Posted by Larry Gleeson
Putting a smile on the film going community in Santa Barbara and surrounding areas, The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announces ticketing and programming for its exquisite Wave Film Festival: France! With eleven films and twenty-two screenings from July 12th-18th, 2019, at the acoustically pleasing and recently renovated Linda and Bruce’s Riviera Theatre, The SBIFF Wave Film Festival: France is a must-see exhibition of French cinema nestled in the American Riviera of Santa Barbara, California!
According to the festival office passes are selling out fast. Multiple options are offered to attend including Cinephile and Sponsor passes (both include access to the Passholder Reception at the Belmond El Encanto – Friday July 12: 5:30pm – 7:30pm). Check out the links and see below for a sneak peek at the French films screening this year. See you at the movies!
Escape From Raqqa (Exfiltrés)
Misleading her husband about her travel plans, Faustine leaves Paris with their five-year-old son for Raqqa, an ISIS-controlled city. Finding herself in a desperate situation, Faustine sends an urgent plea to get them out. With French authorities powerless to help, her husband arranges a high-risk exfiltration operation to save his wife and son. Tense and timely, this gripping drama is based on a true story.
Directed by Emmanuel Hamon
Written by Benjamin Dupas
Starring Swann Arlaud, Finnegan Oldfield, Jisca Kalvanda, Charles Berling
102 minutes
SCREENING:
Sunday 7/14 @ 9:30pm
Thursday 7/18 @ 2:30pm
A Faithful Man (L’homme fidèle)
In this oh-so-French romantic comedy about three impossibly attractive Parisians, Abel is a dashing journalist whose pregnant girlfriend, Marianne, leaves him to marry Paul, the father of her baby (who happens to be Abel’s best friend). So begins a tale that stretches over years until Marianne reappears, as does Eva, Paul’s impetuous younger sister. Winner, Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Directed by Louis Garrel
Written by Jean-Claude Carrière and Louis Garrel
Starring Laetitia Casta, Lily-Rose Depp, Louis Garrel
75 minutes
SCREENING:
Sunday 7/14 @ 5:00pm
Thursday 7/18 @ 7:30pm
Father and Sons (Deux fils)
Joseph and his sons form a close-knit family but fail to see that each is losing control of his life. One son spends most of his time daydreaming about his ex-girlfriend. The other is a misfit at school despite being smart. Joseph has secretly left medicine to become a writer. While there is plenty of affection at home, all three are also, clumsily, searching for love.
Directed by Félix Moati
Written by Félix Moati, Florence Seyvos
Starring Vincent Lacoste, Benoît Poelvoorde, Anaïs Demoustier, Mathieu Capella
90 minutes
SCREENING:
Sunday 7/14 @ 7:30pm
Thursday 7/18 @ 5:00pm
The Freshman (Première année)
Antoine starts his first year of medical school—for the third time. Benjamin, fresh out of high school, will have his first stab at it. He soon realizes that it’s more difficult than he thought. With nights dedicated to hard studying, rather than hard partying, the two will have to adapt and find a middle ground between despair for the present and hope for the future. From the Writer/Director of HIPPOCRATES: DIARY OF A FRENCH DOCTOR and THE COUNTRY DOCTOR.
Written & Directed by Thomas Lilti
Starring Vincent Lacoste, William Lebghil, Michel Lerousseau, Darina Al Joundi
92 minutes
SCREENING:
Saturday 7/13 @ 7:30pm
Monday 7/15 @ 5:00pm
An Impossible Love (Un amour impossible)
Rachel, a young office clerk in a provincial town, meets Philippe, a well-educated man from a wealthy family. They share an intense but short-lived romance, leaving Rachel a single mother. Over the next 50 years, their lives are shaped by love—between a mother and daughter, by a woman for a man who rejects her, and by a daughter for an absent and abusive father.
Directed by Catherine Corsini
Written by Catherine Corsini and Laurette Polmanss
Starring Virginie Efira, Niels Schneider, Jehnny Beth, Estelle Lescure
135 minutes
SCREENING:
Saturday 7/13 @ 4:45pm
Monday 7/15 @ 7:30pm
In Safe Hands (Pupille)
When baby Theo’s birth mother surrenders him to adoption, the officers of child protection services are called into action. The baby is entrusted to Jean—no stranger to the foster system—who takes the newborn until a suitable home can be found. Alice, who has wanted to be a mother for a long time, faces the prospect that her dream could finally come true.
