Monthly Archives: November 2021

#AFI, #AFIFEST, American Film Institute, Apple TV, Documentary, Feature Film, Film Festival, Hollywood, King Richard, TCL Chinese Theatre

Last chance to experience AFI FEST 2021!

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

All good things must come to end – but not before one last day of amazing films! Tickets to today’s in-person and virtual screenings still available. VIEW SCHEDULE & BUY TICKETS

The ever-optimistic Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage show yet…all in the glamorous entertainment capital of the world, Redshore City. There’s just one hitch: they first have to persuade the world’s most reclusive rock star – played by global music icon Bono – to join them. Screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre today at 2:00 p.m. BUY TICKETS

Following the screening, join us for an in-depth conversation with director Clint Bentley, Clifton Collins Jr.,  Molly Parker and more moderated by Variety’s Clayton Davis. Screening today at 2:00 p.m. BUY TICKETS

This whip-smart feature debut from Araceli Lemos is a potent and visceral tale of race, class and tradition filtered through body and social horror. Screening today at 7:30 p.m.BUY TICKETS

After escaping a labor camp during the Cultural Revolution in China, the film’s nameless hero has one goal – to watch a newsreel screening in which his daughter was briefly captured on film. On this journey, he meets a young orphan who has her own schemes for a newsreel, as well as a small village’s much-loved film projectionist named Mr. Movie. Screening in person today at 5:00 p.m.BUY TICKETS

Winner of the Best Documentary Award at Cannes, Payal Kapadia’s hypnotic feature directorial debut examines rediscovered, once lost film reels and a diary written by a student (“L”) to her absent lover at the Film & Television Institute of India. Screening in person today at 3:30 p.m.BUY TICKETSVIEW MORE FILMS

Whether you enjoy this year’s AFI FEST films in the theater or at home, make sure you vote after the screenings for the Audience Award!

(From AFI News)

#AFI, #AFIFEST, AFI FEST, American Film Institute, Feature Film, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre

Halle Berry BRUISED on the Red Carpet at #AFIFEST 2021

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Academy Award winner Halle Berry made her directorial with BRUISED, a triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out.

Berry, cast, and team walked the Red Carpet at the historic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California!

Put up your dukes! Congratulations Halle!!!

 

Valentina Shevchenko – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021.
Bob Gazzale, Halle Berry and Ted Sarandos – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Brad Feinstein – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Ambre – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Stephan James – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Halle Berry and Van Hunt – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Danny Boyd, Jr. – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Terri Seymour – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Erica Banks – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Halle Berry – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Shamier Anderson – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Halle Berry – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Halle Berry – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
Michelle Rosenfarb – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021
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Pedro Almodovar in the House with PARALLEL MOTHERS! @AFIFEST

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar waving to admirers at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of his latest work, PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

Kudos to AFI FEST Programming Director Sarah Harris! Harris has delivered a plethora of the best in global cinema for this year’s festival and none bigger than Spanish auteur, Pedro Alamodovar’s  latest work, Parallel Mothers. Almodovar was at the historic Chinese Theatre for a Red Carpet Premiere yesterday, November 13th.

 

Sarah Harris, AFI FEST Programming Director welcomes the audience and introduces Director/Auteur Pedro Almodovar at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar is all smiles after his introduction at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

Parallel Mothers stars Penelope Cruz with Melina Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Rossy de Palma, Julieta Serrano. The story follows two women Janis and Ana (both single mothers) from the moment they give birth to two daughters.

Janis is thrilled by her accidental pregnancy, seeing it as perhaps her last chance at motherhood, while the adolescent Ana is scared and traumatized by the ordeal. Both women find a lack of support raising their children and turn to each other for support.

What transpires between the two women is both intimate and deeply human and with a surgeon’s precision, Almodovar opens up the narrative and inserts a powerful message for all of humanity with recent (the last 85 years) Spanish history as the backdrop. A top pick for world cinema!

 

(L to R) Alonso Duralde and Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar in conversation at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

Following the screening, Almodóvar participated in a conversation with film critic Alonso Duralde about the 20+ years from the film’s genesis in 1998 to its present-day fruition. Almodovar spoke loudly and clearly for the need for more empathy and less denial and for more truth and less suppression as the poetic words of “history won’t keep its mouth shut,” were echoed around the theatre walls. Only at AFI FEST 2021.

