Kieran Culkin, Harris Dickinson, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Clarence Maclin, Mikey Madison, and John Magaro to be Honored!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2024
{November 19, 2024] SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is delighted to announce this year’s recipients of the Virtuosos Award, an honor created to recognize a select group of talent whose noteworthy performances in films this season has propelled them into the forefront of national cinematic conversation. Kieran Culkin, Harris Dickinson, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Clarence Maclin, Mikey Madison, and John Magaro will discuss their work and receive their awards in person on Sunday, February 9 during the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The evening will be moderated for the 15th year by Dave Karger, Turner Classic Movies host.
Dave Karger moderates Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Award, an honor created to recognize a select group of talent whose noteworthy performances in films this season has propelled them into the forefront of national cinematic conversation.
“It’s my 15th consecutive year hosting this event, and this year’s lineup is as impressive as ever, ranging from megastars like Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, to veteran actors like Kieran Culkin and John Magaro, to true breakouts like Clarence Maclin, Mikey Madison, Harris Dickinson, and Karla Sofía Gascón. I can’t wait to gather them all in front of the wonderful Santa Barbara audience,” remarked Dave Karger.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Moderator Dave Karger, Sam Elliot, Steven Yeun, John David Washington, Thomasin McKenzie, Richard E. Grant, Claire Foy and Elsie Fisher speak onstage at the Virtuosos Award Presented By UGG during the 34th Santa Barbara International Film Festival at Arlington Theatre on February 5, 2019 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SBIFF)
The last four year’s Virtuosos honorees were Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, America Ferrera, Andrew Scott, Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Danielle Deadwyler, Nina Hoss, Stephanie Hsu, Jeremy Pope, Ke Huy Quan, Jeremy Strong, Caitriona Balfe, Ariana DeBose, Jamie Dornan, Alana Haim, Ciarán Hinds, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Simon Rex, Saniyya Sidney, Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Andra Day, Sidney Flanigan, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, and Zendaya.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 4 – February 15, 2025. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre.. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
Last year, the festival had a program of 200+ films from over 48 countries with honorary awards feted on Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, and Ludwig Göransson.
A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit, and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced January 2025.
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 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 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 film.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to highschool and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for the creation of a state-of-the-art Film Center — a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.
Stay tuned!
Patrica Chidlaw unveils her artwork for the Official 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Poster. (Photo by Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)
Vancouver, BC — Vancouver-based actor, filmmaker and activist, Pauline Egan, has been selected as this year’s recipient for the 17th Annual 2024 AFBS Leslie Yeo Award for Volunteerism. Pauline joins an impressive roster of change makers whose volunteerism and service to the local and international community have served as an inspiration to others. The AFBS Leslie Yeo Award annually honours one AFBS member’s contributions towards volunteering and community efforts. The award is presented in honour of Yeo; a founder of AFBS, whose career spanned nearly six decades in theatre, television and film.
As an award-winning actress, Pauline has a body of work that spans almost two decades. Some of her most recognizable roles were playing Dr. Erika Myers on popular SyFy series, Sanctuary, guest starring roles on Supernatural, Blue Mountain State and Family Law, and lead and supporting roles in feature length films on Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix. Pauline will soon be seen in season 2 of Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys, in 2025. Pauline has also produced several films with a focus on social justice or activism including El Mulatto, El Color Negro and One But Many.
Pauline is a Registered Nurse (QUT) with a Postgraduate in Primary Health in developing countries. Nine years ago, after writing and directing her first film Through the Pane, Pauline attended the premiere of her film at the Hollywood Film Festival where she met a documentary filmmaker who was working in East Africa helping communities get clean water, sanitation and health education. It was from there that she began her journey working in community health in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, Pauline volunteered in off-grid communities in Mozambique for 5 months. Ever since, Pauline has continued to work in East and West Africa including in Mozambique, Kenya and Liberia, helping remote communities, who lack the basics of clean water, sanitation, and health education gain access to these basic essentials. Pauline has most recently been working with FACE Africa International, an organization founded by Saran Kaba Jones, developing, designing and leading community water and sanitation projects which focus on decolonizing aid through capacity building of local Indigenous peoples so that they can lead the change in their own communities. One of Pauline’s greatest passions is helping women find their voice and become leaders and mentors. This has included her volunteering her time as a mentor for women in Africa through the Deloitte Women in Africa Initiative and more recently in mentoring two women from Ghana and Sweden through the 2024 Agenda for Change Women in WASH and RWSN Mentoring program.
Pauline’s volunteer work began from a young age in Australia, and continued when she moved to North America. Her service and advocacy has ranged from volunteering and raising money for causes including the Battered Women’s Support Services, poverty reduction, breast cancer research, Alzheimer’s research and awareness, guide dogs for the blind, the red cross and many more. When the devastating Australian wildfires struck in 2020, Pauline and two of her Australian friends came together to organize an emergency fundraiser for the victims. They raised over $20,000 for the Red Cross.
The event honoring Pauline where she will be presented with her award is sponsored by the AFBS, Truffles Fine Foods, World Centric, Pender PR and Legend Water Co. The event will bring Vancouver’s film industry and the public together to fundraise for a new clean water and health project for a community in Liberia. The night will be MC’d by talented local actress, filmmaker and voice over artist, Rhona Rees, with performances from Natasha Burnett (When Calls the Heart), and DJ Sam Chimes. There will be giveaways from generous local partners including William F. White International Inc./Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV, Whistler Film Festival, GEMS, Tightrope Theatre Co, Kristine Cofsky Photography, Cold Nose Studio, Feel Good Everyday Gym and Sauna, Al Miro Studios, Tara Bell Irving (Jackie Lind Casting), The Lumie Co., Feel Good Everyday, Como Taperia, FriendsQuarters Co-working space, and many more! All proceeds from ticket sales, raffle entries and the silent auction, will go directly towards funding a new clean water and health education program in Liberia.
Pauline was nominated for the Leslie Yeo Award by local actor, Mackenzie Gray (Fargo, Man of Steel), and letters of support for her nomination were written by her acting colleagues including Heather Doerksen (Pacific Rim), Brian Markinson (Mad Men), Jason Cermak (Superman & Lois), Broadus Mattison (Bates Motel), Kirk Caouette (Prey) and Rhona Rees (Wu Assassins).
The celebration will take place at FriendsQuarters Event Space and will be an inspired evening of kindness, generosity and togetherness. The $40 ticket provides guests with food, beverages, and brings one person clean water for up to 10 years. The team is also offering a $15 OFF discount code for those who want to support, but may be facing challenging times.