Written & Directed by Jeanne Herry
Starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Gilles Lellouche, Élodie Bouchez, Miou-Miou, Stéfi Celma
107 minutes
SCREENING:
Monday 7/15 @ 2:30pm
Wednesday 7/17 @ 5:00pm
Mothers’ Instinct (Duelles)
In this suspenseful psychological thriller, Alice and Céline live in adjoining houses, leading parallel bourgeois lives in 1960s Belgium. They are best friends, as are their boys, who have grown up like brothers. This perfect harmony is broken when tragedy strikes Céline’s son, with Alice as the only witness. As Céline’s behavior becomes more and more suspicious, Alice fears her friend is seeking revenge.
Directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse
Written by Olivier Masset-Depasse, Giordano Gederlini
Starring Veerle Baetens, Anne Coesens, Mehdi Nebbou
97 minutes
SCREENING:
Friday 7/12 @ 7:30pm
Tuesday 7/16 @ 5:00pm
The Prayer (La prière)
Thomas is a drug addict who joins a community of former addicts living in the mountains who use prayer as a way to cure themselves. Thomas gradually accepts a life of discipline, abstinence, hard work, and frequent prayer. He discovers faith, but also love—and a new kind of torment. Winner, Silver Bear for Best Actor, 2018 Berlin International Film Festival
Directed by Cédric Kahn
Written by Cédric Kahn, Samuel Doux, Fanny Burdino
Starring Anthony Bajon, Damien Chapelle, Alex Brendemühl, Hanna Schygulla
107 minutes
SCREENING:
Sunday 7/14 @ 2:30pm
Tuesday 7/16 @ 7:30pm
Real Love (C’est ça l’amour)
Mario is back to square one after his wife leaves home, and he now must raise his two adolescent daughters on his own. Niki, at seventeen, is about to leave the nest. Fourteen-year-old Frida blames her dad for her parents’ separation—and begins to explore her sexuality. Through it all, Mario must find ways to redefine himself as the women in his life create lives of their own.
Written & Directed by Claire Burger
Starring Bouli Lanners, Justine Lacroix, Sarah Henochsberg
98 minutes
SCREENING:
Saturday 7/13 @ 2:30pm
Wednesday 7/17 @ 7:30pm
Treat Me Like Fire (Joueurs)
When she meets Abel, Ella’s life is turned upside down. Irresistibly drawn to this elusive lover, the young woman discovers the cosmopolitan, underground world of the gaming circles of Paris, where adrenaline and money reign supreme. Their love story, begun as a mere bet, turns into a devouring passion. Filled with plot twists and lots of action, this film was a Directors’ Fortnight selection at the Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by Marie Monge
Written by Marie Monge and Julien Guetta
Starring Tahar Rahim, Stacy Martin
105 minutes
SCREENING:
Friday 7/12 @ 9:30pm
Wednesday 7/17 @ 2:30pm
The Trouble With You (En liberté!)
Yvonne is a police detective and the widow of police chief Santi, a local hero. When she learns that her husband was a crooked cop, she sets out to right the wrongs he committed. Crossing paths with a man who was unjustly imprisoned leads to a sequence of wild mishaps—and a mixture of action, romance, and screwball comedy. Winner, SACD Prize, Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by Pierre Salvadori
Written by Benjamin Charbit, Benoît Graffin, Pierre Salvadori
Starring Adèle Haenel, Pio Marmaï, Damien Bonnard, Audrey Tautou, Vincent Elbaz
108 minutes
SCREENING:
Saturday 7/13 @ 9:30pm
Tuesday 7/16 @ 2:30pm
See you at the movies!
(Sourced from sbiff.org)
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“We’re so grateful to all of our honorees, filmmakers, attendees, sponsors, press and volunteers for making the 34th edition our best yet. We’re adjusting our dates and we’re already looking forward to celebrating our 35th anniversary! – SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.