Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced today the official lineup for their third annual “Wave Film Festival”.

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Desert Dancer The 30th Anniversary edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival will kick off Opening Night with the U.S. Premiere of Desert Dancer at the historic Arlington Theatre on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Directed by Richard Raymond and starring Freida Pinto, Reece Ritchie, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Cullen and Marmama Corlett, Desert Dancer tells the true story of a self-taught dancer pursuing a dream in a suppressed society. Desert Dancer is a powerful and unbelievable true story set in Iran that follows the brave ambition of Afshin Ghaffarian. During the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election, where many cultural freedoms were threatened, Afshin and some friends (including Elaheh played by Freida Pinto) risk their lives and form an underground dance company. Through banned online videos, they learn from timeless legends who cross all cultural divides, such as Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Afshin and Elaheh also learn much from each other, most importantly how to embrace their passion for dance and for one another. Richard Raymond directs the film, which was written by Jon Croker, based on the life story of Afshin Ghaffarian. The film stars Freida Pinto, Reece Ritchie, Tom Cullen, Nazanin Boniadi and Makram J. Khoury. For the first time in 5 years, the SBIFF will present the Attenborough Award For Excellence in Nature Filmmaking to the Cousteau Family – Jean-Michel and his son and daughter Fabien and Celine — for their decades-long commitment to educating the public and discovering the mysteries of the ocean. The award will be presented on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at the Arlington Theatre. Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Michael Keaton with the Modern Master Award, The highest honor presented by the festival.  Michael Keaton will be honored for his distinguished career, including his most compelling performance to date in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Keaton) — famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself.

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s  The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has set Tuesday, January 27 through Saturday, February 7, 2015 as the dates for the 30th edition. In honor of the 30th Anniversary, SBIFF has added a 12th day, extending the movie-going experience for all…just one of the many ways they will be celebrating as they enter into its third decade. SBIFF is also introducing a brand new summer film showcase called “The Wave Film Festival.” In their continued efforts to bring more year round foreign and independent films to hungry cinephiles of the Santa Barbara community, SBIFF will present a 5-day Film Festival each summer. This summer will focus solely on French Cinema. Over a dozen fresh and current French films will be shown Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20 at the Riviera Theatre. Said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, “It’s fitting that as we approach the 30th anniversary SBIFF expands its programming and have more of a year round presence with the Wave Film Festival. In the future we hope to have several editions — or ‘waves’ — throughout the year, allowing for longevity and continued growth for SBIFF as well as the Santa Barbara community. The festival bids adieu to long-time SBIFF managing director, Dr. Steve Blain, who will be leaving as of April 30th to increase his commitment to UCSB and the Health Science Honors Program. “Steve’s contributions have been essential to the success of SBIFF,” commented Durling. “He is an amazing leader, visionary and the best friend every organization would be fortunate to have. And thus for eleven years SBIFF has been blessed by his mighty presence.” All of SBIFF would like to thank him for his years of service and aid in the organization’s continued growth. See you at the movies Steve.    

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The 29th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), taking place Thursday, January 30 through Sunday, February 9, 2014, announced its line-up for 2014. SBIFF 2014 will kick off at the historic Arlington Theatre with the World Premiere of MISSION BLUE, directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens. On Closing Night, SBIFF will present the critically acclaimed BEFORE TRILOGY: BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

In MISSION BLUE, directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens, Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle is on a personal mission to save the Ocean. Shot over a three-year period in numerous locations around the world, Mission Blue traces Sylvia’s remarkable personal journey, from her earliest memories exploring the Ocean as a young girl, to her days leading a daring undersea mission in the Virgin Islands to her experience as the chief scientist at NOAA and beyond. The film is part oceanic road trip; part biography; part action adventure story. Guiding us through the film is Fisher Stevens, whose own lifelong passion for the Ocean inspired him to produce the Academy award winning film, The Cove. In many ways, Mission Blue is an extension of that earlier film. But rather than explore a single issue, Mission Blue tackles the daunting challenge of how to protect a once vibrant system that is now under attack like never before. As a witness to change over the past 60 years, Sylvia is a steadfast warrior, leading the charge to restore it to health before it’s too late. The film also features James Cameron and the late Mike deGruy. 

On Closing Night, SBIFF proudly presents the critically acclaimed Before Trilogy: BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT. The first two films will screen back-to-back at the Lobero Theatre in the afternoon. After a short break, Before Midnight will close the fest at the Arlington Theatre and will include an in-depth Conversation moderated by IndieWIRE’s Anne Thompson with co-screenwriters Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, who also directed the film. The Before trilogy has been a critical darling since Before Sunrise was released in 1995. The film, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, portrayed a young couple meeting for the first time on a train who decide to spend the whole day together in Vienna with the chance of never seeing one another again. The sequel, Before Sunset, was released nine years later in 2004, with Hawke’s Jesse and Delpy’s Celine meeting each other again by chance in Paris. The beloved characters were most recently together in this year’s Before Midnight, where we find Jesse and Celine nine years later into their relationship and vacationing in Greece. 

WORLD PREMIERES

A Life Outside, USA
Directed by Catherine Brabec
Featuring: Greg Mesanko, Chris Mesanko, Kevin Casey, Jim Purpuri, Richard Luthringer, and Bucky Walters
A documentary following the six surfers who pioneered the 1960’s surf break at the New Jersey Casino Pier.