Event Details:
Friday, November 22, 2024
Doors 6:30pm (start 7:00pm) @ FriendsQuarters in Gastown, 328 W Hastings St
About Pauline Egan
With almost 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry as an actress, director, writer, producer and composer (including television, feature films and documentaries), Pauline is passionate about using storytelling for social impact, utilizing the arts to raise awareness for global issues such as the water and sanitation crisis, poverty and gender inequality.
Pauline is an international leader in health and development, with 9 years experience in developing health education programs and designing sanitation and water infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa. Pauline’s programs focus on community peace and trust building as a means for sustainable impact for rural and peri-urban community settings, capacity building of local people to lead their programs, and supporting women and girls to find their voices and become leaders and change makers in their communities.
About AFBS
ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS) is a not-for-profit, Member-owned, federally incorporated insurance company operating for over 35 years. Members of AFBS are primarily members of ACTRA and the Writers Guild of Canada.
About FACE Africa
FACE Africa is an AFRICAN founded, WOMEN-LED 501c3 non-profit organization. We believe that living a dignified life should not be a luxury only for some, but a basic human right for ALL people, regardless of where we were born. Access to essentials such as CLEAN WATER, SANITATION, SAFETY, HEALTH, NUTRITION, EDUCATION & FINANCIAL SECURITY changes everything. But this is not a reality for hundreds of millions of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our programs aim to provide vital and SUSTAINABLE infrastructure while also BUILDING CAPACITY of local people (especially women and youth) to become changemakers in their communities. WOMEN and GIRLS are at the forefront of all our training and leadership programs to improve gender equality and increase women’s representation in leadership roles.
The imbalance of power created through the exploitation of the working class, and the attempts by individuals to overcome the vast economic disparity between the working class and the capitalist class are represented in the films, Parasite,Harlan County, U.S.A., and Hoffa (1992). Director Bong-ho through the film Parasite, provides social commentary on globalization in contrasting two families, in an upstairs/downstairs, upper class-lower-class, framework. The Parks represent the upper-class capitalists, surviving on the labor carried out by the Kim family who are indicative of the lower working class. Hoffa (1992), on the other hand, creates a vivid, compelling portrait of large-scale class warfare, from angry confrontations between the Teamster labor union truck drivers and management from the 1930’s through the Red Scare and into the violent 1970’s. Barbara Kopple’s 1976 documentary, Harlan County, U.S.A., provides an intimate look at a striking Eastern Kentucky labor union, United Mine Workers, coal miners and their violent fight with bottom-line-minded capitalist corporations, corrupt public officials, and gun-wielding anti-strike thugs. Through a comparison and contrast of these three films, two narrative films and one documentary film, similar characteristics from the respective opposing parties form a classist ideology.
In contrast to traditional class systems, Poststructuralism and Marxism see class as a constantly shifting set of relations that can be quite subjective. In “All That Hollywood Allows: Film and the Working Class,” Linda Dittmar posits, “Film theory and identity politics are not inherently resistant to class analysis, but they have tended to function this way, even if inadvertently.” In contrast to traditional class systems, Poststructuralism and Marxism see class as a constantly shifting set of relations that can be quite subjective. All three films, Harlan County, U.S.A.,Hoffa, and Parasite, create very fluid narratives pitting working class against working class as well as capitalist class against the working class.
In “A Marxist Analysis of Class Consciousness in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite,” Shatabdi Mishra postulates “The Communist Manifesto, written collaboratively by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, saw the history of the world because of class struggles… The working class who sells their labour as a commodity to sustain and support the economy have been reduced to mere objects that live only to be exploited and taken advantage of by the capitalists.” In HarlanCounty, U.S.A., and Hoffa, the capitalists have not only their private goons, but they also have regular police confronting and attacking the union members fighting for better pay and safer working conditions. In addition, the wealth gap and allocation of resources are much wider as the upper class has public servants such as the bailiffs, judges, and police ensuring that the non-striking workers are given free access to the Eastover Mining Company coal mines. These situations augment the class oppression as the workers must continue working suffering more serious conditions to receive disability benefits. In America on Film, Benshoff refers to this as an implied critique of capitalism. (p.188)
Parasite delves into self-alienation and auto-destruction and provides an element of social learning. After the release of Parasite, the South Korean government announced plans to financially support 1,500 households living in semi-basement apartments, similar to the ones depicted in the film. In addition, Parasite provides class analyses on the South Korean government representation of South Korean capitalism, Native Americans (through the Parks’ son), and its relationship to American corporate capitalism, while vividly and humorously showing clashes between the working class. After the Kims have sabotaged the maid’s livelihood with the Parks through overt acts misrepresenting the maid’s health to Mrs. Parks, the Kims discover the former maid’s husband has been living in an underground bunker below the Parks home. An all-out battle ensues for control of who will remain in the service of the Kims.
In, “All That Hollywood Allows: Film and the Working Class.” Dittmar argues, correctly in my opinion, “all films are available for class analysis…. Working-class people in particular… are often made the butt of jokes, a cause for distaste, or objects for admiration, but rarely initiators of in-depth debate concerning social justice or the possibility of social change.” Without a doubt the Kims are made the butt of jokes due to some odiferous smell the Park family finds offensive. Yet, the plight of the Kim family became a catalyst for social change. James R. Hoffa was a catalyst for the Teamsters and became an agent for social change. Consequently, Hoffa became an object of admiration exemplified by the dual line of trucks with supportive and cheering truckers lining the roadway as Hoffa is being transported to the prison at the end of the road.
Harlan County, U.S.A. – a film by Barbara Kopple
In Harlan County, U.S.A., Kopple seems to capture both sides of the working class as some are a cause for distaste (the gun thugs) while others were objects of admiration as they spoke for the camera on the importance of collective bargaining and the need to strike for better pay and better working conditions. Kopple also captures footage, at the height of the feminist movement, of a press conference given by Norman Yarborough, President of the Eastover Mining Company (owned by Duke Power). The first question posed to Yarborough asked what Yarborough thought of the role the miners’ wives play in the strike. Kopple pushes the camera in for a three-quarter profile, extreme close up capturing the emotionality of the moment. Yarborough boldly grins with his eyes cast downward before answering with a sexist tone, “They certainly played a big role. I’d hate to think my wife would play this kind of role.” The reporter followed up with a “Why?” Yarborough continued, “There’s been some conduct that I don’t like to think that, that our American women wouldn’t have to revert to.”
