The world premiere of Aaron Maurer’s Invisible Valley, a documentary about the people of California’s Coachella’s Valley, from the undocumented farmworkers to the wealthy snowbirds and Coachella Festival partiers of the Coachella Valley, will open the upcoming 36th annual edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival set to run March 31-April 10.
A lineup of short documentaries by local Santa Barbara filmmakers, showcasing Chumash pilgrimages, eco-minded shepherds, outdoor dancing, roller skaters, and diorama art, will close out the festival on Saturday, April 10.
The festival is taking a hybrid approach incorporating beachside drive-in theaters and an online component to showcase a lineup including 47 world premieres along with celebrity tributes, panels and community outreach programs.
Feature films in the lineup include “Trees of Peace,” about four women hiding and fighting for survival during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, “Coast,” about a teenager in a small town who falls for a punk singer, and “Alaskan Nets,” a documentary about a high school basketball team who has a shot at the state championship for the first time since 1984. Other films include “Last Call,” a documentary about the hospitality industry in Queens at the outset of COVID-19, “Highway One,” set around a New Year’s Eve party in rural California and “The Revolution Generation” about the largest youth generation in history and the challenges they face. The documentary “$avvy” explores the topic of women and personal finances.
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2021 Lineup
WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS
Addict Named Hal
USA
Directed by Lane Michael Stanley
Alaskan Nets
USA
Directed by Jeff Harasimowicz
Broken Diamonds
USA
Directed by Peter Sattler
The Cinderella Addiction
Japan
Directed by Ryohei Watanabe
Cinema of Sleep
Canada
Directed by Jeffrey St. Jules
Climb
USA
Directed by Neil Myers
The Conservation Game
USA
Directed by Michael Webber
Coast
USA
Directed by Jessica Hester, Derek Schweickart
Daughters of the Waves
France
Directed by Lisa Monin, Sébastien Daguerressar
Evan Wood
USA
Directed by Niki Byrne
Highway One
USA
Directed by Jaclyn Bethany
The Hosts (Os donos da casa)
Brazil
Directed by Carla Dauden
Invisible Valley
USA
Directed by Aaron Maurer
The Knot (Uljhan)
India
Directed by Ashish Pant
La Recua – The Mule Pack Train
USA, Mexico
Directed by Darío Higuera Meza, Trudi Angell
Last Call
USA
Directed by Johnny Sweet
Reclaim Idaho
USA
Directed by Laura Wing-Kamoosi, Jim Kamoosi
The Revolution Generation
USA
Directed by Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell
$avvy
USA
Directed by Robin Hauser
Snakehead
USA
Directed by Evan Jackson Leong
Trees of Peace
USA
Directed by Alanna Brown
We Burn Like This
USA
Directed by Alana Waksman
U.S. PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS
Akilla’s Escape
Canada
Directed by Charles Officer
Baby
Spain
Directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa
Backyard Village
Iceland
Directed by Marteinn Thórsson
A Bruddah’s Mind (Cabeça de nêgo)
Brazil
Directed by Déo Cardoso
By Your Side (À la folie)
France
Directed by Audrey Estrougo
Erna at War (Erna i krig)
Denmark, Estonia, Belgium
Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz
Fear (Strah)
Bulgaria
Directed by Ivaylo Hristov
Fellinopolis
Italy
Directed by Silvia Giulietti
The Flood Won’t Come (Tvano nebus)
Lithuania
Directed by Marat Sargsyan
The Forbidden Strings
Iran, Afghanistan, Qatar
Directed by Hasan Noori
Fortitude (La fortaleza)
Venezuela, Colombia, France, Netherlands
Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand
Four Mothers
Israel
Directed by Dana Keidar Levin, Rephael Levin
The Ghosts (Los fantasmas)
Guatemala, Argentina
Directed by Sebastián Lojo
Karnawal
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico
Directed by Juan Pablo Félix
Ladies Of Steel
Finland
Directed by Pamela Tola
The Last Ones (Viimeiset)
Finland, Estonia, Netherlands
Directed by Veiko Õunpuu
Listen, Portugal
UK
Directed by Ana Rocha de Sousa
The Man with the Answers
Cyprus, Greece, Italy
Directed by Stelios Kammitsis
Mirage (Miraggio)
Switzerland
Directed by Nina Stefanka
My First Summer
Australia
Directed by Katie Found
One-Way to Moscow
Switzerland
Directed by Micha Lewinsky
The Pit (Bedre)
Latvia, Finland
Directed by Dace Pūce
Poppie Nongena
South Africa
Directed by Christiaan Olwagen
Run Woman Run
Canada
Directed by Zoe Hopkins
Six Angry Women
New Zealand
Directed by Megan Jones
Teach Me if You Can
France
Directed by Émilie Thérond
Under My Skin
Australia
Directed by David O’Donnell
We Will Never Die
Argentina
Directed by Eduardo Crespo
When I’m Done Dying
Turkey, USA, Germany
Directed by Nisan Dağ
2021 SBIFF FEATURE FILMS (non-premieres)
American Skin
USA
Directed by Nate Parker
Giants Being Lonely
USA
Directed by Grear Patterson
Hope
Norway
Directed by Maria Sødahl
2021 SBIFF SHORTS
Anxious
USA
Directed by Anthony Gilbert
Anything for You
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Matt Ferrucci
The Beast of Our Time
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Maaike Middleton
The Beauty President
USA
Directed by Whitney Skauge
Becoming Eddie
USA
Directed by Lilan Bowden
Black Boys Can’t Cry
USA
Directed by Victor Gabriel
Bobby
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Henry Burge
Can’t Have It Both Ways
USA
Directed by Morningstar Angeline
The Carousel
Italy
Directed by Valerio Berruti
Clara With a Mustache
Kosovo – World Premiere
Directed by Ilir Blakcori
A Critter Fable USA
Directed by Grace Fisher
Cycles USA
Directed by Jonathan Barenboim
Dia De Los Muertos
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by George Ortega, Ricardo Ortega
Dis-Dance!