A Year in Champagne, USA
Directed by David Kennard
A detailed portrait of winemakers and their families reveals some of the most intimate secrets behind creating the legendary bubbly beverage.

Barefoot, USA
Directed by Andrew Fleming
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Scott Speedman, Brittany Alger
An upper-class, hard-luck gambler invites a shoeless eccentric to his brother’s lavish southern style wedding to prove he’s changed his ways.

BFFs, USA
Directed by Andrew Putschoegl
Cast: Andrea Grano, Tara Karsian
Looking for a few days of vacation and amusement, two best friends pretend to be lovers while attending a couple’s weekend workshop.

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr. Pepper, USA
Directed by Drew Rist
This documentary details the events and history leading up to the demise of Dublin Dr. Pepper, as well as the public outcry that continues to this day.

Chu and Blossom, USA
Directed by Charles Chu, Gavin Kelly
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming
A coming of age comedy centers on an unlikely brotherhood between a pensive, 6-foot-8 Korean exchange student, and a performance artist, both trapped together in small Southern town.

Driven, USA
Directed by Ben Pitterie, Brian Hall
Explore the fascinating and obscure world of marathon swimming as three swimmers put everything on the line chasing a dream to swim up to 20 miles across the Santa Barbara Channel.

Falcon Song, USA
Directed by Jason Brown
Cast: Gabriel Sunday, James Storm, Martin Kove, Rainey Qualley
A whimsical portrait of a guitar-playing drifter who helps a rancher’s granddaughter find her true calling

Gurukulam, Canada/USA
Directed by Jillian Elizabeth & Neil Dalal
A group of students and their teacher confront fundamental questions about the nature of reality and self-identity at a remote forest ashram in southern India.

Invitation to Dance, USA
Directed by Simi Linton and Christian von Tippelskirch
An activist, an avant-garde of disabled dancers, and a quest: equality, justice, and a place on the dance floor.

The Last One, USA
Directed by Nadine C. Licostie
This feature-length documentary traces the history of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the role it continues to play as a response to the disease itself.

Lutah Maria Riggs, USA
Directed by Kum-Kum Bhavnani
A documentary about Lutah Maria Riggs, an American architect who worked for several decades in the Southern California region

Menthol, USA
Directed by Micah Van Hove
Cast: Jacob King, James Wilson, Johnny Wactor, Luke Eberl
When four friends reunite for a night of fun in their hometown, a crisis forces them to confront the consequences of their lifestyles.

Mission Blue, USA
Directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens
Cast: Sylvia Earle, James Cameron, Mike deGruy,
Legendary oceanographer and TED prize winner Dr. Sylvia Earle is on a mission to save our oceans. The documentary Mission Blue is the story of Sylvia’s life as witness to the changes to the sea that threaten our planet, and how we still have a chance to repair much of the damage – if we act now.

Mount Joy, USA
Directed by Jack Lewars
Cast: Katie Hyde, Jay Della Valle, Brandon Harris and Timothy Hoobler
A lead singer places his band’s national bar tour on hold until he gets answers from the girl who broke his heart, but soon discovers she harbors a secret that could change everything.

Night Has Settled, USA
Directed by Steve Clark
Cast: Spencer List, Pilar López de Ayala, Adriana Barraza
In 1983 New York City, a thirteen-year-old boy well-poised to enter the precocious teenage world of sex, vodka, and the possibilities of love, is traumatized by an encounter with his housekeeper.

Noble, United Kingdom
Directed by Stephen Bradley
Cast: Dierdre O’Kane, Sarah Greene, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Ruth Negga
In 1989 Vietnam, a funny, feisty and courageous woman overcomes the difficulties of her childhood in Ireland to discover her destiny on the streets of Saigon.

Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo, USA
Directed by Matt Livadary
Roping and riding and busting stereotypes, the dauntless members of the International Gay Rodeo Association face constant obstacles in their quest to qualify for the World Gay Rodeo Finals.

Roaming Wild, USA
Directed by Sylvia Johnson
Featuring: Samantha Layne (voice)
An activist, a cowboy and a mountain man search for solutions to protect life and land in this modern day Western about America’s wild horses and the federal government’s controversial roundups.

Sam, Switzerland
Directed by Elena Hazanov
Cast: Frédéric Landenberg, Sacha Guerreiro, Séverine Bujard, Anna Pieri
After living with his mother since his parents’ divorce, seven-year-old Sam is forced to move in with his father, a struggling writer with no source of inspiration.

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder
The stories of four African Hebrew Israelites illuminate a community whose daily lifestyle includes polygamy, health, nutrition, education and spiritual enlightenment.

Warren, USA
Directed by Alex Beh
Cast: John Heard, Jean Smart, Austin Stowell, Sarah Habel, Joe Nunez
After giving up on making it in the Chicago improv scene, a young comedian fatefully reconnects with the former love of his life one fall night while working at a coffee shop in his hometown.

U.S. PREMIERES

African Metropolis, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya
A complication of short films directed by Jim Chuchu, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Folasakin Iwajomo, Marie KA, Philippe Lacôte, Vincent Moloi
A compilation of six short fiction films, set in six major African cities.

A la Bizkaina, Spain
Directed by Aritz Galarza
The mystery of the sauce carrying the name of Bizkaia gives us a hint of its origin and ingredients.