An almost seamless jump cut with the camera captures the four Eastover Mining Company representative sitting behind an ornate meeting table at the height of the feminist movement. All four men are dressed in coat and tie with untrustworthy looks on their faces as a second question is posed from behind the camera, “Is it a fact that the Duke Power Company maintains housing for its employees that has no water and no indoor plumbing?” As Yarborough begins answering with a “Yes.” Kopple cuts to show the what appears to be a predominantly male, press pool with several cameras and high-key backlighting. Yarborough continued with, “We were attempting to move our people,” Kopple captures a cameraman moving into the center of the frame as Yarborough continues answering the question. Kopple cuts back to another close up of Yarborough, center-frame with highlights in his eyes as Yarborough is positioned almost as though he is looking into the camera. Yarborough proceeds with shifting eyes. “And these are our people. They’re my people. And we’re going to upgrade our people into trailers. Upgrade our people into better housing. Better conditions. In all directions. Because they’ll make us better people when we are able to do this.”
The next scene Kopple shows a cramped street with several dogs and children with cars parked alongside a one lane street before showing a young boy in an open lot with strewn trash, abandoned front end of a truck amidst ramshackle houses. A voice narration reinforces the Marxian premise of class struggle by telling the audience there are two classes of people in Harlan County (the haves and the have nots), “It’s a feudal system, I think. There is a very rich class of people and then there’s the coal miners.” Kopple continues showing b-roll footage of the area with residents calling children, carrying sticks in an area reminiscent of a landfill. “And then there are the people on relief and that’s about it in Harlan. They want to keep it this way. The way…” Kopple reveals the voice that has been narrating with an extreme closeup of Houston Elmore, UMW (United Mine Workers) Organizer. “The way they keep it this way is by keeping a monopoly on the labor market. They do that by keeping other competitors or industries that will be competitive for the labor. They keep them out.” While the end seems to justify the means in Harlan County, U.S.A., an ideological conflict is uncovered. The situations are very fluid with hegemonic negotiations showing concessions being earned then negated and absorbed into the dominant ideology. Per Marxism and its “superstructure” all the elements of culture and ideology are determined by a given society’s economic base.” The corporate capitalists espouse that by moving the coal miners into new trailers they themselves will become better people. Meanwhile Kopple records and reveals the over determinist, internalized, populist ideologies of Harlon County citizens commenting on unions as communists and as inflationary drivers.
With Parasite Mishra argues “how Marxist class consciousness enables the characters in the film Parasite to challenge the status quo and the hegemony of the capitalist class. The characters in the films rise their level of class and try to subvert the growing oppression that not only alienates them from others, but also from their own self. Parasite is a satire on the dominant class; it shows how the characters mask their identity in the film to infiltrate into the lives of the Park family by donning a “new” identity to reclaim their position. Such a situation shows up the bleak condition of humanity, of the class, and the society in general. The rich become richer, and the poor becomes even poorer.” The Kims seem to reinforce the pessimistic notion that upward economic mobility is the new normal. (Maestu, Week 6). In addition, the Kims suffer from imposter syndrome and strive to perform in a capitalist world to subvert their growing oppression that not only alienates them from others but also from themselves.
In “They Must Be Represented? Problems in Theories of Working-Class Representation,” Peter Hitchcock argues, “Most…critics visibly wince at the mention of working-class representation as a significant component of cultural analysis (“too sociological,” “too political,” some may say, while others might offer more interesting but no less dismissive assessments: “too realist,” “too easy,” “too coarse,” or simply “too late”) …. The difficulty is not intrinsically about processes of adjudication but more about the elusive and unstable nature of class itself, the consciousness of which provides its own forms of historical intervention.” (pg. 21) In the film, Hoffa, Director Danny DeVito, weaves an historic fictional narrative beginning in the 1930’s, of James R. Hoffa. Hoffa, a rank-and-file member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who moved from organizer to National President, arguably became one of the most influential and powerful union leaders in the history of the American labor movement. Harold Myerson in “What did Hoffa Want,” claims “It’s …Hoffa himself, whose ego, brilliance, rage, and willingness to employ violent and corrupt means transformed an entire sector of once marginalized workers into a blue-collar middle class for several decades while simultaneously casting unions into a public opprobrium from which it has taken labor decades to recover.” In keeping with Hollywood filmic tradition both Hoffa and Parasite punished those who transgressed middle-class morality or civil law. Audiences, on the other hand, related with those who fought against the system.
While the films in some ways support a critique of class, in other ways the films support a capitalist, imperialist, and classist agenda. Hoffa does this through his involvement with mob money to finance the teamster’s retirement funding. This approach has its seed in the social problem films, such as Public Enemy, from the 1930’s. Parasite, in juxtaposition, uses the Park family, representative of the capitalist class, and the conniving Kim family, representative of the oppressed, scheming to overtake the capitalists Parks in their own home. The Kims are Bong-ho’s parasites lying their way into high class jobs and then leaching money from the wealthy Park family. Harlan County, U.S.A., uses corporate capitalism as its oppositional force to the coal miners’ strike in Harlan County. Classism and the struggles that occur within the working class continue to evolve and often enable white patriarchal capitalism to exploit the working class in a manner that seems one-sided. While concessions are given, the concessions are soon replaced by the other class.
The films are reflective of the socioeconomic conditions of the time in which they were produced and the time in which they are set. Harlan County, U.S.A., uncovers the intersectionality of a civil rights labor struggle with the coal industry dating back to the 1930’s. As Benshoff states on page 179, “As per basic Marxism, American culture has consistently produced images that reflect its capitalist economic base, and its motion pictures are certainly part of this dynamic.” Hoffa follows this trend of the 1950’s film that circumvent class oppression by showing how Hoffa overcame rather easily, this economic stratification through his rugged determination and his aptitude for numbers. Harlan reveals the role of feminism, as Kopple produces a seminal documentary on the Eastover strike of 1973.
Meanwhile, Parasite satirizes the vast socioeconomic differences in present-day South Korea. In “Parasite A House Divided,” Amy Taubin references her interview with Bong-ho at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Bong-ho said Parasite “was set in the present day and that there are neighborhoods in Seoul where poverty is even direr than in the neighborhood in the film where Ki-taek’s family lives. And that the actual gap between the rich and the poor is as unbridgeable as he showed it to be.” What Bong-ho didn’t say is that the film is also rooted in Postcolonial criticism as the appearance of the housekeeper and her stow-away husband hint towards indentured servitude. So even though the working class believes it has made it, in Korean life, it is a social construct embedded within false consciousness.
