The “Creative Forces: Women in the Biz” panel debuted in 2005 and celebrates influential women in film. Women from all stages of film production, including editing, directing, costuming, casting, production design, and producing come together to discuss the unique challenges they have faced and successes they have had in the film industry.
The 2016 panel will feature:
Susan Cartsonis (STOREFRONT PICTURES)
Svetlana Cvetko (THE ARCHITECT – Cinematographer)
Alison Eastwood (BATTLECREEK – Director)
Liz Garbus (WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? – Director)
Shannon McIntosh (HATEFUL EIGHT – Producer)
Rosa Tran (ANOMALISA – Producer)
Madelyn Hammond, President, Madelyn Hammond & Associates will moderate. Brooks Institute is sponsoring the event.
Last night was a total knockout at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival with Sylvester Stallone receiving the festival’s esteemed Montecito Award.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 09: Actor Sylvester Stallone attends the Montecito Award at the Arlington Theater at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Stallone arrived arm-in-arm with his wife Jennifer and made their way into the historic Arlington Theater where Sylvester took the stage and carried a heartfelt dialogue with Deadline’s Pete Hammond.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 09: .Actor Sylvester Stallone and model Jennifer Flavin attend the Montecito Award at the Arlington Theater at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
At the end of the conversation, the original Apollo Creed Carl Weathers recounted his audition for the role of Apollo Creed and presented Stallone with the award.
(Video Credit: YSL Digital Films – Gary, Harlene and William Conlin. Titles by Larry Gleeson)
Guests made their way to the festival’s Hennessey Lounge afterwards to celebrate the evening.
(Source: Press release provided by Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
(Credit: YSL Digital – Gary, Harlene and William Conlin)
Monday night at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival started off with a bang as hundreds of fans lined the streets to get a glimpse of Oscar nominated actresses Saoirse Ronan (BROOKLYN) and Brie Larson (ROOM). The leading ladies were presented with the Outstanding Performers of the Year Award sponsored by Dom Perignon.
In almost matching shoulder-baring white dresses, Ronan (wearing a Chloe dress and Jimmy Choo shoes), walked the carpet in Santa Barbara while Larson (wearing an Emilia Wiskstead jumpsuit) was regrettably unable to attend in person. She did, however, Skype, a first at SBIFF, into the presentation moderated by Pete Hammond. The irony of the space Larson was Skyping from was not lost on Hammond, who commented that it looked like she might have been back on the set of ROOM.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Moderator Pete Hammond speaks with Actor Brie Larson at the Outstanding Performer of the Year ceremony at the Arlington Theater during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 8, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Larson discussed her favorite movies as a child, one being GONE WITH THE WIND. She followed up by sharing that the physicality of her role in ROOM was incredibly intense and was a vital part of understanding her character.
Following Larson’s conversation, Ronan took the stage. Ronan not only touched on the power of story telling but laughed about the fact it has taken almost 11 years for her name to be pronounced correctly in the business – going through each iteration.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Actress Saoirse Ronan of “Brooklyn” speaks at the Outstanding Performer of the Year ceremony at the Arlington Theater during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival. on February 8, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Accepting her award with tears in her eyes, Ronan closed the evening with heartfelt words and expressed how grateful she was to be a part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Actress Saoirse Ronan of “Brooklyn” receives the Outstanding Performer of the Year ceremony at the Arlington Theater during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival. on February 8, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
(Source: Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
It was a busy night in Santa Barbara, as the 31st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival feted its Virtuosos at the historical Arlington Theater. Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano, O’Shea Jackson, Jr, Géza Röhrig, Jacob Tremblay, and Alicia Vikander took to the stage for discussions with moderator Dave Karger and to be presented with their awards by Leonard Maltin.
Joel Edgerton was regrettably unable to attend, but a taped interview with Karger played during his portion of the tribute evening, which was sponsored by Travel and Leisure.
With honoree ages ranging from nine to 48, the evening began with Elizabeth Banks, who told the audience that the LOVE AND MERCY script was one of only two scripts she has ever fallen in love with (the other was ZAC AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO) and the success of the first film as a director, PITCH PERFECT 2. Paul Dano followed and talked about the three months of preparing he did with the music of The Beach Boys for LOVE AND MERCY.