Adria Blues, Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia/Herzegovina
Directed by Miroslav Mandič
Cast: Senad Bašić, Mojca Funkl, Peter Musevski
Paralyzed by depression, an aging former rock star from Bosnia is pushed by his wife to reengage with life.

Algunas Chicas, Argentina
Directed by Santiago Palavecino
Cast: Cecilia Rainero, Agostina López, Agustina Muñoz
A woman traveling to a friend’s house to escape her marital crisis is soon consumed by the secrets of those around her.

The Amazing Catfish, Mexico
Directed by Claudia Sainte-Luce
Cast: Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén
A lonely young woman becomes a live-in caregiver for an ailing but indomitable matriarch and her brood of kids.

Bauyr (Little Brother), Kazakhstan
Directed by Serik Aprymov
Cast: Almat Galym, Alisher Aprymov, Murat Omarov, Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev
A nine year old living on his own is revisited by his brother, and believes his life will change with his arrival.

Bella Vita, USA/Italy
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin
The surf of the Italian coast carries surfer, artist, and environmentalist Chris Del Moro on a pilgrimage back to his ancestral homeland of Italy.

Cannibal (Caníbal), Spain/Romania/Russia/France
Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca
Cast: Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte
A mild-mannered tailor, who is a secret cannibal, unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with his latest prospective victim.

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre
German resident, filmmaker, and vegetarian, Dario Aguirre is called home to Ecuador to help save his meat-loving father’s grill from bankruptcy.

Clownwise, Czech Republic/Luxembourg/Finland
Directed by Viktor Taus
Cast: Julie Ferrier, Kati Outinen, Didier Flamand
After thirty years of separation, three clowns reunite to restage the famous act that launched their careers — while also attempting to forgive one another for the fight that tore them apart.

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel
Directed by Dani Wasserman
Tova, a unique matchmaker with muscular dystrophy, tirelessly strives to find love for everyone around her.

Found & Lost, China
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia
Chronicles the pilgrimage of an orphaned woman in China between 1949 to 1984.

The Gambler (Losejas), Lithuania/Latvia
Directed by Ignas Jonynas
Cast: Vytautas Kaniusonis, Oona Mekas, Rimas Blockis
A paramedic, passionate about gambling, is struck by an idea to create an illegal game related to his profession.

God’s Slave (Esclavo de Dios), Uruguay/Venezuela/Argentina
Directed by Joel Novoa
Cast: Mohammed Alkhaldi, Daniela Alvarado, Devorah Lynne Dishington
Inspired by true events, this is the story of two extremists, one Islamic and the other Jewish, who cross paths while on opposing sides of the 1994 Buenos Aires AMIA bombings.

Eastern Boys, France
Directed by Robin Campillo
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov
A middle-aged Frenchman solicits a young foreigner and finds himself entangled with a group of young Eastern European hustlers.

If I Close My Eyes I’m Not Here (Se chiudo gli occhi non sono più qui), Italy
Directed by Vittorio Moroni
Cast: Mark Manaloto, Elena Arvigo, Beppe Fiorello, Giorgio Colangeli
A teenage boy, tormented into a submissive life, is visited and mentored by a mysterious old friend of his deceased father.

The Japanese Dog, Romania
Directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Serban Pavlu, Laurentiu Lazar, Kana Hashimoto, Toma Hashimoto
When a flood kills his wife and destroys his house, a man attempts to reconnect with his son who arrives from Japan with his wife and child.

Metalhead, Iceland
Directed by Ragnar Bragason
Cast: Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir
A grief-stricken young woman adopts the persona and decibel-blasting predilections of her deceased brother

October November (Oktober November), Austria
Directed by Götz Spielmann
Cast: Nora von Waldstätten, Ursula Strauss, Peter Simonischek, Sebastian Koch, Johannes Zeiler, Andreas Ressl
A family reunion at a mountainside inn lays bare old wounds and reveals long-held secrets.

The Old, the Young and the Sea, Austria/Spain
Directed by Mario Hainzl
A documentary portrait about the incredible individuals who inhabit, surf, travel and protect the European shores.

One Way Ticket to the Moon (Bilet na księżyc), Poland
Directed by Jacek Bromski
Cast: Anna Przybylska, Filip Pawlak, Mateusz Kościukiewicz
Two brothers travel across Poland, a adventure sparked by the older to prepare his younger brother to serve in the Polish army.

Paulette, France
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant
Paulette lives alone in a housing project in the Paris suburbs. With her meager pension, she can no longer make ends meet and becomes and resorts to selling drugs.

Revival, Czech Republic
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska
Forty years after separating, four friends decide to reunite their rock band through a revival that takes an unexpected turn.

Saudade, Uruguay
Directed by Juan Carlos Donoso Gomez
Cast: Francisco Baquerizo Racines, Jessica Barahona de Prada, Joaquin Davila Romoleroux
Set amidst the backdrop of the Ecuadorian economic crisis of 1999, ‘Saudade’ tackles notions of economic dislocation, friendship, family and young love.

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel
Directed by Duki Dror
Featuring: Linda Abdul Aziz
A young journalist from Baghdad connects with a Jewish woman who escaped to Iraq to discover what happened to her missing father.

Solo, Venezuela
Directed by José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Samantha Dagnino, Laureano Olivares
A story of one man’s quest for redemption

Triptych (Triptyque), Canada
Directed by Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
Cast: Frédérike Bédard, Lise Castonguay, Hans Piesbergen
The lives of three characters intersect in the sublime narrative geometry of this haunting adaptation of Robert Lepage’s celebrated theatre work Lipsynch.