Per Marxian theory, as the concept of class is always evolving it is more easily identified by a relational set of characteristics at any point in time. In Harlan County, U.S.A, Kopple captures this evolutionary element through the film’s diegetic soundtrack. Kopple uses music to create an ethereal aesthetic related to the labor movement in Harlan County. In Hoffa, DeVito uses flashback through the eyes of Bobby Cairo. The mise-en-scen of Bobby’s flashbacks provide a sense of surrealism and create a feeling of the dream state where any set of relational characteristics can come together at any moment in time to create class. Furthermore, the ending of Parasite creates false consciousness in Ki Woo’s hallucinatory, dream-like voice over narration of his ambitious pursuit of success and attaining the class, and home, of the Park family. Seemingly, for fleeting moments the working class imagines itself migrating into a socioeconomic middle-class. But, despite all the efforts of the working class, over time the working class is still the working class.
After watching the savage representation of class warfare in these three films, it is wholly plausible – advisable – that individuals are better off pursuing that which makes them happy instead of chasing after an illusory American Dream.
Ditmar, Linda. “All That Hollywood Allows: Film and the Working Class.” The Radical Teacher. No. 46, Spring 1995, Working-Class Studies. Published by: Center for Critical Education, Inc.
Maestu, Nico. FS 109. Units 1-6. Santa Barbara City College Film Studies Department. Fall 2024.
Mishra, Shatabdi. “A Marxist Analysis of Class Consciousness in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite,” Global Media Journal. Vol.20 No.51:308. 2022. Accessed 10 November 2024.
Dances With Films just rolled out an ambitious film lineup for the 3rd New York City edition of the bicoastal film festival juggernaut. December 5-8 will be packed with an incredible number of feature-length narratives, documentaries, pilots, and shorts making their world, North American, and US premieres as DWF showcases those new works as part of the only indie film-focused film festival with a foothold in both Los Angeles and The Big Apple. Evan Oppenheimer’s Peas and Carrots is set to make its world premiere on Opening Night, and Christina Elioupolos’ Here’s Yianni! is the Closing Night selection.
Peas and Carrots, Here’s Yianni!
Among DWF NYC’s lineup of 141 films, including 22 narrative and midnight features, 9 documentary features, 18 television and streaming pilots, and 92 short films (76 combined narrative and midnight, with 16 documentaries). More than half of those films will be making their world, North American or US premieres during the four-day film event with all of the screenings taking place at Regal Union Square (850 Broadway).
Itch
In addition to Oppenheimer’s Peas and Carrots, additional feature length films making their world premieres are Liam Le Guillou’s A Cursed Man, Victoria Kupchinetsky’s Calico Rebellion, Jason Mendoza’s Good Friday, Bari King’s Itch!, Mikaela Shwer’s The Kids Are Not Alright, Dom Cutrupi’s Lola Dust, William Tyler Wiseman’s Moonwater, Paul Bickel’s One Happy Place, Jarrett Jung’s Sergeant Pickle Breath And The Rooftop Warriors, and Kristen Hansen’s Sonny Boy. Andrew Bell’s Bleeding, and Howard Goldberg’s Double Exposure will make their North American Premieres, and Nicola Rose’s Magnetosphere will make its US Premiere at DWF NYC.
THE FUN IN FUNNY
DWF is also noted as being one of the current wave of film festivals embracing, promoting and platforming pilots with TV and streaming ambitions. And plenty of those will be making their debuts as well, including Sergio Camacho’s United Crafts Of America, Victoria Myers’ A Legend Is Hatched: I Become Famous… In My Own Mind, Lucy Hirschfeld’s Dropped, Christine Lakin’s The Fun In Funny, Christopher Gerson and Julie Kramer’s Gasbag, Dan Jones’ Hive, Olivia Lambert’s Like Comment Subscribe, Serena Schuler’s Makeshift Society, Karl Janisse’s Passage, Ana Breton’s Rat Czar, and Ruthie Marantz’s Raging Doll.
RAGING DOLL
While the LA version of the film festival has been around for close to three decades, it seemingly has only recently started to get acceptance as one of L.A.s and now NYC’s top fests debuting new work and putting great emphasis on putting new filmmakers at the front of the line (so to speak) ahead of films already slated to be on Amazon, Netflix, Apple +, or some other network service. And it has managed to do that while filling its theaters and maybe having the most active theater lobbies in between screenings on record.
Showcasing brand new work by filmmakers on both coasts, most of which have yet to be seen or picked up for distribution has become a hallmark for Dances With Films’ Founders and Directors Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent.
From the press release announcing the DWF NYC lineup, Scallon and Trent said, “We take the responsibility of discovering these films and filmmakers thus providing an opportunity for them to get distribution and representation furthering their careers. Just as New York City’s energy and excitement has been a driving force for us, we embrace the absolute joy of seeing so much great work on the big screen for the very first time and helping our ever-growing family of filmmakers take their next steps toward realizing their dreams under the spotlight of this great city. We hope the audiences feel it the same way we do.”
Thursday, December 5 will feature the World Premiere Opening Night presentation of DWF alumni Evan Oppenheimer’s Peas and Carrots. Oppenheimer’s film The Auteur Theory screened at DWF in 1999 with an early appearance by Natasha Lyonne. Peas and Carrots follows a teenage girl in New York who is the child of a couple that were one-hit wonders in the 90s. She also travels in a bizarre alternate reality, where everybody only says three words: “Peas and Carrots”. Naturally, her family forms a new band and start rocking out together. The film stars Kirrilee Berger, Jordan Bridges, and Amy Carlson, and the local NYC-based production also includes the involvement of numerous legendary New York musicians. Members of the Ramones, Sonic Youth, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and Guster all contributed to this movie, both with new music in the score and (in some cases) with appearances on screen.
Closing Night on Sunday, December 8, will feature Christina Eliapolous’ Here’s Yianni!. The whimsical and heartwarming comedy drama stars Joe Cortese, as the title character, and Julia Ormond as a longtime couple who run a beachside family diner. Yianni develops dementia and slips into a parallel realm, believing he is the host of a late-night talk show with the diner’s staff and customers as guest stars. Meanwhile, his wife tries to hide his illness from their coworkers and best friends (Kevin Pollak and Rosanna Arquette). When a woman and her seven-year-old son move in across the street, Yianni becomes convinced that the young boy is the son they lost 30 years ago and after he escapes home and runs into the boy, Yianni must find a moment of clarity so he can navigate them both back to the diner and their worried families. The film also stars Eric Roberts and Sofia Vassileva.