 

Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar signing memorabilia at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

AFI FEST Programming Director Sarah Harris, right, stands by Director/Auteur Pedro Almodóvar at the AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Screening of PARALLEL MOTHERS, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo courtesy of AFI FEST)

 

#AFI, #AFIFEST, American Film Institute, Feature Film, Film Festival, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre

A night that can’t be duplicated! @AFIFEST 2021

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

SWAN SONG, stars Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Lee Shorten, Nyasha Hatendi, Dax Rey, writer/director Benjamin Cleary and more took to the red carpet at AFI FEST to celebrate the film’s world’s premiere. Check it out!

Set in the near future, SWAN SONG is told through the eyes of Cameron (two-time Academy Award® winner Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (eight-time Academy Award® nominee Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Written and directed by Oscar® winner Benjamin Cleary, this searing drama also stars Naomie Harris, Awkwafina and Adam Beach.

Benjamin Cleary, Mahershala Ali, Dax Rey, Awkwafina, Lee Shorten and Nyasha Hatendi – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Awkwafina – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Mahershala Ali – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Mahershala Ali and Sarah Harris – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Awkwafina – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Benjamin Cleary and guest – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Dax Rey and family – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Lee Shorten – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Mahershala Ali – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Mahershala Ali and Amatus Sami-Karim – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021

Mahershala Ali and Dax Rey – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Lee Shorten – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of SWAN SONG at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 12, 2021 – Photo Credit: John Salangsang

Stay tuned for Halle Berry’s World Premiere BRUISED on the red carpet at the historic Chinese Theatre  in Hollywood, California!

Halle Berry – AFI FEST 2021 World Premiere of BRUISED – TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 13, 2021

 

 

#AFI, #AFIFEST, TCL Chinese Theatre

Red Rocket Blasts Into AFI FEST 2021 With A Resounding Q & A To Boot

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, a story of a washed up, 20 year veteran performer in the adult film industry who returns home for more of the same, screened last night at the 2021 AFI FEST. Red Rocket, follows Mikey Saber (played by a compelling Simon Rex), as he futilely careens in and out of harrowing situations in dark places never fully grasping the ramifications of his actions and choices.

Simon Rex as Mikey Saber in Sean Baker’s latest film of a washed up por star returning to his oil refinery hometown, Red Rocket. (Photo from fest.afi.com)

Red Rocket is Sean Baker at his best in the low, low budget film making. Providing a snapshot of Mikey and the socially marginalized characters that are in his orbit, Baker elevates Red Rocket with snappy dialogue, carefully executed camera work, and the trust he places in the audience. Rex, Bree Elrod as Lexi, and Suzanna Son as Strawberry, deliver riveting performances with exquisite line execution.  Captivating work. Highly Recommended!

(L to R) AFI Programming Director, Sarah Harris, Director Sean BAker, Actor Simon Rex, Actor, Bree Elrod, and Actor Suzanna Son participate in a Q & A following the AFI FEST 2021 screening of RED ROCKET at the Chinese Theatre, November 12, 2021. (Photo by Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

And, if that wasn’t enough (and it was), the Q & A immediately following the screening led by AFI Programming Director Sarah Harris, got a little saucy. Baker and Rex took exception when an audience member, who coincidentally works in the adult film industry and performs in Ninja Thyberg’s Pleasure, screening tonight, stated his displeasure with a term thrown out at Red Rocket’s end. Stay tuned!

Simon Rex is a participant in the free Virtual Indie Roundtable today at 1:00 P.M.

The AFI FEST continues through tomorrow night. Visit fest.afi.com for more information including ticketing and film schedule. The Closing Night film is the Will Smith led King Richard – the story of Richard Williams and his quest to make his daughters, Venus and Serena, the pinnacles of women’s tennis.

Will Smith portrays Richard Williams in the AFI FEST 2021 Closing Night Premiere, KING RICHARD, the story behind the rise of Venus and Serena Williams to the pinnacle of women’s tennis. (Photo from fest.afi.com)

Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies…

*Featured photo of Simon Rex as Mikey Saber in Sean Baker’s Red Rocket. (from AFI.com)

 

#AFI, #AFIFEST, AFI Movie Club, American Film Institute, Feature Film, Featured, Film Festival, Foreign-Language, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre

UPDATE: Saturday Afternoon Premiere at AFI FEST 2021 – Almodovar’s PARALLEL MOTHERS

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Today at 2:00 P.M, Pedro Almodavar’s PARALLEL MOTHERS, starring Penelope Cruz, is making an afternoon Red Carpet Premiere at the historic Chinese Theatre, in Hollywood, Calif. Visit fest.afi.com for more information including ticketing.