Under the Starry Sky, France/Senegal
Directed by Dyana Gaye
Cast: Marème Demba Ly, Ralph Amoussou, Souleymane Seye N’Diaye, Maya Sansa, Babacar M’Baye Fall, Sokhna Niang, Mata Gabin
Delving into the shadowy world of undocumented travel, this transcontinental drama charts the interconnected destinies of three far-flung sojourners.

uwantme2killhim?, United Kingdom
Directed by Andrew Douglas
Cast: Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Jaime Winstone, Mark Womack, Joanne Froggatt
A teenage boy descends into the dangerous world of the internet and the harrowing consequences of his actions.

Violet, Spain
Directed by Luiso Berdejo
Cast: Junio Valverde, Leticia Dolera, Miriam Giovanelli, Ricardo Darín, Carlos Bardem
A Spanish boy living in Santa Monica falls for a girl he sees in an old Polaroid. He decides to look for her, despite having no clue of who she is or how long ago the photo was taken.

Wounded (La herida), Spain
Directed by Fernando Franco
Cast: Marian Alvarez, Rosana Pastor, Manolo Solo, Andres Gertrudix, Ramon Agirre, Ramon Barea
An ambulance driver struggles with outbreaks of self-destructive behavior, incapable of finding stability and happiness.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

INDEPENDENT FEATURES
Competition

1982, USA
Directed by Tommy Oliver

Cast: Wayne Brady, Hill Harper, Sharon Leal, Ruby Dee, Bokeem Woodbine, Troi Zee, Lala Anthony, Quinton Aaron

BFFs, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Putschoegl
Cast: Andrea Grano, Tara Karsian

Barefoot, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Flemming
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Scott Speedman, Brittany Alger

Chu and Blossom, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Charles Chu, Gavin Kelly
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming

Mount Joy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jack Lewars
Cast: Katie Hyde, Jay Della Valle, Brandon Harris and Timothy Hoobler

Night Has Settled, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Steve Clark
Cast: Spencer List, Pilar López de Ayala, Adriana Barraza

Noble, United Kingdom – World Premiere
Directed by Stephen Bradley
Cast: Dierdre O’Kane, Sarah Greene, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Ruth Negga

Warren, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alex Beh
Cast: John Heard, Jean Smart, Austin Stowell, Sarah Habel, Joe Nunez

INTERNATIONAL FEATURES
Competition

Eastern Boys, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robin Campillo
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov

Found & Lost, China – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia

For A Woman (Pour une femme), France
Directed by Diane Kurys
Cast: Benoit Magimel, Melanie Thierry, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Sylvie Testud, Denis Podalydes, Julie Ferrier, Clotilde Hesme, Clement Sibony

If I Close My Eyes I’m Not Here (Se chiudo gli occhi non sono più qui), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Vittorio Moroni
Cast: Mark Manaloto, Elena Arvigo, Beppe Fiorello, Giorgio Colangeli

The Major, Russia
Directed by Yuri Bykov
Cast: Yuri Bykov, Denis Shvedov, Irina Nizina, Ilya Isaev

Metalhead, Iceland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ragnar Bragason
Cast: Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir

October November (Oktober November), Austria – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Götz Spielmann
Cast: Nora von Waldstätten, Ursula Strauss, Peter Simonischek, Sebastian Koch, Johannes Zeiler, Andreas Ressl

Sam, Switzerland – World Premiere
Directed by Elena Hazanov
Cast: Frédéric Landenberg, Sacha Guerreiro, Séverine Bujard, Anna Pieri

Triptych (Triptyque), Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
Cast: Frédérike Bédard, Lise Castonguay, Hans Piesbergen

Under the Starry Sky, France/Senegal – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dyana Gaye
Cast: Marème Demba Ly, Ralph Amoussou, Souleymane Seye N’Diaye, Maya Sansa, Babacar M’Baye Fall, Sokhna Niang, Mata Gabin

Victor Young Perez, France/Israel/Bulgaria
Directed by Jacques Ouaniche
Cast: Brahim Asloum, Steve Suissa, Isabelle Orsini, Patrick Bouchitey

EASTERN BLOC FEATURES
Competition

Adria Blues, Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia/Herzegovina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Miroslav Mandic
Cast: Senad Bašić, Mojca Funkl, Peter Musevski

Bauyr (Little Brother), Kazakhstan – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Serik Aprymov
Cast: Almat Galym, Alisher Aprymov, Murat Omarov, Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev

Clownwise, Czech Republic/Luxembourg/Finland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Viktor Taus
Cast: Julie Ferrier, Kati Outinen, Didier Flamand

The Gambler (Losejas), Lithuania/Latvia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ignas Jonynas
Cast: Vytautas Kaniusonis, Oona Mekas, Rimas Blockis

The Japanese Dog, Romania – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Serban Pavlu, Laurentiu Lazar, Kana Hashimoto, Toma Hashimoto

One Way Ticket to the Moon (Bilet na księżyc), Poland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jacek Bromski
Cast: Fillip Pawlak, Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Anna Przybylska

Revival, Czech Republic – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Competition

A la Bizkaina, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Aritz Galarza

Bella Vita, USA/Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin

Burt’s Buzz, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jody Shapiro
Cast: Burt Shavitz, Trevor Folsom