Additional narrative feature films making their world premieres are Jason Mendoza’s drama Good Friday, about poor street kids who find themselves himself at odds with loan sharks and the neighborhood’s street tyrant, after a botched house robbery. Dom Cutrupi’s Lola Dust focuses on an aspiring actress who finds herself the subject of a deep fake campaign featuring her image and thrusting her unwillingly into a threatening world hidden in plain sight. William Tyler Wiseman’s Moonwater follows the efforts of a man, battling his own alcoholism while trying to revive his late father’s old, dilapidated moonshine still deep in the woods for one final batch. The Midnight category is led by the world premiere of Bari King’s survival tale Itch! in which a horrific outbreak transforms its victims into self-destructive shells. A widower grappling with grief, takes refuge in a seemingly safe department store with his estranged young daughter, Olivia. However, their sanctuary quickly becomes a nightmarish trap, as the infection quickly closes in on them.
Making its North American premiere is Howard Goldberg’s Double Exposure. The film features the dramatic collision of the past and present, as a man, in a life and death struggle with himself, combats his guilt over what happened to his first love in a #MeToo tragedy. DWF alumni (Goodbye, Petrushka 2022) Nicola Rose returns with her second feature Magnetosphere, which will be making its US premiere. At the center of the film is a 13-year-old girl with a rare ability to see sound and hear color. Her attempts to keep it a secret are shaken up when her dad mounts a ramshackle theatre production which introduces her to a host of influential new people.
Documentaries making their world premieres at DWF NYC are Liam Le Guillou’s A Cursed Man in which the filmmaker’s exploration of the world of witchcraft and the occult, leads him to have a curse placed on him forcing him to question the nature of reality and belief. Victoria Kupchinetsky’s Calico Rebellion looks at a family of farmers in the Catskill Mountains whose ancestors staged the Anti-Rent War 200 years ago, changing the cause of American history, and paving way to the anti-slavery movement and to Abraham Lincoln’s new political party. Mikaela Shwer’s The Kids Are Not Alright looks at the abuse suffered at the hands of the Troubled Teen Industry, an unregulated network of for-profit institutions claiming to fix wayward teenagers.
THE FUN IN FUNNY
The television, web series pilots, and episodics also have a healthy number of world premieres. Those include Victoria Myers’ A Legend Is Hatched: I Become Famous… In My Own Mind about anunflappable gal-about-town and her madcap quest to get her own television show. Lucy Hirschfeld’s Dropped follows a struggling actor who gets dropped by his agent in the middle of teaching a master class to a group of children at his old Catholic Middle School. Christine Lakin’s The Fun In Funny focuses on a stand-up comedian inspired to take the mic one more time due to an unlikely friendship with a young girl. Christopher Gerson and Julie Kramer are the directors of Gasbag, a coming-of-age comedy series about a lovable recently-out overtalker discovering what (and who) he really wants… thanks to a new shakeup at work and his unexpected candidacy as President of his Condo association. Dan Jones’ Hive finds five strangers discovering they’re trapped inside a tacky, low-budget sitcom and watched by an unseen audience ever hungry for entertainment. Sabina Olivia Lambert’s Like Comment Subscribe features two BFFs and top influencers in Toronto faced with the challenge of helping a vegan leather bag company recover from a trans-exclusionary scandal.
RAGING DOLL
Additional pilots making their world premieres are Serena Schuler’s comedy series pilot Makeshift Society which is a female take on the tech industry via a young woman’s effort to build her own start up after being fired by her tech bro boss. Set in 1914, Karl Janisse’s Passage focuses on a ship’s stowaway who becomes entangled in a 100,000-year-old secret fueled by a mysterious entity infecting the minds of the ship’s crew. Ruthie Marantz’s Raging Doll is centered on a delusional millennial from The Bronx planning to get in the ring with a junior boxing champion. Ana Breton’s comedy Rat Czar follows New York’s newly appointed director of rodent mitigation and her staff as they attempt to win an unwinnable war against both the Mayor of New York and the city’s growing rat population. Sergio Camacho’s United Crafts Of America debut episode also features New York City, but in a much more pleasurable angle as it provides an intimate look into America’s most vibrant craft beer cities, uncovering the country’s most innovative breweries and the passionate people behind them.
Dances With Films – NYC
Dances With Films NYC will also feature the world premieres of several short films. Narrative shorts debuting include Dustin Cook’s Artificial, Jack Campbell’s Baby, Jesse Cowell’s B!Tch I’m Early (B.I.E.), Fraser Clubb’s Blue Plaque, Tommy Heffernan’s Body Buddies, Timur Guseynov’s Brooklyn, Sara Newton’s Bullet Proof, Paula Blanco Pérez’s Canchas, Daniel Casey’s Charon, Dylan Levine’s The Clock Painter, Will Crouse’s The Coder, Grant Raun’s Composure, Misha Gankin’s Dead Pet Shark, Daniel Rocha’s El Secreto, Megan Robinson’s Have We Met?, Taylor Anthony Miller’s It’s Not You… It’s The Aliens!, Elizabeth Katz’s Role Play, Emily Coutts’ Rosebud, Juan Zuloaga Eslait’s Salve, Anima, Sofia Lane’s Sid The Kid, Andrew Lucido’s Sky, Hunter Woelfle’s Sweet & Crunchy, Emma Elizabeth Steiger’s
Wait To Tell Mother, Shawn Dempewolff’s We Good?, and Nate Hapke’s Why Are You Like This?.
Other notable narrative shorts are Felipe Vargas’ Hive, which stars Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Dancing with the Stars) as a teenager forced to confront an insidious entity hidden among a group of children including a girl she’s babysitting, and Mitch Yapko’s Watching Walter, which stars Stephen Tobolowsky portraying Holocaust survivor-turned watchmaker Wladyslaw “Walter” Wojnas.
Documentary shorts making their world premieres include Aisha X. Elliott, Cheryl Wilkins, Kathy Boudin, and Jake Ratner’s Degrees Of Freedom, Simantini Chakraborty, and Godfrey Reggio’s The Original Badass, and Justin Wheelon’s Tides Of Change. Midnight shorts making their big debut on the New York “stage” include Luke Paron’s Arachnid, Alan Arias’ Walter, and Vinnie Hogan’s Werewolf Scouts.
For more information about the Dances With Films NYC film lineup, events, passes, and tickets, go to: https://danceswithfilms.com/.
ADRIEN BRODY AND GUY PEARCE TO BE HONORED WITH CINEMA VANGUARD AWARD AT 40TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025
ADRIEN BRODY AND GUY PEARCE TO BE HONORED WITH CINEMA VANGUARD AWARD AT 40TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025.