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Michael Love
East-West
Poland – World Premiere
Directed by Natalia Koniarz
Electric Lady
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Casey McGarry
Eyes
USA
Directed by Zachary Goodwin, Flynn Harris, Alex Flanagan, Alex Kumph
First Light
USA
Directed by Amy Lee Ketchum
Gratified
USA
Directed by Leslie Hope
The Great Malaise
Canada
Directed by Amy Catherine Lepage
Heartland
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jahmil Eady
Homecoming: Journey to Limuw
USA
Directed by Nick Zachar
Hospice of Santa Barbara Presents: Manuel’s Story
USA
Directed by Greg Kroes
I, Barnabé
Canada
Directed by Jean-François Lévesque
Identibye
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sajjad Shahhatami
In White Places
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Brian Keith Powell
Kaizo
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jeremy Lethco
Kapaemahu
USA
Directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
Keeping the Sport Alive
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Will Hahn
Keiara
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Floyd Russ
The Kicksled Choir
Norway
Directed by Torfinn Iversen
Language of Dreams
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Peter Sasowsky
The Last Ferry from Grass Island
Hong Kong
Directed by Linhan Zhang
Lion on the Mat
USA
Directed by Asali Echols
Lucky
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Phinehas L Hodges
Malakout
Iran
Directed by Farnoosh Abedi
Man with a Broom
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Joel Rader, Lydia Leiber, Caroline Nouhan
A Man with Emotions
USA
Directed by Miki Inoguchi
Mariah: A Boxer’s Dream
USA
Directed by Nina Meredith
The Mechanical Dancer
USA
Directed by Jenna Jaillet
Mrs. Taylor’s Show & Tell – A Prince Story
USA
Directed by Victor Dean
My Father The Mover
South Africa
Directed by Julia Jansch
Nickel in the Sand
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Mike Winger
Nine
USA
Directed by Jane Musky
Not One More
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Cameron Leingang
Ocean Stories: Michele’s Magic Carpet Ride
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Patrick Creadon, Greg Goggin
Pant Hoot
USA
Directed by Richard Reens
Project H
France
Directed by Maharaki
Remisivir
Romania – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Bobby Barbacioru
River Tigers: Giant Taimen of the Russian Far East
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Andy Maser, Adam Bagger
Roy
UK – World Premiere
Directed by Tom Berkeley, Ross White
Safe
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Josema Roig
Savior
USA
Directed by Christopher Oroza-Nostas
Shadow Of The Fox
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nooshin Meraji
Shepherd’s Song
USA
Directed by Abby Fuller
Sperm
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Kirsten Kearse
Stoke Chasers
USA
Directed by Jo Anna Edmison
Stormy and the Admirals
USA
Directed by Dan Rybicky
Subtle Body
USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robin Bisio
Sunshine In The Rain
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Benny Chen
Sweet Dreams
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Navid Saedi
Tristo
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ryan Oligmueller
Underdogs
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alex Astrella
The Unknown
UK
Directed by Stephanie Marshall
Vial
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sonja O’Hara, Micah Stuart
Vuja De
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Casey McGarry
Waking Up
USA – World Premiere
Directed by James Patrick Nelson
Wally Wenda
USA
Directed by Diane Russo
When It’s Late
USA – World Premiere
Directed by Mitch Hadley
The Winter
Australia
Directed by Xin Li