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Daniel Wasserman

Gurukulam, Canada/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jillian Elizabeth and Neil Dalal

The Last Black Sea Pirates, Bulgaria
Directed by Svetoslav Stoyanov

On A River in Ireland, Ireland
Directed by Colin Stafford-Johnson
Cast: Colin Stafford-Johnson

Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Matt Livadary

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder

SPANISH/LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA
Competition

Algunas chicas (Some Girls), Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Santiago Palavecino
Cast: Cecilia Rainero, Agostina López, Agustina Muñoz

The Amazing Catfish (Los insólitos peces gato), Mexico – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Claudia Sainte-Luce
Cast: Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén

Cannibal (Caníbal), Spain/Romania/Russia/France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca
Cast: Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte

God’s Slave (Esclavo de dios), Uruguay/Venezuela/Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Joel Novoa
Cast: Mohammed Alkhaldi, Daniela Alvarado, Devorah Lynne Dishington

Saudade, Uruguay – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Juan Carlos Donoso Gomez
Cast: Francisco Baquerizo Racines, Jessica Barahona de Prada, Joaquin Davila Romoleroux

Solo, Venezuela – U.S. Premiere
Directed by José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Samantha Dagnino, Laureano Olivares

Sombras de azul (Shades of Blue), Cuba
Directed by Kelly Daniela Norris
Cast: Seedne Bujaidar, Yasmani Guerrero, Charlotta Mohlin, Lieter Ledesma

Violet, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Luiso Berdejo
Cast: Junio Valverde, Leticia Dolera, Miriam Giovanelli, Ricardo Darín, Carlos Bardem

Wounded (La herida), Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Fernando Franco
Cast: Marian Alvarez, Rosana Pastor, Manolo Solo, Andres Gertrudix, Ramon Agirre, Ramon Barea

FUND FOR SANTA BARBARA SOCIAL JUSTICE
Competition

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr. Pepper, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Drew Rist

Hue: A Matter of Colour, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Vic Sarin

Invitation to Dance, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Christian von Tippelskirch

The Last One, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nadine C. Licostie

The Passage, Panama
Directed by Alexander Douglas

Roaming Wild, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sylvia Johnson
Featuring: Samantha Layne (voice)

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel/France/UK/Jordan/Iraq – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Duki Dror

Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, USA Directed by Thomas Allen Harris

NON–COMPETITION FILMS

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

15 Years + 1 Day (15 años y un dia), Spain
Directed by Gracia Querejeta
Cast: Maribel Verdú, Tito Valverde, Arón Piper, Belén López

African Metropolis, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya – U.S. Premiere
A complication of short films directed by Jim Chuchu, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Folasakin Iwajomo, Marie KA, Philippe Lacôte, Vincent Moloi

Child’s Pose (Pozitia copilului), Romania
Directed by Calin Peter Netzer
Cast: Luminita Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Natasa Raab

Code Black, USA
Directed by Ryan McGarry
Cast: Ryan McGarry, Danny Cheng, Jamie Eng, Dave Pomeranz, Andrew Eads

Gabrielle, Canada
Directed by Louise Archambault
Cast: Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Alexandre Landry, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin

Heart of a Lion, Finland/Sweden
Directed by Dome Karukoski
Cast: Peter Franzén, Laura Birn, Jasper Pääkkönen, Yusufa Sidibeh

La Juala de Oro (The Golden Dream), Guatemala/Spain/Mexico
Directed by Diego Quemada-Díez
Cast: Brandon López, Rodolfo Domínguez, Karen Martínez

My Sweet Pepper Land, Kurdistan/France/Germany
Directed by Hinder Saleem
Cast: Korkmaz Arslan, Golshifteh Farahani, Suat Usta

The Notebook, Hungary/Germany/Austria/France
Directed by János Szász
Cast: András Gyémánt, László Gyémánt, Piroska Molnár, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrich Matthes

Of Horses and Men (Hross í oss), Iceland/Germany
Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson
Cast: Ingvar Eggert Sigurõsson

One Chance, United Kingdom
Directed by David Frankel
Cast: James Corden, Alexandra Roach, Julie Walters, Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney

We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!). Sweden/Denmark
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Cast: Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, Liv LeMoyne

PAN ASIA

Cold Eyes, South Korea
Directed by Cho Ui-seok, Kim Byung-seo
Cast: Seol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Jun-ho, Jin Gyeong

Found & Lost, China – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia

Ilo ilo, Singapore
Directed by Anthony Chen
Cast: Koh Jia Ler, Angeli Bayani, Tian Wen Chen, Yann Yann Yeo

The Missing Picture (L’image manquante), Cambodia/France
Directed by Rithy Panh
Cast: Randal Douc (voice)

Siddharth, Canada/India
Directed by Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Anurag Arora, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Naseeruddin Shah

Transit, Philippines
Directed by Hannah Espia
Cast: Jasmine Curtis Smith, Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan, Mercedes Cabral, and Marc Justine Alvarez

Unforgiven (Yurusarezaru mono), Japan
Directed by Lee Sang-il
Cast: Ken Watanabe, Akira Emoto, Koichi Sato

KOLNOA

Bethlehem, Israel
Directed by Yuval Adler
Cast: Shadi Mar’I, Tsahi Halevy, Hitham Omari, Tarek Copti, Michal Shtemler, Hisham Suliman, George Iskandar, Yossi Eini, Efrat Shnap, Karem Shakur, Ibrahim Sakala