After Joel Edgerton’s taped conversation played, O’Shea Jackson, Jr explained that it was his father’s idea that Jackson, Jr play him in STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, not the other way around! He discussed studying screenwriting at USC and how he needed to grow confidence to become an actor. As the audience applauded at the end of his conversation, he exclaimed, ‘I feel like The Rock!’
Géza Röhrig spoke to Karger about how he had already been a musician, poet, and teacher, and joked that yes, he did expect to one day be sitting on a stage in Santa Barbara accepting an award for acting. Before SON OF SAUL, Géza had only acted once before, 25 years ago in a Hungarian mini-series. Next up, Jacob Tremblay charmed the crowd while describing the emotionally stressful ROOM. ‘If you’re an adult or a mom you understand what’s happening, but if you’re a kid you’re like, ‘oh whatever’,’ he said about his viewing experience.
Last to the stage, but certainly not least, Alicia Vikander spoke about how her background in dance has helped her as an actress. She mentioned in particular that it helped her with the physicality of her character in EX-MACHINA. She also discussed the challenges of playing such a range of emotions in THE DANISH GIRL.
The fourth day of the festival began with a breakfast where filmmakers around the world bonded over bagels and coffee in the Lobero Courtyard.
The Lobero also played host to the esteemed writer’s and producer’s panels. LA Times’ Glenn Whipp moderated a panel of producers from some of this year’s most buzzed about movies, Finola Dwyer (BROOKLYN), Ed Guiney (ROOM), Jeremy Kleiner (THE BIG SHORT), Steve Golin (SPOTLIGHT) and Mary Parent (THE REVENANT). The panel discussed what makes a good producer, “making it work” even under difficult circumstances, and diversity in filmmaking. On the latter, Mary Parent said “as a woman, I’m thrilled the conversation is happening”.
Festival goers were then treated to the “It Starts With the Script” Writers Panel. IndieWIRE’s Anne Thompson led a conversation with some some of the year’s top screenwriters including Pete Docter (INSIDE OUT), Emma Donoghue (ROOM), Alex Garland (EX MACHINA), Drew Goddard (THE MARTIAN), Jonathan Herman (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), Charlie Kaufman (ANAMOLISA), Phyllis Nagy (CAROL), Charles Randolph (THE BIG SHORT), and Josh Singer (SPOTLIGHT). Audiences were captivated by the group’s discussion of the process of giving life to a film, the challenges that arise on the journey to the big screen, and what it takes to succeed.
Throughout the day as well, SBIFF volunteers handed out free popcorn and soda to families and festival goers as they stormed the Arlington Theater to catch two of this past year’s biggest animated hits, INSIDE OUT and MINIONS, at the community AppleBox screenings. (Source: SBIFF Press Office)
Crossing Bhutan, a new documentary by Director Ben Henretig, is the story of four veteran athletes who undertake a human-powered journey of 500 miles, walking and mountain-biking across the tiny Bhuddist nation in south Asia known as Bhutan. The trek was sponsored by the Bhutan National Olympic Committee.
Interestingly enough, Bhutan measures its economic development and spiritual growth by Gross National Happiness! Every two years, the Bhutanese government sends out a nine-category happiness survey asking questions about how connected do its citizens feel to their surroundings and to their community, what is their knowledge of indigenous plants and animals, and how often do they feel at ease.
The film opens with a very small archival black and white footage with a narrative voice over by Imogene Heap providing an historical discourse to the diminutive country. Quickly the film opens up with establishing shots of fairly recently shot footage revealing 24,000 foot peaks with snow-capped mountains. Soon we find out the story is about a never-done-before 500 mile trek across Bhutan that includes over 90,000 vertical feet in changing elevation.
The team is composed of four experienced, adventure-seeking athletes. The team leader is a female, Terri Schneider. The other three American members are Tony Lillios, David Kelly and Greg Thomas. A fifth member participated in a portion of the journey – Tshering Tobgay from Bhutan.
Henretig provides an extraordinary glimpse into Bhutan with a splendid mixture of direct cinema – as scenes are captured with the action moving through frame – and cinema verite’ that captures intimately emotional moments.