Pedro Almodovar’s PARALLEL MOTHERS, starring Penelope Cruz, is slated for an AFI FEST Red Carpet Premiere, today, November 13th, 2021, 2:00 P.M., at the historic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo from fest.afi.com)

UPDATE: There will be a post-screening conversation with Pedro Almodóvar(Director) moderated by film critic Alonso Duralde.

PARALLEL MOTHERS, follows two women Janis and Ana – both single mothers – from the moment they give birth to two daughters. Janis is thrilled by her accidental pregnancy, seeing it as perhaps her last chance at motherhood, while the adolescent Ana is scared and traumatized by the ordeal.

According to AFI Movie Club, Almodovar has been percolating the idea since 1999, when he first pitched it to Penelope Cruz while she was working on Almodvar’s ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER. This is the eighth collaboration between the Spanish duo. In addition, PARALLEL MOTHERS marks the 13th collaboration between Sony Pictures Classics and the production company El Deseo, which Almodovar operates with his brother Augustin Almodovar.

#AFI, #AFIFEST, American Film Institute, Feature Film, Film Festival, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre, television

The Power of a Dog Left Audience Members Howling for More @AFIFEST 2021

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Jane Campion’s latest film, The Power of the Dog, with Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee present, lit up the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard last night with an AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Premiere.

Once inside the hallowed Hollywood landmark, AFI President Bob Gazzale welcomed the audience before eloquently introducing the film and Director Jane Campion to loud cheers and hearty rounds of applause. Following the film’s screening a conversation moderated by Hollywood’s delightful Kathryn Hahn entertained the house.

The Power of the Dog, a semi-dark psychological drama, is a magnificent and majestic work tantalizing and titillating – a bonafied Oscar contender in multiple categories.

The evening embodied a new peak for film festival entertainment as post-screening actors, editor, cinematographer, and director sparred, cajoled and informed under the watchful eye of moderator Hahn as she effectively marshaled the energies of The Power of the Dog conversation.

Kirsten Dunst, Red Carpet Premiere Screening of ‘The Power of the Dog’, Intro and Q and A, AFI FEST, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA – 11 Nov 2021
Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jane Campion, Kirsten Dunst and Benedict Cumberbatch – AFI FEST 2021 Red Carpet Premiere Screening of THE POWER OF THE DOG, TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, California, Nov. 11, 2021

The AFI FEST continues through November 14th, offering the best in global cinema.

Tickets Are Still Available for Select In-person Screenings Tomorrow! Check out these selections for your viewing.

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Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

#AFI, #AFIFEST, American Film Institute, Art Cinema, Documentary, Foreign-Language, Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatre

AFI FEST 2021 – Day 2 @AFIFEST

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

It’s a great day at the AFI FEST 2021 in Hollywood, California!

Through November 14th, AFI FEST 2021 is offering the best in global cinema. Tickets are available for select screenings.

Here are a few recommendations for today.

Powerful, provocative and deeply moving: Bernstein’s Wall tells the life story of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story). Utilizing Bernstein’s own words, harvested from his many recorded appearances on the radio, television and in-person interviews,  offering a strikingly intimate perspective, Bernstein’s Wall sceens today at 3:15 P.M. today with a runtime of 106 minutes. A music-lover’s dream come true!

BUY TICKETS UNCLENCHING THE FISTS (RAZZHIMAYA KULAKI) a World Cinema entry is also the Russia Official International Feature Film Oscar Submission. Recipient of the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival, Russian newcomer Kira Kovalenko delivers a raw, visceral experience, and the film is filled with harshly beautiful performances and is uniquely told from a woman’s perspective. Highly recommended!

BUY TICKETS Director/Filmmaker provocateur Sean Baker (Tangerine, Florida Project) is back with another raw, slice of life feature, Red Rocket. The narrative follows Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) as he tries to put his life back together in  oil refinery hometown of Texas City after spending 20 years of his life working in the porn industry. Plenty of action and a little frontal nudity as Baker once again proves he is a storyteller to be reckoned with.