Cupcakes, Israel
Directed by Eytan Fox
Cast: Anat Waxman, Keren Berger, Ofer Shechter, Efrat Dor

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Daniel Wasserman

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel/France/UK/Jordan/Iraq – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Duki Dror

Transit, Philippines
Directed by Hannah Espia
Cast: Jasmine Curtis Smith, Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan, Mercedes Cabral, and Marc Justine Alvarez

A Universal Language, Canada
Directed by Igal Hecht

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder

SCREEN CUISINE

A la Bizkaina, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Aritz Galarza

A Year in Champagne, USA – World Premiere
Directed by David Kennard

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr Pepper, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Drew Rist
Cast: Josh Gobin (voice)

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre

Dog Days, Canada/USA
Directed by Laura Waters Hinson, Kasey Kirby
Cast: Coite Manuel, Siyone, Deane

Le Chef (Comme un chef), France/Spain
Directed by Daniel Cohen
Cast: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaelle Agogue, James Gerard

Make Hummus Not War, Australia
Directed by Trevor Graham

Paulette, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant

THE WORLD LAUGHS

The Grand Seduction, Canada
Directed by Don McKeller
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, Liane Balaban

Le Chef (Comme un chef), France/Spain
Directed by Daniel Cohen
Cast: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaelle Agogue, James Gerard

Paulette, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant

The Priest’s Children (Svećenikova djeca), Croatia
Directed by Vinko Brešan
Cast: Kresimir Mikic, Niksa Butijer, Marija Skaricic, Drazen Kühn, Jadranka Dokic

Revival, Czech Republic – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska

A Universal Language, Canada
Directed by Igal Hecht

When Jews Were Funny, Canada
Directed by Alan Zweig
Cast: Howie Mandel, Shelley Berman, Norm Crosby, Shecky Greene, Jack Carter, David Steinberg, Andy Kindler, Elon Gold, Gilbert Gottfreid, David Brenner, Bob Einstein, Judy Gold, Marc Maron

TO THE MAXXX

Bella Vita, Italy/USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin

Driven, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ben Pitterie, Brian Hall

The Old, the Young and the Sea, Austria/Spain/Portugal/France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Mario Hainzl

A Life Outside, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Catherine Brabec
Cast: Greg Mesanko, Chris Mesanko, Kevin Casey, Jim Purpuri, Richard Luthringer, and Bucky Walters

APPLEBOX

Frozen, USA
Directed by Chuck Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff

Despicable Me 2, USA
Directed by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand

Monsters University, USA
Directed by Dan Scanlon
Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi

SANTA BARBARA FEATURES

Lutah Maria Riggs, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Kum-Kum Bhavnani

BridgeWalkers, USA
Directed by Kara Rhodes
Cast: Irene Bedard (voice)

Falcon Song, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jason Brown
Cast: Gabriel Sunday, James Storm, Martin Kove, Rainey Qualley

Menthol, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Micah Van Hove
Cast: Jacob King, Luke Eberl

Orenthal: The Musical, USA
Directed by Jeff Rosenberg
Cast: Jordan Kenneth Kamp, Larisa Oleynik, Malcolm Barrett

Selma Rubin and Community of Life, USA
Directed by Beezhan Tulu
Featuring: Selma Rubin

Tough Bond, USA
Directed by Austin Peck

SHORTS PROGRAMS

ANIMATED SHORTS

Bakerman & The Bunnymen, USA
Directed by Scout Raskin
Cast: Andrew Racho, Scout Raskin

Drunker Than a Skunk, USA
Directed by Bill Plympton
Cast: Walt Curtis

Flamingo, Venezuela
Directed by Carl Zitelmann

The Gravedigger’s Tale, United Kingdom
Directed by Min Young Oh
Cast: Duncan Roberts

The House with No Doors, United Kingdom
Directed by Oana Nechifor

Me + Her, USA
Directed by Joseph Oxford

Sebastian, Russian Federation/USA
Directed by Vlad Marsavin
Cast: Alex Kharlamov, Arina Yagovkina, Elena Yagovkina, Milana Albakova

Tome of the Unknown, USA
Directed by Patrick McHale
Cast: Elijah Wood, Warren Burton, Natasha Leggero, C.W. Stoneking

Woody, Australia
Directed by Stuart Bowen

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Cowtown Keeylocko, USA
Directed by Ira Chute
Cast: Edward Keeylocko

Do Not Duplicate, USA
Directed by Mary Anne Rothberg

The Kids of 5114, USA
Directed by Scott Brown

Real Change, USA
Directed by Adam Becker

Running Blind, USA
Directed by Ryan Suffern
Featuring: E.J. Scott

DRAMATIC SHORTS

H.O.G.’s Tooth, USA
Directed by Loren F. Gilley
Cast: Grant Alan Ouzts, Jordan Butcher, Kendra Thomas

Little Secret, Czech Republic
Directed by Martin Krejci
Cast: Adam Misik, Klara Cibulkova, Jenovefa Bokova

Looms, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Funk Brothers
Cast: Timothy Murphy, Ellen Soderberg (voice)

My Father’s Truck, Germany
Directed by Mauricio Osaki
Cast: Trung Anh, Ly Phan, Mai Vy