Most Bhutanese believe their traditions and cultural characteristics are vital in the construction of the bonds that have held the Bhutanese together throughout the centuries. Bhutan had been a monarchy until 2006 when the county’s fourth king abdicated his throne and ushered in a new era of democracy. Despite fears from the Bhutanese people of losing their identity, Bhutan is shedding light on what many are calling the magic of possibility centered around a sense of community, connectedness and belonging. Nevertheless, the country is facing challenges with growing their economy and with the recent introduction of media to its social and cultural structure.
In an engaging, responsive and informative Q & A following this morning’s screening of Crossing Bhutan at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Henretig discussed the experiential factors that he and the team of trekkers faced and discerned during and after their journey and the impact the experience has made in their lives. Mostly, the team members agreed it was a life-affirming, paradigm-shifting experience with positive and potentially powerful implications for the meshing of the Bhutanese way of contentment with the often discontented, disillusioned, high-octaned Western way of life.
Team leader, Terri Schneider has been back to Bhutan six times and was instrumental in starting the Bhutan International Marathon that attracted over 220 participants in 2015- 145 of whom were Bhutanese runners. Henretig has also returned to Bhutan within the last year and is currently working on a seventy minute follow up documentary on Crossing Bhutan. Wholeheartedly recommended.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Actress Rachel McAdams walks the red carpet for the American Riviera Award at the Arlington Theater at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 5, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Matthew Simmons/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Excitement and anticipation abound Friday evening as Rachel McAdams electrified the red carpet at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, CA for the American Riviera Awards at the 31st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). McAdam’s stunning Jonathan Simkhai gown awed the crowd as the Canadian actress gracefully made her way from her limousine greeting the onlooking crowd and signing autographs for adoring fans.
A near capacity crowd jostled into the 2000+ seat venue as bags were checked and festival passholders were granted priority access. Roger Durling, Executive Director of SBIFF and moderator for the evening, greeted the audience and provided a short discourse on the importance of film and its ability to unite communities across the globe and proceeded to introduce the evening’s honored guests, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton. The Arlington audience welcomed the pair with a rousing wave of applause. Unfortunately, Mark Ruffalo could not be in attendance.
Durling began the tribute with insightful remarks about SPOTLIGHT delving into what attracted them to the story and their experience in working with director Tom McCarthy. McAdams spoke specifically about the real-life character she portrays, reporter Sacha Pfeiffer, who sat in the audience this evening.
As an added caveat, the audience was treated with a trip down memory lane as a montage of film clips highlighting significant moments in their respective careers including MEAN GIRLS and THE PAPER. McAdams recounted her memorable role in THE HOT CHICK and how it was “probably the scariest job she’s ever had because she had to become Rob Schneider” and Keaton commented on his Boston accent in SPOTLIGHT, and why he “prayed that he would never have to do one”. In rounding out the 2016 American Riviera Award conversation Keaton and McAdams shared stories about their favorite filmmakers.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Actor Michael Keaton, Actress Rachel McAdams and SBIFF Director Roger Durling speak onstage at the American Riviera Award at the Arlington Theater at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 5, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
Tom McCarthy came on stage to present the honorees with their American Riviera Award, an SBIFF award established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American Cinema. McCarthy shared a few words about Ruffalo’s incredible determination as a performer, McAdam’s unique listening ability and her space as the heart of SPOTLIGHT, and Keaton’s remarkable energy and tenacity that he brings to the film.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Actor Michael Keaton receives the American Riviera Award from Director Tom McCarthy and Actress Rachel McAdams at the Arlington Theater at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 5, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
On Sunday, February 7th, Terrance Malick’s experiential KNIGHT OF CUPS will have its US Premiere at the Arlington Theatre as the festival’s Centerpiece Film. The highly anticipated film stars Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Frieda Pinto, Isabel Lucas, Imogen Poots, Wes Bentley, Brian Dennehy and Teresa Palmer, among others. Xavier Giannoli’s funny and emotional drama MARGUERITE will close out the festival on Saturday, February 13th. 1921, the beginning of the Golden Twenties. Not far from Paris. For information on tickets, passes and packages click here.
If air travel is required for your attendance, Alaska Airlines, the official airline for the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival, is offering 10% discounts on airfare between Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or Burbank, California and any of Alaska Airlines departure cities (excluding Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica and Prudhoe Bay) now through February 16th, 2016. Click here. Discounts are automatically applied. Restrictions apply. See site for details.