{November 12, 2024] SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that two cinema icons, Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Spotlighting their riveting performances in Brady Corbet’s THE BRUTALIST, Brody’s portrayal of Toth highlights an immigrant’s struggle to overcome his war-torn past and rebuild his life in a Post-War America. Pearce, in contrast, delivers a chilling, domineering performance as a wealthy art patron whose vision of American modernity collides with Toth’s. The tension between the two not only drives the narrative but also symbolizes the larger struggle between innovation and tradition. Both Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce will receive the prestigious award on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
“Both Adrien and Guy have had lengthy, rewarding and uncompromising careers – and in this year’s THE BRUTALIST – they each give us their best work to date,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.
Adrien Brody won the Academy Award and Cesar Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of real-life Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in THE PIANIST, making him, to date, the youngest person to have received the Oscar in that category.
Over the course of his career, Brody has worked with a wide range of prominent filmmakers including Peter Jackson (KING KONG), Ken Loach (BREAD AND ROSES), Barry Levinson (LIBERTY HEIGHTS), and Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM). He is also a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson, having appeared in five of Anderson’s films (THE DARJEELING LIMITED, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, and ASTEROID CITY).
Guy Pearce’s career has spanned nearly four decades in film, television, and theatre. Pearce had his international break in THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. This paved the way for iconic roles in critically acclaimed films such as LA CONFIDENTIAL; Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO; John Hillcoat’s The PROPOSITION and LAWLESS; Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS and ALIEN: COVENANT; and Oscar winners THE HURT LOCKER and THE KING’S SPEECH, to name a few.
In 2011, Pearce won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Monty Beragon in the Todd Haynes adaption of MILDRED PIERCE for HBO alongside Kate Winslet. Other television credits include the much-loved JACK IRISH, MARE OF EASTTOWN, WHEN WE RISE, THE INNOCENTS, BBC’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and most recently THE CLEARING with Miranda Otto, and the critically acclaimed A SPY AMONGST FRIENDS.
The Cinema Vanguard Award recognizes actors who have forged their own path, taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Previous honorees include Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell & Brendan Gleeson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Carey Mulligan, Laura Dern, Michael B. Jordan, William DaFoe, Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Rooney Mara, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jean Dujardin, Bernice Bejo, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sarsgaard, Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stanley Tucci and Ryan Gosling.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 4 – February 15, 2025. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
Last year, the festival had a program of 200+ films from over 48 countries with honorary awards feted on Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo, Jeffrey Wright, America Ferrera, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Scott, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, and Ludwig Göransson.
A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit, and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced January 2025.
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 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 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 film.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to highschool and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for the creation of a state-of-the-art Film Center — a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.
SHORTSTV PARTNERS WITH THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE (AFI) TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF THE DIRECTING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN (DWW)
The AFI short film showcase will be available to watch weekly on the ShortsTV channel and to stream via the ShortsTV channel on Amazon Prime Video US and UK and on ShortsTV+ from November 10th.
LONDON (November 7, 2024) – ShortsTV, the world’s leading network dedicated to short films, has announced an exciting partnership with the American Film Institute (AFI) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the AFIDirecting Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) initiative. This groundbreaking, tuition-free program has paved the way for traditionally underrepresented filmmakers, championing their voices in the industry since its inception. Among its esteemed alumni are Emmy Award-nominated director Dime Davis and DGA President and Emmy Award-nominated director Lesli Linka Glatter.
Beginning Sunday, November 10th, ShortsTV viewers can tune in every Sunday night at 9pm ET/6pm PT to watch a selection of short films created by talented DWW+ alumni as part of the initiative, including:
– Picture Day directed by Kelly Pike
– Some Boys Don’t Leave directed by Maggie Kiley
– Wild Horses directed by Stephanie Martin
– Zelos directed by Thoranna Sigurdardottir
This celebration will go on to feature a wider AFI showcase to close out the year, spotlighting the remarkable contributions of other talented AFI filmmakers. ShortsTV subscribers via Amazon Prime Video in the UK and the US will be able to enjoy a hand-picked selection of DWW films compiled in two exclusive film collections from November 1st. Additionally, ShortsTV+ subscribers will have full access to all available DWW+ and AFI films via the app.
As part of this collaboration, audiences will also have the opportunity to engage with exclusive interviews featuring prominent AFI DWW+ alumni, including Kelly Pike, director of the award-winning short Picture Day which premieres on Sunday November 17th. The film is about an Asian American tomboy growing up on military bases struggling to fit in at a new school. When she decides to assert control over her life, one small act of rebellion sparks trouble at home, forcing her to face harsh realities about gender, power, and finding one’s place in the world. The film won Best Live Action Short at the Warsaw Film Festival, the Young Cineaste Award at Palm Springs International ShortFest and is Oscar qualified. These insightful conversations will provide a deeper understanding of the journeys and experiences of these talented directors.
Join us in celebrating diversity, creativity, and empowerment in filmmaking as we honor the legacy of the AFI DWW+ initiative.
ShortsTV CEO and Founder Carter Pilcher says “We are thrilled to partner with the American Film Institute to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Directing Workshop for Women. This collaboration not only honors the pioneering women who have shaped the industry but also empowers a new generation of filmmakers. At ShortsTV, we believe in the power of diverse voices and storytelling, and we are excited to highlight these incredible short films that inspire and elevate underrepresented talent in cinema.”
Director of Programming Jade Tan says, “At ShortsTV, we are dedicated to highlighting the amazing and trailblazing work of the American Film Institute and their Directing Workshop for Women initiative. This program has been instrumental in nurturing the talent of underrepresented filmmakers, and we are proud to give a platform to their compelling stories. Supporting underrepresented groups lies at the heart of our mission, and we believe that by amplifying these voices, we can enrich the cinematic landscape for all audiences.”
The AFI DWW+ is a tuition-free program at the AFI Conservatory that educates traditionally underrepresented filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film, providing hands-on instruction led by industry experts. Participants leave the program with the knowledge and tools necessary to best leverage their creative talents and achieve their career goals. Participants receive full AFI Alumni benefits, and their completed projects are screened at the DWW+ Showcase in front of a wide network of industry professionals to celebrate their progress as artists and continue the longstanding tradition of DWW+ supporting inclusive and transformative storytelling.
The AFI DWW+ was launched in 1974 as the Directing Workshop for Women (DWW), one of the first gender impact programs of its kind in the cinematic arts, as well as one of the longest-running and preeminent film and television workshops nationwide. Among its earliest participants were such imperative creative voices as Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Jessie Maple, Cicely Tyson and many more. Since the program’s inception, DWW+ has trained over 350 filmmakers who give voice to historically underrepresented perspectives.