They Came at Night, Congo/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Ellis
Cast: Godefroid Maka, Innocent Mbula, Pascal Kunbawo

SCREEN CUISINE SHORTS

Mabel, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Pia Clemente
Featuring Mabel Sawhill

People & Plates, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Miguel Calayan
Cast: Christian Navarro

Sausage, United Kingdom
Directed by Robert Grieves

Sikh Formaggio, Italy/USA
Directed by Devyn Bisson, Katie Wise, Dan Duran

The Story of an Egg, USA
Directed by Douglas Gayeton
Cast: Alexis Koefoed, David Evans, Nancy Gleason

The Trouble with Bread, USA
Directed by Maggie Beidelman

SHORT FICTION

Across Grace Ally, USA
Directed by Ralph Macchio
Cast: Ben Hyland, Karina Smirnoff, Marsha Mason

Bunion, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jessica Sanders
Cast: Avi Rothman, Alia Shawkat, Michaela Watkins, Misty Thomas, Steve Ireland

A Letter Home, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Markus Walter
Cast: Adelaid Kane, Peter Vack

Mr. Polman Wants to Fit In, USA
Directed by Carla Dauden
Cast: William Knight, Ann Benson, Ruben Vernier

The Pamplemousse, Canada
Directed by Jonathan Watton
Cast: Emmanuel Bilodeau, Mika Collins

Satellite Beach, USA
Directed by Andrew Wilson, Luke Wilson
Cast: Luke Wilson

Sinceridad (Sincerity), Spain – World Premiere
Directed by Andrea Casaseca Ferrer
Cast: Kiti Mánver, Javier Laorden, Gerald B. Fillmore

SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Alfredo’s Fire, Italy/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson
Featuring: Alfredo Ormando

Life on the Line, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sally Rubin, Jen Gilomen
Featuring: Kimberly Torrez

Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, USA
Directed by Matthew VanDyke
Featuring: Nour Keize, Omar Hattab

SHORTS PRECEDING FEATURES

Ahco On the Road, South Korea/USA
Directed by Soyeon Kim

Mr. Hublot, France/Luxembourg
Directed by Laurent Witz

Mia, Belgium/Netherlands
Directed by Wouter Bongaerts

Mirage, USA
Directed by Iker Maidagan
Cast: Veronica Taylor, Marc Diralson, Jack Schram

SANTA BARBARA DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

The Alchemistress, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Schoneberger
Cast: Lindsey Ross (voice)

A Life in Pictures, USA
Directed by Scott Erickson

Mabon “Teenie” Hodges – A Portrait of a Memphis Soul, USA
Directed by Susanna Vapnek
Cast: Mabon Teenie Hodges, Leroy Hodges, Charles Hodges, Archie Turner

Tar Wars, USA
Directed by Emily de Moor

Where the Wonder Went, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Bryan Latchford
Cast: Amir Abo-Shaeer, David Tilman, Julia Bowen, Zachary King

SANTA BARBARA SHORTS

Break Dreams, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Paul Mathieu
Cast: Garrett Swann, Susan Isaaks, Mary Jo Eustace

Chrysalis, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Carissa Stutzman
Cast: Amber Bela Muse, Ashley Katz, Erin Buckley

Greetings from Seaward, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ryan Murphy and Nate Ptacek
Cast: Billy Smith (voice)

Long Way Down, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sam Benenati
Cast: Peter Dach

Martha Cook, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Tony Estrada
Cast: Ben Zisk, Karina Bustillos

Other People, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Joakim Svensson
Cast: Maria Oliveira, Ryan Denman

The Plastic Pest, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jessica Hokanson

Present Trauma, USA
Directed by Mark Manalo
Cast: Patrick John Flueger, Alimi Ballard, Bre Blair

ReMoved, USA
Directed by Nathanael Matanick
Cast: Abby White

Teddy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ali Lassoued
Cast: Al Keys, Andre Battle, Carter Battle,

Trespass, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Keith Schwalenberg
Cast: Manny Jimenez, Lance Irwin, Oliviah Crawford

YOUTH CINEMEDIA 2014 SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

Anaheim Uprising: The Police Killing of Manuel Angel Diaz, USA

Tesuque Grandmother Speaks, USA

Killer Cops Off Our Streets, USA

Dissent is Not a Crime, USA

No Letters Allowed Behind Bars, USA

Behind the Music of Los Bandits, USA
Hideous Hair, USA

Old Town Orange, USA

Gang Injunctions Under the Microscope, USA

In the Studio with Navajo Artist Clifford Brycelea, USA

Hospital Horror, USA

Aztlan Unplugged, USA

Innocent Bystander, USA

Stop Killing Our Sons, USA

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor actor, screenwriter and producer Emma Thompson, Oprah Winfrey, Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett, and Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, at the 29th edition of the Fest, which runs January 30 thru February 9, 2014.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor actor, screenwriter and producer Emma Thompson with the Modern Master Award. The Modern Master Award is the highest honor presented by SBIFF.  Emma Thompson will be honored for her ‘illustrious versatile career, which includes her captivating portrayal of P.L. Travers, author of the universally beloved Mary Poppins novels, in the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks, directed by John Lee Hancock.’

