An Oscar night viewing party brings Hollywood glamour to San Diego

Stars will stroll the red carpet on March 15 for Hollywood’s biggest night: The Academy Awards, known as the “Oscars.” San Diego is far from Tinseltown, but it, too, has its own glamour and glitz, and for a good cause. The Academy Awards Viewing Party, held at a private residence featuring its own red carpet, cocktails, and cuisine, is sponsored by The San Diego International Film Festival to raise funds for FOCUS on Impact, an initiative of the San Diego Film Foundation to bring education to San Diego schools “built on the belief that film is one of the most powerful tools for learning,” says SDIFF CEO and Artistic Director Tonya Mantooth. 

The program provides local teachers with free access to short films, teaching guides, and prerecorded question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers that explore a range of topics including the environment, immigration, mental health, and women’s rights. The idea is to spark discussion and build empathy. “Film breaks down stereotypes, softens judgment, and reminds us of our shared humanity,” says Mantooth.

The festival’s CEO and artistic director since 2012, she helped to put San Diego on the map as a respected destination on the global festival circuit. In recent years, films that premiered at the San Diego festival later went on to win three dozen Oscars and garnered 167 nominations. “My job is to curate the very best in cinematic storytelling — from independent filmmakers around the world to studio films generating awards buzz,” says Mantooth. “Last year alone, we received more than 3,500 submissions from 82 countries.” The 2026 festival is set for October 14 to 18 — five days of storytelling designed to inform, inspire, and entertain.

Mantooth’s own fascinating story is worthy of a movie script. The youngest of four siblings, her family moved often due to her father’s construction work. A Seminole Indian, her father grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma. Even though her parents split, they taught their children adaptability, resilience, and diligence, which proved invaluable in Mantooth’s own career. Two of Mantooth’s older brothers became actors in television series and movies. The eldest, Randolph “Randy” Mantooth, was best known for portraying paramedic Johnny Gage in the 1970s television series Emergency! and became a popular speaker at events for fire service and emergency medical professionals around the country. 

Their “kid” sister, meanwhile, attended San Marcos High School, studied music and piano with a minor in business at San Diego State University, and toured the country with a Top 40 band. Tonya later learned how movies are marketed at a film company, founded the Dakotah Group where she produced national television campaigns and documentaries, and became production vice president at digital advertising firm Aviatech. As the founder of Mantooth Studios, she expanded into animation and computer generated imagery (CGI), and independent filmmaking, including a pilot for a Nickelodeon series. “When I look back,” she reflects, “the common thread is storytelling.”

Recently, Tonya and brother Randy wrapped production of Into the Unknown, a documentary with Executive Producer Steve Buscemi (star of the TV series Boardwalk Empire) that offers what Tonya describes as “an unfiltered look at the lives of paramedics today.” The project, filmed on the road over 65 days, “captures the physical, emotional, and mental toll faced by first responders nationwide and gives voice to those who are often the first to arrive in moments of crisis,” she says. 

This year’s Academy Viewing Party “blends Hollywood glamour with a powerful mission, using film to educate, inspire, and cultivate empathy in the next generation of leaders,” says Tonya. “As guests raise a glass at this year’s party, they’ll be celebrating more than Hollywood’s biggest night. They’ll be supporting a vision that uses the power of film to connect, educate, and inspire — one story at a time.” 619.818.2221, sdfilmfest.com