The 34th Edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival taking place from January 30 to February 9, 2019, will feature 63 world premieres and 59 U.S. premieres from 48 countries, along with tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs. The 34th Festival Poster was unveiled, again created by Barbara Boros who has designed the SBIFF poster each year for 16 years, this year highlighting Butterfly Beach.
SBIFF 2019 will start on Wednesday, January 30, at the historic Arlington Theatre with the world premiere of Diving Deep:The Life and Times of Mike deGruy directed by Mimi deGruy.
Diving Deep:The Life and Times of Mike deGruy is a feature film documentary about Mike deGruy, an irrepressible biologist turned award-winning filmmaker who swam, dived and filmed in oceans around the world and in the process became the first to film many rarely seen creatures in their own oceans. He was also a passionate advocate of the ocean’s creatures and became increasingly outspoken as an environmental activist. In 2012, deGruy died tragically in a helicopter crash in Australia while filming for director James Cameron. Told through the eyes of Mimi deGruy, his wife and filmmaking partner, Diving Deep:The Life and Times of Mike deGruy celebrates deGruy’s remarkable life, career and what he passionately believed: we are destroying the ocean before we even know what’s there.
The Festival will close Saturday, February 9 at the Arlington Theatre with the world premiere of Spoons: A Santa Barbara Story directed by Wyatt Daily.
SPOONS: A SANTA BARBARA STORY is an exploration of how one of the most significant corners of the world produced, and continues to produce, some of the most talented surfers and innovators. Deeper than all is a story of craftsmanship, work ethic, renegades and tradition. This is a film that goes beyond the time spent in the ocean to define how one spends a lifetime.
SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy Award frontrunners, and will celebrates some of the year’s finest work in film. Viggo Mortensen will receive the American Riviera Award and Glenn Close will be presented with the Maltin Modern Master Award. Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan will receive the Vanguard Award while the Virtuosos Award will be presented to Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Sam Elliott (A Star is Born), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), Claire Foy (First Man), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), and Steven Yeun (Burning).
2019 FILMS
20 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS
(listed alphabetically)
Babysplitters, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sam Friedlander
Better Together, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Isaac Hernández
The Bird Catcher, Norway, UK – World Premiere
Directed by Ross Clarke
Cemetery Park, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Brandon Alvis
Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Mimi deGruy
Enormous: The Gorge Story, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nic Davis
Find Your Groove, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Michael Kirk
Guest Artist, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Timothy Busfield
Ham on Rye, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Tyler Taormina
Here and Now (Aquí y ahora), Costa Rica – World Premiere
Directed by Paz León
Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jason Baffa
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film, USA – World Premiere
Directed by William Conlin
The Map to Paradise, Australia – World Premiere
Directed by Danielle Ryan and James Sherwood
Ordinary Gods, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Pascui Rivas
Peel, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Rafael Monserrate
Quiet Storm, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Johnny Sweet
Silent Forests, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Mariah Wilson
Spoons: A Santa Barbara Story, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Wyatt Daily
Working Man, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Robert Jury
Zulu Summer, South Africa, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Joseph Litzinger and Eric Michael Schrader
51 U.S. PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS
(listed alphabetically)
Alone at My Wedding (Seule à mon mariage), Belgium – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Marta Bergman
Amá, UK – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Lorna Tucker
Angel Face (Gueule d’ange), France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Vanessa Filho
The Apollo of Gaza (L’Apollon de Gaza), Switzerland, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff
Belmonte, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Federico Veiroj
Betrayal (Traición), Mexico – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ignacio Ortiz Cruz
Break (Recreo), Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Hernán Guerschuny and Jazmín Stuart
Breaking Habits, USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robert Ryan
Celeste, Australia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ben Hackworth
Crystal Swan (Khrustal), Belarus – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Darya Zhuk
The Dead and the Others (Chuva é cantoria na aldeia dos mortos), Brazil, Portugal – U.S. Premiere
Directed by João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora
Emma Peeters, Canada, Belgium – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Nicole Palo
Ether (Eter), Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Ukraine, Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Krzysztof Zanussi
Fine Lines, Hong Kong – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dina Khreino
Fly by Night (Fei chang dao), Malaysia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Zahir Omar
Freaks, USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky
Helmet Heads (Cascos indomables), Chile, Costa Rica – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Neto Villalobos