(Source: Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Film Studies Program filled the Engels and Volkers Pavilion on Friday, February 5th, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. for Documentary Filmmakers. Documentary Filmmakers was the second topic in the *Free Admission Filmmakers Series following yesterday’s Conversation with Mark Osborne, Director of The Little Prince (SBIFF’s Opening Night Film). The Filmmakers Seminar will resume on Monday, February 8th with Social Justice Documentaries.
SBIFF Programming Director, Michael Albright, a Santa Barbara City College Associate Film Studies Professor of Documentary Film, moderated a widely diverse, yet talented panel of documentary filmmakers this morning at the Engels and Volkers Pavilion as part of the SBIFF *Free Admission Filmmakers Seminars before an audience including many students in the Santa Barbara City College Film Studies Film Festival Course and several participants from the SBIFF Film Studies Program as well as a throng of Santa Barbara community filmmakers.
The panel was comprised of Jeff Bowden, Executive Producer, A Single Frame; Jeffrey Brown, Producer/Director, Vinyl Generation; Lilibet Foster, Director, Writer, Producer, Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story); Laura Gabbert, Director, City of God; and, Leanne Pooley, Director, 25 April. The films are screening during the festival. Visit the festival site for a complete, up-to-date film schedule: http://sbiff.org/
Albright introduced the participants to the audience and proceeded to politely ask the panel members to introduce themselves respectively. Jeff Bowden started revealing the inspiration behind his film – a photograph given to him by his daughter. It wasn’t just a photograph, however. The photo was hanging in a War Photo Limited gallery in Dubrovnik, Croatia when War Photo was exhibiting work by female photographers. Among the cataclysmic cover photos of bombed out buildings and incinerated automobiles was the face of an Albanian boy with an expression Bowden has carried with him ever since. In an effort to uncover the boy’s identity, Bowden embarked upon a journey that has inckuded six trips to Kosovo and has culminated in A Single Frame.
Next, Jeffrey Brown, a veteran filmmaker with over 20 films including a number of award-winning global features and documentaries. His latest work Vinyl Generation, examines the influence a renewed interest in vinyl LP’s had on Czech Generation X during the 1980’s.
Picking it up, Academy Award Nominated and multi-award winning filmmaker Lilibet Foster captured the moment as she shared her emotional, heartfelt journey in capturing the wrenching saga, Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story).
Not one to sit idly by, Laura Gabbert, grabbed a hold of the microphone and mesmerized the audience with her shot description showcasing the City of Angels – Los Angeles, California – in City of God, her expose of flamboyantly Old World, Pulitzer Prize winning food critic, Jonathan Gold. The film premiered at Sundance 2015 and was picked up by IFC/Sundance Selects and is slated for a March 2016 theatrical release. Also, Gabbert received her MFA from the UCLA School of Theater, Television and Film.
Wrapping up the introductions was Leanne Poooley, a New Zealand filmmaker with over 20 films under her belt including her the recent 25 April, an animated excursion into a retelling of the bloody and ill-fated Gallipoli campaign form the annals of World War I.
Seemingly, such an extraordinary self-described introduction would have been satisfactorily enough for most audiences. Albright, however, with a keen sense of his audience demographic, peppered the panel with intelligent questions to draw out the inner workings of these successful, highly charged filmmakers. For example, how do you as filmmakers balance creativity with financial realities? It appeared as though a strong illumination surrounded the group as the response button was activated immediately after the question left Albright’s lips. Answers varied from panelist to panelist eventually segueing into narrative structure, storytelling versus topical material, film distribution channels, production, post-production and the ensuing miracle inherent to the magic of filmmaking. And, what started out as a Filmmaking Seminar on Documentary Film morphed into a master filmmaking class running the gamut from the inspirational spark to finished product. Stay tuned!
Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider rolled out the welcome mat to a sold-out, energetic audience and then introduced “the-one-and-only Roger Durling,” the Festival’s Executive Director, at the opening of the 31st edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival inside the historic Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California, February 3rd, 2016.
(Credit: Larry Gleeson)
SBIFF Executive Roger Durling introduced The Little Prince director, Mark Osborne to a rollicking Arlington Theater audience. Osborne reminisced about how his wife had introduced him to the novel years ago and inspired him to make the film. In addition, Osborne credited his own daughter as inspiration for the character of the young girl and revealed that his son was the voice of the Little Prince. Soon after, star Mackenzie Foy appeared and mesmerized the crowd in a full-length evening gown as she gushed, “I’m honored to be a apart of this unique film.” Last but not least, local Santa Barbarian and long-time resident, Jeff Bridges, joined the group by saying he was looking forward to seeing the film in his hometown.
