CASE STUDY
KPBS / GI Film Festival San Diego
The largest military film festival in the U.S.
Overview
We have led media outreach and strategy for KPBS on its annual GI Film Festival San Diego since its inception in 2015. The largest military film festival in the U.S. aims to bridge the gap between military and civilian communities with a curated selection of unique and compelling films. Over the past 10 years, the festival has gained notoriety, increased media presence, and continuous positive feedback from audience members.
Challenge
We have to maintain the festival’s popularity among San Diego film fans and filmmakers while showcasing the event to the wider San Diego community. We aim to turn the GI Film Festival San Diego into a marquee event for the city.
Results
For the better part of the last decade, we have secured national, regional, and local coverage across all mediums. For the 2024 festival, we secured more than 119 placements with almost half prior to the festival window, which led to increased ticket sales. We consistently put a spotlight on the stories behind the films and their filmmakers rather than focusing solely on the films themselves, resulting in coverage that is deeply personal, undeniably human, and universally relatable.
Because of the high-profile nature of the six-day festival, our team coordinates interviews and media appearances for VIPs, such as documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Ric Burns; actor and activist George Takei; and actor/producer/director Jeffrey Wright, as well as for high ranking service members and veterans across all military branches. Attendees come from throughout the region to support the GI Film Festival San Diego.
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