Here and Now, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Roman Shumunov
Holy Tour (La grande messe), Belgium, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Méryl Fortunat-Rossi and Valéry Rosier
I Act, I Am (Igram, sem), Slovenia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Miroslav Mandi
Joel, Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Carlos Sorín
José, Guatemala, USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Li Cheng
Journey to a Mother’s Room (Viaje al cuarto de una madre), Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Celia Rico Clavellino
King Bibi: The Life and Performances of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dan Shadur
Land of Hope (Oma maa), Finland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Markku Pölönen
Land of My Children (Im land meiner kinder), Germany, Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Darío Aguirre
The Laps: Tasmania, Australia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dustin Hollick and Angie Davis
Les Dames (Ladies), Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond
Metal Heart, Ireland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Hugh O’Conor
Murderous Trance aka The Guardian Angel, Finland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Arto Halonen
My Own Good (Il bene mio), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Pippo Mezzapesa
Nose to Tail, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jesse Zigelstein
Not Quite Adults (Tampoco tan grandes), Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Federico Sosa
Pause (Pafsi), Cyprus – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Tonia Mishiali
Phoenix (Føniks), Norway – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Camilla Strøm Henriksen
Private Album, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Kobi Farag
Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Barry Avrich
Put Grandma in the Freezer (Metti la nonna in freezer), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Giancarlo Fontana and Giuseppe Stasi
A Seed for Change, Greece – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Alexandros Ikonomidis
Sıren’s Call (Son Çikiş), Turkey – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ramin Matin
Tell It to the Bees, USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Annabel Jankel
Two Times You (Dos veces tú), Mexico – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Salomón Askenazi
Ulysses & Mona, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Sébastien Betbeder
The Unorthodox (Ha-Bilti Rishmi’im), Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Eliran Malka
Van Goghs (Van Gogi), Latvia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Sergey Livnev
Virgin and Extra: The Land of Olive Oil (Jaén, virgen y extra), Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by José Luis López Linares
What Have We Done to Deserve This? (Womit haben wir das verdient?), Austria – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Eva Spreitzhofer
Wherever You Are (Ovunque proteggimi), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Bonifacio Angius
Wild Kids, Israel – US Premiere
Directed by Tal Pesses
With the Wind (Le vent tourne), Switzerland, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Bettina Oberli
The Young Fan (Il ragazzo più felice del mondo), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Gianni Pacinotti (Gipi)
2019 SBIFF FEATURE FILMS
(non-premieres listed alphabetically)
Afterward, USA
Directed by Ofra Bloch
Amazing Grace, USA
Directed by Sydney Pollack, completed by Alan Elliott
Angel (Un ange), Belgium, Netherlands, Senegal
Directed by Koen Mortier
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, Canada
Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky
As Needed (Quanto basta), Italy, Brazil
Directed by Francesco Falaschi
Ash Is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv), China
Directed by Jia Zhang-ke
Between the Lines, USA – *World Premiere Restoration
Directed by Joan Micklin Silver
The Biggest Little Farm, USA
Directed by John Chester
Carmen y Lola, Spain
Directed by Arantxa Echevarría
Carmine Street Guitars, Canada
Directed by Ron Mann
Cassandro the Exotico!, France
Directed by Marie Losier
Champions (Campeones), Spain
Directed by Javier Fesser
David Crosby: Remember My Name, USA
Directed by A.J. Eaton
Echo in the Canyon, USA
Directed by Andrew Slater
The Factory (Zavod), Russia, France, Armenia
Directed by Yury Bykov
Fire on the Hill: The Cowboys of South Central L.A., USA
Directed by Brett Fallentine
Gatao 2: Rise of the King, Taiwan
Directed by Yen Cheng-Kuo
Harvest Season, USA
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz
The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution, Canada
Directed by Maya Gallus
Hugh Hefner’s After Dark: Speaking Out in America, Canada
Directed by Brigitte Berman
I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story, Australia, USA
Directed by Jessica Leski
Incredibles 2, USA
Directed by Brad Bird
Inside Lehman Brothers, Canada
Directed by Jennifer Deschamps
Laila at the Bridge, Canada, Afghanistan
Directed by Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei
The Last Prosecco (Finché c’è prosecco c’è speranza), Italy
Directed by Antonio Padovan
Light in the Water, USA
Directed by Lis Bartlett
Maya, France
Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve
Mouthpiece, Canada
Directed by Patricia Rozema
Outdoors (Bayit Bagalil), Israel
Directed by Asaf Saban
The Parting Glass, Canada, USA
Directed by Stephen Moyer
Ralph Breaks the Internet, USA
Directed by Phil Johnston and Rich Moore
Shadow, China
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Sharkwater Extinction, Canada
Directed by Rob Stewart
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, USA
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Stockholm, Canada, Sweden, USA
Directed by Robert Budreau
Take It or Leave It (Võta või jäta), Estonia
Directed by Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
The Third Wife, Vietnam
Directed by Ash Mayfair
This Changes Everything, USA
Directed by Tom Donahue
A Thousand Miles Behind, USA
Directed by Nathan Wetherington
