San Diego appears on screen in everything from the Top Gun films to TV series like Veronica Mars and even this year's Best Picture, One Battle After Another, with filming locations across the city and county playing a role. The panel covers historical context, logistics, and the economic impact of filming in San Diego with Beth Accomando (KPBS Cinema Junkie host; founder, Film Geeks SD), Tonya Mantooth (CEO and artistic director, the San Diego International Film Festival), Greg Sowizdrzal (president, IATSE Local 122; leader, the San Diego County Film Initiative), Jake Rowlett (SDSU researcher in media and tourism geographies), and J. Stephen Peace and Costa Dillon, who co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes franchise from 1978 through the 2026 release Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence. Moderated by Melissa T. Miller.