About the AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory opened its doors in 1969 to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. In a collaborative production environment, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Fellows actively participate in the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition.
Alumni of this elite program, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form, include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Deniese Davis, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison and Wally Pfister, among others.
About ShortsTV
ShortsTV is the first and leading 24/7, linear and OTT HD TV channel dedicated to short form video entertainment, including movies and series. ShortsTV has the largest catalog of quality short form video entertainment, including award-winning and star-studded live action, animated and documentary shorts from filmmakers around the globe. Distributed globally, the channel is available in over 100 million homes across the US, India, Europe, and Latin America (where it’s known as TVCortos). It is available across the US on DirecTV (channel 573), AT&T U-Verse (channel 1789), AT&T TV NOW, Google Fiber (channel 603) and Hotwire (channel 560). ShortsTV also operates an advertising-supported connected TV channel called ‘Shorts’, which acts as a gateway to the exciting world of short films and an introduction to the premium ShortsTV service. It is available in the UK on Rakuten TV.
Online, ShortsTV offers hundreds of the world’s best independent shorts for download from stores in over 90 countries, including iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon, as well as a subscription on-demand service on Amazon Prime Video Channels in the US, UK, Netherlands, Italy, France, Belgium, Sweden, India and Spain (where it’s known as TVCortos). Since 2006, ShortsTV has been the only presenter of the ‘Oscar Nominated Short Films’ theatrical release in cinemas across the US and Canada, South America, Europe, India, Australia and South Africa.
ShortsTV is owned by Shorts International Ltd, is headquartered in London, England and is represented in the United States by Shorts Entertainment Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary located in Los Angeles. The company is led by Chief Executive Carter Pilcher and is majority owned by Shorts Entertainment Holdings with AMC Networks a significant minority shareholder.
Sixth Annual Coast Film & Music Festival in Laguna Beach Announces Film Slate, Additional Programming, and Filmmaker Awards
Lineup Includes 15 Features and 53 Shorts; Events Include Keynotes, Panels, Workshops, Activities, Live Music, & Art Exhibitions; Student Filmmaker Program and Scholarship Support Young Talent
Laguna Beach, CA (November 4, 2024)—The Coast Film & Music Festival (CFMF) has unveiled the final film slate for its 2024 event, taking place Saturday, November 9 through Sunday, November 17. The schedule will include 15 feature films and 53 shorts broken into thematic categories, paired with features, or playing individually. Events will take place across four venues in Laguna Beach, California: the Rivian South Coast Theater and the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters will serve as the main locations for feature films, live music performances, art exhibitions, and the “Do Good Village;” the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center will be the home for short films and special presentations; and Hobie Surf Shop Laguna Beach will host its annual “locals night.”
Opening Night kicks off with a screening of the award-winning festival favorite Porcelain War, from Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, accompanied by a live performance from Ukrainian pianist Leyena Antonyicq. Porcelain War documents the stories of Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey as they stay behind to fight in the ongoing conflict. Amidst the chaos of war, they grapple with their dual identities as artists and soldiers. The film captures their defiant quest to find beauty and maintain their passion for life, even as fighter jets roar overhead and missiles strike. The powerful documentary showcases the resilience of the human spirit in the face of destruction. “We couldn’t be more excited to co-present the multi-award-winning documentary Porcelain War with the World Affairs Council of Orange County on Opening Night of Coast Film & Music Festival 2024,” says CFMF co-founder and director Ben Warner. “It’s films like this and others in our lineup that we hope to spark conversations, educate, and raise awareness about the global impact of war and cultural diplomacy.”
The festival will conclude with two Closing Night Films, Todd Jones’ Falling into Place: The Kai Jones Story and Ben Sturgulewski’s Champions of the Golden Valley. Falling into Place: The Kai Jones Story chronicles a young skiing prodigy’s journey from viral fame to devastating injury. Born into the extreme sports world, Kai faces online hate, achieves acclaim, and then suffers a near-career-ending setback. The film captures his inspiring comeback attempt in Jackson Hole and Alaska. Champions of the Golden Valley follows young Afghan skiers from rival ethnic groups as they unite through sport in remote Bamyan. Coach Alishah Farhang organizes a thrilling race with makeshift equipment. After Afghanistan’s collapse, the displaced athletes apply mountain-learned resilience to rebuild their lives as refugees, redefining what it means to be a champion.
Additional feature films include: John Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s In Waves and War; Ben McQueen’s Let It Kill You: The Arto Saari Story; Jeremy Regimbal’s Between the Mountain and the Sky; John Makens’ Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips; Todd Jones’ Beyond the Fantasy; Brendan Fairclough’s Death Grip 2 directed by Clay Porter and Chris Seager; Matt Costa’s Explorations of Site and Sound; Ken Etzel’s Fire Lines; Harrison Roach’s NØ WAY; Pete Chelkowski and Jim Wicken’s One with the Whale; Brendan Hall’s Out There: A National Parks Story; and Charles Francis and Daniel Kinnane’s Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story.
The short film program is broken up into four thematic blocks: “Our Lands,” which showcases the beauty of diverse landscapes and explores the challenges and importance of land conservation; “Our Oceans,” which highlights the beauty, power, and importance of the world’s oceans with inspiring stories of environmental stewardship and preservation; “Every Day Wonders,” which celebrates the beauty and magic found in each day, focusing on the discovery, joy, awe, and impact of life’s simple moments; and “Healed by Nature,” which features individuals transformed by their connection with nature and inspires viewers to reflect on their relationship with natural spaces.
“Our Lands” includes Isabela Zawistowska’s Don’t Doubt the Trout; Brian Davis’ High Frequency: Interpretations of Hardrock 100; Taliesin Black-Brown’s I Am the Nature; Darcy Hennesey’s Jamie; Brody Kuhar and Joshua Cannon’s Mama’s Sundry; Ben Knight’s Mirasol, Looking at the Sun; Shane Anderson’s Undammed: Amy Cordalis and the Fight to Free the Klamath; and Brooke Raines’ Weeklong.
“Our Oceans” includes Sandra Winther’s A New Wave; Alia Marriner’s Aqua Groms; Mike Coots’ The Call; Matt Raimondo’s Here and There; Ben Lalande’s Obibini; Lindsey Hagen’s Oyster; Lawn Sanches’ PLSTC; Danny Hardesty’s Ocean State of Mind; and Palmer Morse and Matt Mikkelsen’s Usugilix Awakun.