On Sunday, February 7th, Terrance Malick’s experiential KNIGHT OF CUPS will have its US Premiere at the Arlington Theatre as the festival’s Centerpiece Film. The highly anticipated film stars Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Frieda Pinto, Isabel Lucas, Imogen Poots, Wes Bentley, Brian Dennehy and Teresa Palmer, among others. Xavier Giannoli’s funny and emotional drama MARGUERITE will close out the festival on Saturday, February 13th. 1921, the beginning of the Golden Twenties. Not far from Paris. For information on tickets, passes and packages click here.
If air travel is required for your attendance, Alaska Airlines, the official airline for the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival, is offering 10% discounts on airfare between Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or Burbank, California and any of Alaska Airlines departure cities (excluding Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica and Prudhoe Bay) now through February 16th, 2016. Book by February 16, 2016. Click here. Discounts are automatically applied. Restrictions apply. See site for details.
The new feature-length documentary film, Midnight Return, will make its U.S. premiere at the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday, February 12, at 8:20 PM with an encore screening on Saturday, February 13, at 2:00PM. Follow Billy Hayes as he returns to Turkey 30 years after his daring escape from prison to face the country still haunted by the film, Midnight Express – a movie that turned him into an international celebrity and made him the enemy of Turkey. Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Writer/Director Sally Sussman and Billy Hayes.
From the moment it stunned the world at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978, MidnightExpress cemented its place in film history as an artistic and financial success, winning two Academy Awards and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture drama, before becoming an indelible part of pop culture. But its lasting impact has been on Turkish people worldwide who still condemn the film as racist and blame Billy Hayes for defaming them and their country.
In an effort to clear his conscience and re-visit the scenes of his youth, Billy Hayes attempts a rapprochement with the Turkish nation but is refused entry. It is only when he receives an invitation from a most ironic source that he returns to Turkey and faces a nation still haunted by the film and his own demons as well. Interviews include Oliver Stone, Peter Guber, Alan Parker, David Puttnam, Giorgio Moroder, Billy Hayes, Ahmet Ertegun, Peter Greenberg, Jeffrey Lyons, and many others.
Entirely self-financed, the film is written, directed and produced by the Emmy winning and WGA award-winning Sally Sussman. in addition, Producer Anthony Morina is a three-time Emmy winner, and a CableACE Award winner.
LINKS
• Media Contact: midnightreturnINFO@gmail.com OR 310-429-3979
• Official Website: http://MidnightReturnDocumentary.com/
• Instagram: @MIDNIGHTRETURNDOCUMENTARY
Visit for more information about the Santa Barbara screenings of Midnight Return and to purchase tickets visit the festival site: sbiff.org.
The Republic of Croatia, and its emerging film industry, has four entries in the 31st edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to open this Wednesday, February 3rd and close February 13th, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California.The four Croatian films areLazar, You Carry Me, Sparrows, and The High Sun.
Lazar, written and directed by Svetozar Ristovski, is a universal story set in Macedonia and is centered around a young boy’s experience within a marginalized segment of society.You Carry Me, a Croatian-Serbian-Slovakian-Montenegrin co-production is written and directed by Ivona Juka, is a think piece about life and the the surrounding conditions the regions inhabitants find themselves in.Sparrows, written and directed by Runar Runarsson, is a coming-of-age story of a 16-year old boy forced to move from his mother’s home in Reykjavic to the remote area of his estranged father’s home in Westfjords.The High Sun, written and directed by Dalibor Matanic, is a story of the dangers and enduring strength of a forbidden love set in two neighboring Balkan villages with a long history of inner hatred.
Lazar and You Carry Me, will be making their North American premieres in Santa Barbara and are scheduled in the International competition field of 18 international feature films. Sparrows and The High Sun, are scheduled in the Special Presentations category, featuring a selection of 17 award-winning international feature and documentary films.
This year’s festival will offer an array of films representing 60+ countries, 52 world premieres and 53 US premieres, including tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach.
