Bob Mackie to receive King Vidor award at San Luis Obispo Film Festival
Documentary naked illusion screens before designer’s live conversation and reception
– The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival will honor costume designer Bob Mackie with the King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. The festival will run from April 24 through April 29, with the award ceremony scheduled for April 28.
A screening of the documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Palm Theatre, followed by a reception and a question-and-answer session with Mackie and design director Joe McFate of the Bob Mackie Design Group at the Hotel San Luis Obispo.
Mackie is an American costume designer known for a career spanning more than 60 years. He has created designs for entertainers including Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Elton John, Miley Cyrus, P!nk, Tina Turner and Zendaya. He has received nine Emmy Awards, three Oscar nominations, and a Tony Award.
Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion explores Mackie’s personal and professional journey. Directed by Matthew Miele, the film includes interviews with Cher, P!nk, Tom Ford, Miley Cyrus, RuPaul Charles and Carol Burnett.
Past recipients of the King Vidor Award include Josh Brolin, Heather Graham, Pam Grier, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Ann-Margret, Morgan Freeman, Eva Marie Saint and Peter Fonda.
The festival will also present its Spotlight Award to Jay Duplass. His film The Baltimorons will screen on April 27 at the Fremont Theater following its debut at the South by Southwest festival. The Spotlight Award presentation will begin at 5 p.m., followed by a screening and a question-and-answer session with Duplass and Michael Strassner, the film’s co-writer and star.
The closing night selection will be Coastal, a documentary featuring musician Neil Young on a solo tour along the coast. Directed by Daryl Hannah, the film includes a post-screening discussion with Hannah and Young.
Other festival events include a screening of Magic Hour starring Miriam Shor and Josh Stamberg, who will participate in a question-and-answer session following the 7:15 p.m. screening on April 26.
The annual Coastal Awakening film series, presented by a Central Coast nonprofit, will honor David Lynch with screenings of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Eraserhead (1977), and Meditation, Creativity, Peace (2012). Bob Roth, chief executive officer of the David Lynch Foundation, will participate in a question-and-answer session following the screening of the 2012 documentary.
The festival will screen more than 100 films across multiple categories, including narrative features, shorts, documentaries and music videos. Events also include Surf Nite, the Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase, Cal Poly Short Cuts, and the Music Video Showcase.
Community of Skate returns on April 27 at the Fremont Theater with screenings of Skategoat, Against the Current and Chico Brenes’ 7X7. A discussion will follow with skaters Haden McKenna and Leandre Sanders of Skategoat, Chico Brenes, and director Aaron Meza. A meet and greet will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. at Ceremony Skate Shop.
The festival is a qualifying event for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Winners of the Best Documentary Short category may be eligible for Oscar consideration at the 98th Academy Awards.
Sixty-eight films are entered in the George Sidney Independent Film Competition. Entries are eligible for jury awards and audience awards. Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase films are also eligible in those categories.
For more information and to purchase passes, visit: https://slofilmfestival2025.eventive.org/welcome
