Red carpet at Catalina Film Festival : Eliza Taylor, Bob
Morley and many more
CINEMA BY THE SEA: CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL TURNS 15 WITH COMMUNITY REUNION & CELEBRITY TRIBUTES
Catalina Film Festival’s 15th Anniversary celebration spotlighted the power of community—on screen and off. Comedian and actor Ken Jeong, best known for his unforgettable role as Mr. Chow in The Hangover, was crowned the Festival’s King of Comedy at Saturday’s red carpet Awards Ceremony, at the iconic Avalon Theater. The award was presented by his longtime friend and Community co-star, Yvette Nicole Brown, who he affectionately referred to as “bubby” multiple times on stage.
As expected, Jeong had the audience rolling with laughter, blending heartfelt sincerity with his signature wit. He traced his inspiring path from practicing medicine at Kaiser Permanente to portraying doctors on TV, crediting his wife, Dr. Tran Ho, for pushing him to leap headfirst into Hollywood. With his trademark candor, Jeong repeatedly thanked his “Ho,” turning the heartfelt tribute into one of the night’s biggest punchlines.
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Never missing an opportunity for a gag, Jeong joked that the journey to Catalina’s “Hollywood by the Sea” took “about 19 hours” and quipped that the Festival should consider upgrading him from King to Emperor. In true Catalina fashion, the production team rolled with the bit, flashing an edited onscreen title mid-ceremony—much to Jeong’s delight and the audience’s roaring applause.
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The 4-day Catalina Film Festival wrapped its 15th Anniversary on Sunday with Industry Panels: Music to Our Ears - Film Soundtrack, moderated by CFF Co-Founder Delious “Tim” Kennedy (Grammy Award-winning group: All-4-One), featuring Chanda Dancy, Allyson Newman, Youssef Guezoum; Peter Murray, and Logan Gammill. Festival, Markets & Distribution featuring Heather Brittain; Mitesh Panel, Chandler Film Fest; Max Geschwind, CAA; and Shawn Quirk.
Other festival highlights included a Roller-Skating Party in the ballroom of the Catalina Casino, annual Lions Den Pitch Panel featuring Lions: Michelle Danner, Director; Thomas Adam, MRC (Knives Out, Saltburn); Jonathan Brostoff, Platinum Dunes (A Quiet Place, The Purge); J.T. Madicus, Star Nova Ventures; Jeff Reynolds Film Producer; Shival Bajpay, Atlas; and the exclusive Wes Craven Horror & Thriller short film block. CFF is the only festival to present an official Wes Craven Award, sanctioned by Wes himself, and posthumously continued on by his family.
For a complete list of the 2025 Catalina Film Festival Award Winners: www.catalinafilm.org.
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