SBIFF 2016 will kick off on Wednesday, February 3rd, at the historic Arlington Theatre with the US Premiere of THE LITTLE PRINCE, directed by Mark Osborne and featuring the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Ricky Gervais, James Franco, Mackenzie Foy and Benicio Del Toro. THE LITTLE PRINCE is based on the classic tale of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
On Sunday, February 7th, Terrance Malick’s experiential KNIGHT OF CUPS will have its US Premiere at the Arlington Theatre as the festival’s Centerpiece Film. The highly anticipated film stars Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Frieda Pinto, Isabel Lucas, Imogen Poots, Wes Bentley, Brian Dennehy and Teresa Palmer, among others. Xavier Giannoli’s funny and emotional drama MARGUERITE will close out the festival on Saturday, February 13th. 1921, the beginning of the Golden Twenties. Not far from Paris. For information on tickets, passes and packages click here.
THE TRIBUTES
SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy-Award® front-runners, many of whom have arrived as nominees and gone on to win the Oscar. The 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival proudly celebrates some of the year’s finest work in film.
The complete list of 2016 Honorees (in date order) is as follows:
Scott Cooper will present Johnny Depp with the esteemed MaltinModern Master Award sponsored by UGG, moderated by longtime friend and film historian Leonard Maltin on Thursday, February 4th.
Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams will receive the American Riviera Award sponsored by Engel & Völkers on Friday, February 5th.
The 2016 Virtuosos Award sponsored by Travel + Leisure will be presented to Elizabeth Banks (LOVE & MERCY), Joel Edgerton (BLACK MASS), Paul Dano (LOVE & MERCY, YOUTH), Jacob Tremblay (ROOM), Alicia Vikander (THE DANISH GIRL, EX MACHINA), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON) and Géza Röhrig (SON OF SAUL) in recognition of the year’s emerging film artists. The evening will be moderated by Dave Karger, Chief Correspondent and host of “The Frontrunners” on Fandango on Saturday, February 6th.
Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan will receive the Outstanding Performers of the Year Award, moderated by Pete Hammond, on Monday, February 8th.
The Montecito Award will be Tuesday, February 9th and is sponsored by Hennessy. Honoree to be announced.
The Variety Artisans Awards will take place on Wednesday, February 10th and will be moderated by Variety’s Sr. VP Awards Editor, Tim Gray. Honorees to be announced.
The Outstanding Director of the Year Award sponsored by The Hollywood reporter will be Thursday, February 11th and will be moderated by THR’s Scott Feinberg. Honorees to be announced.
Rooney Mara will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award, presented to her by Cate Blanchett, on Saturday, February 12th.
All tributes take place at the historic Arlington Theatre, located at 1317 State Street, Santa Barbara, California (except the Variety Artisans Award which will be at the Lobero Theatre).
A general view of atmosphere at the premiere screening of ‘McFarland, USA’ at the 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival at Arlington Theatre on February 7, 2015 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for The Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
THE PANELS
SBIFF has become renowned for creating smart, insightful panels that feature a who’s who in the world of filmmaking, including many Oscar® contenders.
The panel series begins on Saturday, February 6thwith the “Movers and Shakers,” (Producers Panel), bringing together the industry’s most prolific producers to talk about current projects, hopes for the future of filmmaking, and insights into the creative process. Moderated by Los Angeles Times film writer Glenn Whipp.
That same day proceeds with “It Starts With the Script” (Screenwriters Panel), bringing together top writers to discuss their craft. The panel will be moderated by indieWIRE’s Anne Thompson.
Thursday, February 11, 2016 five Oscar-nominated directors will receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) 2016 Outstanding Directors of the Year award: Lenny Abrahamson, ROOM; Alejandro G. Iñárritu,THE REVENANT; Tom McCarthy, SPOTLIGHT; Adam McKay, THE BIG SHORT; and George Miller, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. They will each be celebrated individually for their films. The individual honors will be followed by a joint conversation between the directors about their craft and on the landscape of modern day filmmaking. The ceremony will take place at the historic Arlington Theatre. The evening is sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter.
On Saturday February 13, with Creative Forces: Women in the Business (Women’s Panel), moderated by Madelyn Hammond, President, Madelyn Hammond & Assoc., and Former Chief Marketing Officer for Variety. The Women’s Panel is sponsored by Brooks Institute.
