Beach Break Entertainment LLC

A postcard highlighting the films we showed-printed by our dedicated returning sponsors, The Compass Palermo Properties Team, for our 2023 second annual three day film festival. About Us: The Story of Beach Break Entertainment and Film Festival

Beach Break Entertainment was born out of a desire to bring people together through the power of film. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when theaters sat empty and screens became solitary experiences, our founder, Julie Roskoph Mell, launched a drive-in to reunite the community safely and engagingly. For many, it was the first time in months they could see friends, share laughter, and enjoy storytelling on the big screen once again.

A Legacy of Community and Cinema

What started as a grassroots effort to bring back community bonding through cinema has evolved into something bigger. Over the years, Beach Break Entertainment has continued to support the community through film.  Here are a few:

🎬 Grad Night 2021 – Giving local graduates a memorable send-off.

🎬 Make It Main Street Movies– Partnering with downtown merchants to revitalize local businesses through film.

🎬 Private Film Nights and fundraisers – Providing schools with special screenings sponsored by PTOs and raising funds for Maui Strong.

Then, in 2022, we took another leap forward—launching the Beach Break Entertainment Film Festival - a three-day celebration of impactful storytelling. 

A Festival That Inspires Change

From six films in our first year to 10 features and a half dozen short independent films, live music, artist receptions, and a free holiday film for families in 2024, the festival has become a destination for storytelling that moves people. We’ve been honored to welcome incredible guests, including:

⭐ Comedian W. Kamau Bell

⭐ Impact Films that have gone on to become nation and world wide hits: Common Ground, Leonard Cohen; A Journey A Song, Counted Out, Planetwalker, and Let the Canary Sing to name a few.

⭐ Directors Isaac Halasima (Waterman), Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) and (The Grab), and Vicki Abeles (Race to Nowhere) and (Counted Out), among others. 

⭐ Journalist Steve Hawk

⭐ NYT Best Selling author and Ph.D. Anthropologist, Wednesday Martin

⭐ Surf legend Jeff Clark, and local surfers Zoe Chiat and Luca Padua

In 2024, we introduced "For the Love of Music" on Valentine's Day, a special event for 800+ third and fourth graders from all six elementary schools in the Cabrillo Unified School District including Sea Crest and Wilkinson here on the coast. We screened Philharmonia Fantastique, an animated film by conductor Mason Bates, and partnered with the Coastside Community Orchestra to give students a hands-on experience with the instruments featured in the film.

Why Your Support Matters

Every event we produce is made possible by the generosity of donations from you, those who believe in the power of storytelling and community. We want to bring back more impactful and educational films to share with students, up and down the coast.

🎥 Support local businesses and schools – Continuing partnerships that benefit the community.

🎥 Keep films accessible to all – Ensuring we can provide FREE and low-cost screenings for families, students, and underserved audiences.

When you support Beach Break Entertainment, you’re investing in a cultural movement that brings people together, fosters creativity, and ignites conversations that matter. Let’s continue building something special together and invest in storytelling, for our kids' sake.

🌊 We are generously supported by Funds for Sustainable Tomorrows, a 501c3 whose slogan is "Making Media Matter". When donating, please in the note section that your "donation is for Beach Break Entertainment".