners with organizations such as Vet Tix to connect unsold tickets with military-connected individuals, and works with local schools, educational institutions, and non-profits to offer free access to our programming.
Through these partnerships, CIFF exposes participants to independent filmmaking, provide opportunities to connect with industry professionals, and foster an inclusive environment where attendees can explore their educational and artistic interests. While most participants attending our free film screenings are asked to register in advance to ensure seating and for security purposes, registration is not required for our Film Forum series at the library, which is open to all community members.
Honoring Those Who Serve
As a community with deep ties to the military, Coronado has a special responsibility to ensure that the stories of service members, veterans, and military families are represented and honored. Through CIFF's free Salute to Military programming, the organization elevates authentic stories of service, sacrifice, resilience, and courage. During the festival, active-duty service members, veterans, and their families receive complimentary access to this programming. CIFF also provides no-cost Festival Badges for military-connected filmmakers.
Celebrating Diverse Voices and Emerging Talent
CIFF provides a platform for filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, including emerging filmmakers who may otherwise have limited opportunities to have their work seen and to connect with industry professionals. The organization is also committed to highlighting the contributions of women and girls in filmmaking through panels, conversations, and special events. By bringing diverse voices and perspectives to Coronado, CIFF contributes to a culturally rich and welcoming community. CIFF programming brings together film lovers, artists, cultural organizations, performers, educators, students, volunteers, military families, residents, and visitors from throughout the region. This sense of community is one of CIFF’s greatest accomplishments.
Creating Meaningful Volunteer Opportunities
CIFF also provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for Coronado residents of all ages, with particularly strong participation from our senior community. Volunteers are an essential part of the festival and year-round programming, helping welcome guests, support screenings and events, assist filmmakers and audiences, and contribute to the operation of the Village Theatre.
For many of CIFF's senior volunteers, the organization provides much more than an opportunity to lend a hand. It offers a sense of purpose, connection, and belonging; access to the arts and cultural experiences they value; and a meaningful way to give back to the community and to local venues that hold a special place in their hearts.
Why Continued Fee Waivers Matter
CIFF operates on a very lean, nonprofit budget. We have just one paid full-time staff member, our Executive Director/Artistic Director, who wears many hats to keep the organization operating. The vast majority of CIFF's work is made possible through the dedication of the board, volunteers, community partners, contracted workers, and supporters. CIFF's financial Item 8.b
resources are very limited, and any significant increase in operating expenses or a reduction in donations, grants, fee waivers, or in-kind support could jeopardize the organization's ability to continue the Film Festival and year-round programs. City fee waivers are therefore not simply a cost savings for CIFF. They are an investment in the cultural life of Coronado. They allow CIFF to direct more of the limited resources toward programming, accessibility, students, filmmakers, military families, local businesses, and the Village Theatre rather than toward administrative and event-related costs.
I am deeply grateful for the City’s partnership, and for the confidence Coronado has placed in CIFF. The continued collaboration creates a meaningful return for the community: supporting local businesses, activating a historic theatre, providing accessible arts programming, nurturing emerging filmmakers, honoring military families, and bringing residents and visitors together through the shared experience of film.
I respectfully ask the City Council to continue providing CIFF with fee waivers, as well as financial and in-kind support. Your investment has helped CIFF become the organization it is today, and continued support will help ensure that CIFF can remain a vibrant cultural resource for Coronado for years to come.
Thank you for your continued partnership, your investment in CIFF and the Village Theatre, and your belief in the power of film to bring people together.
Sincerely,
Renee Simpson
Coronado Island Film Festival Board Member
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