All panels take place at the Lobero Theatre, located at 33 E Canon Perdido St., in Santa Barbara.
HIGHLIGHTS & LOCAL OFFERINGS
Student Film Studies Program – Returning for its second year, the student film studies program will bring undergraduate film students from across the country for a three day symposium with a focus on film appreciation, criticism, and analysis. Students will have the opportunity to learn from notable industry professionals and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival through a unique mix of guided and self-guided opportunities, allowing students to customize the experience and benefit from all the Festival has to offer. Students will have access to screenings, panels, Q&A sessions, celebrity tribute events, and private sessions with filmmakers and media professionals in a classroom setting. Due to the generosity of Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin, the amount of students allowed has doubled and the program will be completely FREE including travel and lodging.
Free Public Screenings – Sponsored by Cox Business, SBIFF will again offer critically acclaimed films FREE to the public at the Lobero Theatre everyday throughout the Festival..
Seminars – SBIFF will again present educational seminars that will be FREE to the public and will take place in the Visit Santa Ynez Valley Lounge at the Engel & Völkers Pavilion throughout the Festival at 11:00am.
The Jury – Films in several of the Festival’s film categories are in competition. These categories are viewed by a hand selected group of industry professionals including: Sean Baker, James Morrison, Johannes Kuhnke, Neil Konigsberg, Margaret Lazarus, Geoffrey Cowper, Alan Marshall, Anthony Zerbe, Perry Lange, Mimi deGruy, and Phyllis de Picciotto. On the last day of the Festival, the award winning films will be announced at the annual SBIFF awards breakfast.
SBIFF Acquisitions Program – SBIFF presents the 5th Annual Acquisitions Program on the first weekend of the festival, February 5 – February 7. Since it began five years ago, this weekend long event has grown significantly with a number of films from last year’s program going on to receive distribution. The program was created to allow the acquisitions community easy, industry-friendly access to films at SBIFF.
Super Silent Sunday – On Sunday February 7th, SBIFF will present a classic silent film at the Arlington Theatre completely FREE to the public. Live accompaniment will be provided by Adam Aceto on the theatre’s Wonder Morton pipe organ, which is one of only five in existence, and is a unique opportunity to connect with the rich history of cinema.
Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies – More than a decade ago, SBIFF first introduced “Field Trip to the Movies,” the brainchild of renowned nature cinematographer Mike deGruy, whose passion for exploring and sharing those adventures with audiences through filmmaking was the inspiration for this fascinating and thought-provoking program. Now renamed “Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies,” the goal of the program, which is offered to 4,000 5th and 6th grade students from throughout Santa Barbara County, is to use filmmaking to stimulate creative, confident and culturally aware thinkers and empower students and teachers with a novel approach to education.
AppleBox Family Films – FREE family films on the weekends of the Festival. This year, SBIFF will screen Animated Feature front-runners Inside Out (10:00am Feb. 6), Minions (1:00pm Feb. 6), The Peanut Movie (10:00am Feb. 7), and The Good Dinosaur (10:00am Feb. 13) Sponsored by Cox, KPMR Univision, Metropolitan Theatres, MOXI, and Rincon Broadcasting.
Santa Barbara Filmmakers – The Santa Barbara filmmaking community provides a diverse, thought-provoking series of features and shorts. Their programs underscore the emerging talent of up-and-coming filmmakers as well as seasoned veterans, and will be part of the juried competition this year for the first time.
10-10-10Student Screenwriting and Filmmaking Competition sponsored by Montecito Bank & Trust, Final Draft, and The Riordan Foundation. The Competition is comprised of 20 high school and college students chosen from 120 submissions. The filmmakers and screenwriters are then paired and they will then produce a 10-minute film during the 10 days of the Festival. On Tuesday, February 2 the 10-10-10 Press Conference will introduce the screenwriting and filmmaking finalists. On Saturday, February 13 at the Arlington Theatre, all ten completed films will be screened and the winners will be announced.
The Stand Up Award sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League – The Santa Barbara Tri-Counties Region of the Anti-Defamation League will be sponsoring and presenting the new ‘ADL Stand Up Award‘ to a dramatic film in the festival that represents an important addition to the efforts of the ADL “to secure justice and fair treatment for all.” ADL has a one hundred year history of standing up to bigotry, hatred, and discrimination. The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate the impact that story telling can have in fostering mutual understanding and respect.