Too Beautiful: Our Right to Fight, USA
Directed by Maceo Frost
Transit, Germany, France
Directed by Christian Petzold
Unsettling, UK, Israel
Directed by Iris Zaki
Winter Flies (Všechno bude), Czech Republic
Directed by Olmo Omerzu
2019 SBIFF SHORTS
(listed alphabetically)
42 WORLD PREMIERES AND 8 U.S. PREMIERES
1 in 100,000, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Benjamin Yates
805 Strong, USA
Produced by Ellie Vargas
Accident (Ongelukje), Netherlands – U.S. Premiere
Directed by David Cocheret
Ah Gong (Grandpa), Taiwan – World Premiere
Directed by Clifford Miu
BIG DATA – “L1ZY”, USA
Directed by Brandon LaGanke and John Carlucci
The Bird & the Whale, Ireland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Carol Freeman
Birth of a Movement, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Paul Lynch
Black Lips, Australia
Directed by Adrian Chiarella
Buzzer, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Albert Birney
CC, Canada
Directed by Kailey Spear and Sam Spear
The Cheshire Cat Inn, USA
Directed by Joshua Sechrist
The Clinic, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Elivia Shaw
A Cohort of Guests, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Todd Sandler
Cruisin’ Santa Barbara, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Justin Gunn
Damage, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Matt Porter
Definition of Resilience, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alexis Sallee and Tomas Karmelo
Dream Girl, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ryan Slattery and Andrea Sanchez
Duel of the Hearts, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Harrison Derbyshire
Dust Devil, Australia
Directed by Poppy Walker
Esfuerzo, USA
Directed by Alana Maiello
EZK: Beyond the Walls (EZK: Au-delà des murs), France – World Premiere
Directed by Shawn Pyfrom
The Fallen Tree, USA
Directed by Drew Hodges
Fathom, USA
Directed by Alessio Morello
Forgotten, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Daniel Soares
From Water to Wind, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Casey McGarry
The Garden Is Singing: Ganna Walska Lotusland, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Karen Kasaba
Guns Found Here, USA
Directed by David Freid
Henrietta Bulkowski, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Rachel Johnson
Hidden Blueprints: The Story of Mikey, USA
Directed by Jeremy Lee MacKenzie
Holding, USA
Directed by Jesse Turk and Jon Zucker
Inanimate, UK
Directed by Lucia Bulgheroni
Inlove, France
Directed by Les Frères Lopez
jack, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nick Paonessa
John Van Hamersveld – Crazy World Ain’t It, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Dave Tourjé
Jump, Australia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ryan O’Kane and James Conway-Law
Last Day of School (Paskutinis skambutis), USA, Lithuania – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Gabriele Urbonaite
The Last Harvest, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alexis Spraic
Love Is Never Wasted, USA
Directed by Nathanael Matanick
The Mayor, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Taylor Horky
Mitya’s Love (Mitina Lyubov), Russia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Svetlana Filippova
MOOSE, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jonah Ansell
My Brother Amal (Amali bram), Norway – U.S. Premiere
Directed Christopher Wollebekk
My Moon, USA
Directed by Eusong Lee
Near Miss, USA
Directed by Josh Berry
No Traveler Returns (D’où nul ne revient), USA, Ivory Coast – World Premiere
Directed by Ellie Foumbi
Nothing Ever Good Happens in a Parking Garage, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Mike Winger
November 1st, UK – World Premiere
Directed by Charlie Manton
Opening the Earth: The Potato King, Peru, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Eric Ebner and Aaron Ebner
Our Last Trash, USA
Directed by Joanne Yue
Reboot, USA
Directed by Ellen Osborne
RETURN: Native American Women Reclaim Foodways for Health and Spirit, USA
Directed by Karen Cantor
Reverence (Curtain Call), Iran – World Premiere
Directed by Sogol Rezvani
The Running Man of Pasadena, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Brett Nicoletti
The Salty Generations, USA
Directed by Shaun Wolfe and Shelby Oliver
The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism, USA
Directed by Peter Samis
Second Unit: A Mockumentary, USA
Directed Ankush Khemani
Secret Times, Belarus, UK – World Premiere
Directed by Montanah Blue
Selling Lies, USA
Directed by Leslie Iwerks
Set on Intent, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Tate Larrick
Silence (Sunyi), USA – World Premiere
Directed by Riani Singgih
SPIN, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Marielle Woods
Start with Half, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nathaniel Katzman
Stunning, USA, Sweden
Directed by Gustav Högmo
Tala,, UK – World Premiere
Directed by Missy Malek
This Side Has Dreams Too, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Spencer Rabin
Tino, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Robin Hauser
Too Many Bodies, USA
Directed by Reena Dutt
Trail Heads, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Dani Rodriguez
Treat Yourself, USA
Directed by Nathan Leonard
Trial by Fire, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alex Astrella
True Love / True Crime on an American Bus, USA
Directed by Nicholas Coles
Tweet-Tweet, Russia
Directed by Zhanna Bekmambetova
VACA, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Marta Bayarri
The Video Shop, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Isaac Seigel-Boettner
We Are Love, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nick Lentz
White Guys Solve Sexism, USA
Directed by Christopher Guerrero
Who You Are, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Joel Jay Blacker
You Say Hello, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Lovell Holder
You Think You Can’t Dance?, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Kum-Kum Bhavnani
Zombie Debt, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ashly Blodgett