“My favorite film at the Telluride Film Festival.” – Sam Stromberg

Media personality, Simon Rex, delivers a captivating performance as Mikey Saber, in Sean Baker’s latest film on the socially marginalized, Red Rocket.

 

BUY TICKETS Ali & Ava. Ali and Ava each live lonely lives in North Britain. Ali, a British Pakistani, is a former DJ turned compassionate landlord who meets Ava, an Irish-born schoolteacher and single mother of five, while picking up one of his tenant’s children from school. Despite their differences, sparks start to fly. As Ali and Ava’s relationship grows deeper, the shadows of their emotional turmoil and society’s expectations of them build as well. Can they find a way to keep their love alive?

BUY TICKETS   Huda’s Salon centers on the complex friction in the West Bank between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation. Reem, mother of a newborn baby and wife to a distrusting husband, gets her hair cut at Huda’s Salon one fateful day. There, Huda blackmails Reem into betraying their Palestinian community by providing intel to the Israeli Secret Service. The very next day Huda is found out by the resistance and Reem’s blackmail photo is discovered.

“Huda’s Salon reveals with disturbing candor the plight of Palestinian women striving to survive while being trapped on all sides.” –Julia Kipnis

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Last but not least. The Shorts Program 1. 

The Shorts Program 1 comes with an “In-person Q&A” to following the screenings. Check out the line-up here: ZONDER MEER MISERY LOVES COMPANY NALUJUK NIGHT THE DEATH CLEANER (EL LIMPIADOR) LOVE, DAD (MILÝ TATI) BABYBANGZ A SUMMER PLACE The Shorts Program 1 is also available virtually. Following the virtual program, AFI Festivals Shorts Programmer Eric Moore leads a conversation between filmmakers Louise Monlaü (THE DEATH CLEANER), Diana Cam Van Nguyen (LOVE, DAD), Juliana Kasumu (BABYBANGZ), Alexandra Matheou (A SUMMER PLACE).

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#AFI, #AFIFEST, AFI FEST, American Film Institute, Documentary, Feature Film, Featured, Foreign-Language, Hollywood

Opening Night Red Carpet AFI FEST 2021

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Last night, the AFI FEST audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre was treated to the World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM! Check out the exclusive photos from the red carpet, featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Judith Light, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry, Alexandra Shipp and more.

Check out the red carpet video tick, tick…BOOM!

Judith Light – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Andrew Garfield and Alexandra Shipp – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Andrew Garfield and Lin-Manuel Miranda – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Andrew Garfield – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Director Lin-Manuel Miranda – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Robin de Jesus, Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Julie Oh – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Robin de Jesus – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Isabella Gomez – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM
Julie Larson – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!
Alice Brooks, Cinematographer – AFI FEST 2021: World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!

Tickets Still Available for Select In-person Screenings Tomorrow!

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#SBIFF, outstanding performer of the year, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

WILL SMITH AND AUNJANUE ELLIS TO BE HONORED WITH OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR AWARD AT 2022 SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

WILL SMITH AND AUNJANUE ELLIS TO BE HONORED WITH OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR AWARD AT 2022 SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

SANTA BARBARA, CA (November 11, 2021) – Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis will receive the Outstanding Performers of the Year Award at the 37th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Smith and Ellis will be honored at an in-person conversation about their cinematic careers leading up to their outstanding performances in this year’s “King Richard” from Warner Bros Pictures. The date will be determined soon.


“We’re so excited to be able to salute the incomparable Will Smith and the revelatory Aunjanue Ellis with this award. The ‘doubles match’ of their intricate relationship onscreen as Richard and Oracene in “King Richard” is electrifying and a joy to behold,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “King Richard” follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happiness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard. Aunjanue Ellis (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” HBO’s “Lovecraft Country”) plays Oracene, the girls’ mother. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus (played by Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (played by Demi Singleton) from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance, and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.

The Outstanding Performers of the Year Award recognizes select individuals who have distinguished themselves with exceptional performances in film this past year. Past recipients of the award include Sacha Baron Cohen, Adam Driver, Rami Malek, Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan, Steve Carell, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Viola Davis, James Franco, Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron.
 
The 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG®, will take place LIVE on March 2 through March 12, 2022. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. This year’s lineup will be announced February 2022. For additional information or to buy passes, visit sbiff.org.   

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 35 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000+ attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through the power of film.

In 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s new state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.

(Source: News release Michelle Tarangelo, Sunshine Sachs)