Irish Animated Short Films – Santa Barbara’s Irish sister city of Dingle will make a presentation of Ireland’s top animators at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. From The West Coast of Ireland, sitting along The Wild Atlantic Way, Dingle International Film Festival will bring its showcase of Irish Animation to The West Coast of America in California. The selection of animation films by Maurice Galway, Director Dingle IFF, includes some of the top names in animation here in Ireland today whilst also giving a nod to up-and-coming talent.
Santa Barbara Local Heroes: Documentary Shorts – Directed by Phyllis de Picciotto and Stan Roden, these sixteen short documentaries are inspired, guided and determined by the Santa Barbara Independent’s 30-year tradition of honoring Local Heroes. The 2015 Santa Barbara Local Heroes are: Diana Basehart, Dr. Joe Blum, Don Bushnell, Rodney Chow, Frank Goss, David Hopkins, Jimmy Jennings, Santa Barbara High School Don’s Net Cafe (Lee Ann Knodle), Irene Macias, Marcel Meier, Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, Suzanne Riordan, Santa Barbara Conservancy, Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol (Jan Martinez and Anthony Lombardi), Josette Tkacik, Friends of the Carpinteria Library (April Ueoka and Susan Williams). These short documentary portraits will screen periodically throughout the festival before the Santa Barbara Features/Shorts.
Youth CineMedia – SBIFF presents a documentary film series produced entirely by teens involved in the Youth CineMedia program. Striving to help children transition away from gang life, drugs and alcohol and into college and careers in music, photography and video production, the organization offers creative tools, training and support for underprivileged and at-risk teens. Free to the public with Q&A following.
3RD Weekend – SBIFF will once again present “3RD Weekend,” which will feature the highlights of the 31st Festival for Santa Barbara residents. The films will be screened throughout the weekend of February 19-21 at the Riviera Theatre. Screenings are FREE and seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Screening times will be posted sbiff.org in the days following Closing Night.
FILM CATEGORIES AND SIDEBARS
SBIFF features exciting, culturally enlightening, and entertaining programming and sidebars. 207+ films from around the world will be brought together to form an incredibly unique and diverse festival experience.
ABOVE AND BEYOND: A selection of exhilarating documentaries that capture the challenges of endurance sports as well as the adventure, beauty and thrills of the outdoors.
APPLEBOX: A series of free award-winning animated films for families.
CINEMATIC OVERTURES: A selection of films that showcase the world of performance including, music, theater and dance.
DOCUMENTARY: A selection of US and International documentaries.
GLOBAL HOLLYWOOD: A selection of documentaries that explore key figures from Hollywood history as well as the global dimensions of Hollywood.
INDEPENDENT: A selection of Independent feature films.
INTERNATIONAL: A selection of International feature films.
KOLNOA: A selection of feature films and documentaries that examine Israel from a variety of diverse historical, cultural and political perspectives.
NOIR: An international selection of neo-noirs filled with gritty underworlds, hard-boiled criminals, femme fatales and moral nihilists.
NORDIC: A selection of contemporary cinema from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
REEL NATURE: A selection of natural history documentaries that highlight key issues facing the environment and wildlife.
SANTA BARBARA FEATURES: A selection of films from Santa Barbara filmmakers.
SCREEN CUISINE: An international selection of feature films and documentaries that examine the cultural layers of cuisine and craft spirits.
SOCIAL JUSTICE: A selection of international documentaries that address critical social justice issues, including activism, environmentalism, equality, freedom of speech and human rights.
SPANISH/LATIN AMERICA: A selection of Spanish language films from Spain and Latin America.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: A selection of international award winning feature films and documentaries.
For the complete list of films, along with their descriptions and a preliminary screening schedule, visit www.sbiff.org. Please note that this is subject to change.
Packages, a few passes and some tickets for the festival are still available. For more information on packages, passes, tickets and a complete schedule of films see the festival site: sbiff.org .
If air travel is required for your attendance, Alaska Airlines, the official airline for the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival, is offering 10% discounts on airfare between Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or Burbank, California and any of Alaska Airlines departure cities (excluding Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica and Prudhoe Bay) from February 2nd through February 16th, 2016. Book by February 16, 2016. Click here. Discounts are automatically applied. Restrictions apply. See site for details.