“Every Day Wonders” includes Mattias Evangelista’s Actual Air; Matteo Moretti’s Cicada; Guigo Foggiatto’s Hado; Matt Raimondo’s Ian; Ben Ivers and Christian May’s Limbo; Robyn Stoop, Jolaya Gillams, and Yinzhi (Peter) Pan’s Sincero; Griffin Glendinning’s Stasis; Laura Basil Duncan’s Tether; Jeremy Grant’s Time is a Funny Place; and Brendan Young’s To Know A Place.
“Healed by Nature” includes Adam De Silva’s Above the Noise; Noah Carlson’s An Abundant Life; Anna Wilder Burns and Jordyn Romero’s Beyond Normal; Stephen Michael Simon’s Far West; Jordyn Romero’s Nature Always Finds A Way; Ben Weiland and Brian Davis’ Savoring Joy; and Zeppelin Zeerip’s Taras.
Additional shorts programmed with other screenings or individually include: Henry Charles Behel’s 26,000 Days; Scott Ballew’s All That Is Sacred; Alexis Berg and Julien Raison’s A Team Sport; Dana Shaw’s Against the Current; Mark Tesi and Phillip Mansfield’s The Body Follows the Mind; Jeff Orlowski-Yang and Sarah Keo’s Chasing Time; Michael Haunschmidt and Mathias Kögel’s Descendance; Craig Gouweloos’ Great Alaskan Adventure; Scott Secco’s Jackson Goldstone: Solo; Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers’ Academy Award-winner The Last Repair Shop; Amon Barker’s Oasis; Michael Cukr’s On Wax; Dominic and Nadia Gill’s Planetwalker; Bernardo Ruiz’s The Power of Travel: Community is Right Outside; Ben Weiland’s Return to the Bering; Greg and Shaun MacGillivray’s Superhuman Body; Cameron Thuman’s Suspended in Space; and Nicholas Maher’s You and That Thing You Love.
The festival will also feature the Coast Student Filmmaker program on Saturday, November 16, showcasing works from students across the country in grades 6-12, including Abraham Delgado’s The Fullest in the “Student” shorts block. Invested in cultivating the next generation of filmmakers telling stories about cultural and environmental narratives, CFMF will award a scholarship to a graduating Laguna Beach High School student who plans to pursue film studies.
Other programming highlights include: the first-ever “Films on Forest Avenue” presented by ROARK, a free-to-the-public open-air event with film screenings and live music on the closed-to-traffic Forest Avenue promenade on Thursday, November 14; The Coast Summit presented by A New Earth Project, a full-day event featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities focused on environmental and adventure topics on Thursday, November 14; live music performances from Sea Wolf and Cayucas on Thursday, November 14, Sunstroke Serenaders on Saturday, November 16, and various local artists throughout the festival; interactive workshops and exhibitions promoting sustainability and community engagement at the “Do Good Village”; and outdoor experiences like yoga, hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking.
“The 2024 lineup represents the perfect fusion of cinematic artistry, musical talent, and outdoor spirit that defines the Coast Film & Music Festival,” says CFMF co-founder Enich Harris. “We’re creating an immersive experience that celebrates our connection to nature, inspires action to protect our planet, and showcases the incredible talent in adventure filmmaking and music.”
CFMF will present eight prestigious awards to outstanding contributors in various categories, recognizing and promoting filmmakers and their important stories. The highlight of the awards is the Coast Film Foundation (CFF) MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Filmmaker of the Year, which includes a $3,000 cash prize underscoring the festival’s commitment to environmental storytelling.
“At CFMF, we believe in the power of film to inspire change and shape our understanding of the world,” concludes Warner. “Our awards and student programs reflect our commitment to not only showcase great films, but also actively support the filmmakers who create them and nurture the next generation of storytellers.”
Festival tickets and passes are available for purchase at the door and on the official website here. Options include individual event tickets, single-day passes, 3-day passes, and all-event VIP passes.
About Coast Film & Music Festival
Coast Film & Music Festival, founded in Laguna Beach, California in 2019, is an annual celebration of outdoor-inspired cinema, culture, and community. CFMF’s diverse programming includes films, panels, music, art, and outdoor experiences designed to entertain, inform, and inspire audiences. The festival is committed to nurturing young filmmakers and sharing unique voices through innovative mentoring and educational programs. In 2022, they established the Coast Film Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to purpose-driven filmmaking that drives positive change through storytelling.
Feature-length films: Nov 4, 2024
Short films: Nov 13, 2024
Due to the large number of submissions shortly before the deadline for feature-length films, there may currently be temporary server downtimes. To ease the technical load, the deadline for feature-length films has beenl been extended until November 4, 2024.
The Berlinale is looking forward to receiving your submission. In order to submit a film to the Berlinale you first need to complete and send in the online submission form linked below. Thereafter, you’ll find the upload link for the selection screener in your personal account. Both the completed submission form and the selction screener will need to reach the Berlinale within the stated deadline. Notification of the results of the selection process will take place as soon as possible, at the latest by the beginning of 2025.
Before you start, the festival asks you to carefully read its General Guidelines for Submission and Participation as well as the additional regulations of the individual sections and consult the FAQs if you have any questions. You can find an overview of the most important submission requirements below.
Deadline for submission: November 4, 2024 for feature-length films / November 13, 2024 for short films
Processing fee: €175 feature-length films / €75 short films (regardless of the number of sections you apply for)
Date of completion: within the 12 months prior to the festival. Re-submissions are not eligible.
Premiere Status: world premieres are given priority in all sections, however, the various sections differ in the minimum requirement of the premiere status (see sections overview below and the respective guidelines of each section).
Accepted formats for selection: file upload in mp4 format (H.264, AAC, Stereo) – see technical specifications. Selection screeners may not be exchanged with updated versions once uploaded. The film version that is submitted should at least have reached the stage of picture lock.
Formats for festival presentation: DCP or QuickTime ProRes. 35mm and other formats only upon request. See technical specifications.
Further information on the submission process:
One entry form must be filled out for each film. You may submit to multiple sections with only one application.
A film entry can only be finished successfully if your browser supports the use of “cookies”. For information regarding the handling and storage of your data, please see the Privacy Policy.
You can save any ongoing registration process in your account, and return to it later for completion and submission within the stated deadline. In addition, you can use the “Back” and “Next” buttons to check or change your registration data at any time prior to sending it off.
The submitted data will be made available for download in PDF format after the completion of your registration. Subsequent changes can only be made by the festival – please email programme@berlinale.de clearly stating the film number you have been assigned during registration if you discover you want to change the information about your film after you have completed the submission process.
The outcome of the selection process will be emailed to the email address given on the submission form as soon as a final decision has been made by all the sections involved.