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Oprah Winfrey with the prestigious Montecito Award. The Montecito Award was created in recognition of a performer who has given a series of classic and standout performances throughout his/her career and whose style has been a contribution to film. Oprah Winfrey’s most recent work includes her moving portrayal of supportive wife Gloria Gaines in Lee Daniels’ The Butler. This historical drama stars Forest Whitaker as an African American butler working at the White House through multiple administrations, set against the arc of the civil rights movement.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will present the 2014 Outstanding Performer of the Year Award to Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett.  Blanchett will be honored for what the festival describes as her stellar performance in this year’s Blue Jasmine, in which she portrays Jasmine French, a deeply conflicted and complex woman in the throes of her world unraveling. The imploding of her life has far-reaching effects on those around her, leaving the audience to wonder if everyone can heal and move forward. Jasmine is tragically flawed and with Blanchett at the helm, we feel Jasmine’s pain and experience her journey.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s eighth annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film will be presented to Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker. According to the festival, Whitaker brings an authentic realism to each of his performances. Often referred to as a ‘gentle giant,’ Whitaker has the ability to get under our skin, guiding the audience through every character he embodies, making him one of the most versatile performers of all time. This promises to be an exciting year for Whitaker. He most recently portrayed Cecil Gaines, a butler at the White House serving eight presidents during his tenure in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, opposite Oprah Winfrey; he will grace the screen in Out of the Furnace, opposite Christian Bale; and he will also be seen in his first musical, Black Nativity, opposite Jennifer Hudson and Angela Bassett. In addition, Forest is the founder of LA-based Significant Productions, where he served as a producer on Fruitvale Station, which won the 2013 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

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[caption id="attachment_3174" align="alignnone" width="1280"]BABYGIRL[/caption]

The 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, announced the winners of the 2013 festival competition.  The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, given to a unique independent feature that has been made outside mainstream Hollywood, went to BABYGIRL, directed by Macdara Vallely. A Puerto Rican girl in the Bronx sets a trap to expose her mother’s boyfriend as the creep she thinks he is. 

The other winning films of the 2013 Santa Barbara International Film Festival include

The Best International Film Award went to COMING OF AGE (Anfang 80), directed by Gerhard Ertl and Sabine Hiebler. At age 80, two people prove beyond all doubt that nobody is too old for young love.

The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish/Latin American film was awarded to 7 BOXES (7 Cajas), directed by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori. A teenage delivery boy working in a Paraguayan market must dodge thieves, rival gangs and the police when he agrees to transport seven mysterious — and highly sought-after — crates to the edge of town.

Best Documentary Film Award went to MORE THAN HONEY, directed by Markus Imhoof. With dazzling nature photography, Academy Award®-nominated director Markus Imhoof makes a global examination of endangered honeybees — spanning California, Switzerland, China and Australia.

The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes went to BARRIERS, directed by Golan Rise. Uri and two soldiers are manning a checkpoint in the territories. Two women from the “watch” organization try to interfere. Amidst the women’s screaming, Uri receives an order to close the checkpoint because of a bomb threat.

Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film went to SLEIGHT OF HAND, directed by Michael Cusack. Sleight of Hand: techniques used to manipulate objects to deceive. In this stop-motion film about illusions, a man sculpts a clay image of himself.

The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by The Fund for Santa Barbara for a documentary film that addresses social justice issues also went to REVOLUTION, directed by Rob Stewart and executive produced by Gus Van Sant. This outstanding documentary makes an impassioned, angry and enduringly hopeful call to arms against our destruction of our planet’s precious marine life. 

The Audience Choice Award, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent, went to SPINNING PLATES, directed by Joseph Levy. This documentary features three restaurants (including French Laundry and Chicago’s Alinea), extraordinary for what they are today as well as for the challenges they have overcome.

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[caption id="attachment_3118" align="alignnone" width="550"]A Royal Affair[/caption]

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, January 24, 2013, has added 15 films to the already stellar lineup of films being showcased at this year’s festival, including three Academy Award nominees, two World Premieres and two US Premieres.

“We’ve added some fantastic new films that broaden the scope of the program and embody the international spirit of the festival,” commented Michael Albright, SBIFF’s Director of Programming.

World Premieres being added are:

ANGELS IN EXILE, South Africa – World Premiere
Directed by Billy Raftery
Narrated by Charlize Theron
An 8-year journey that challenges viewers to look past the violent and often graphic image of homeless youth and see them for what they are…children.

RETREAT, Canada – World Premiere
Directed by David Cherniack
A documentary that follows the trials and tribulations of thirty-five Westerners as they go through an intense eight-week meditation retreat in Thailand led by Alan Wallace.

U.S. Premieres being added are:

MADDENED BY HIS ABSENCE (J’enrage de son Absence), France – US Premiere
Directed by Sandrine Bonnaire
Deeply affected by the death of his son in a car accident nine years ago, Jacques (William Hurt) struggles to come to terms with his past.

SHYAMAL UNCLE TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS, India – US Premiere
Directed by Suman Ghosh
An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to turn off the streetlights after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against indifference and complacency

Oscar nominated films added are:

A ROYAL AFFAIR (En kongelig affære), Denmark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany (Academy Award® nominee)
Directed by Nikolaj Arcel
This sumptuous historical drama from writer-director Nikolaj Arcel (screenwriter of the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) chronicles the scandalous love triangle between a queen, her German doctor, and the mad King of Denmark.

HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, USA
Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary
Directed by David France
A vital documentary that traces the history of the AIDS activist coalitions ACT UP and TAG, whose radical initiatives broke crucial new ground in the fight against HIV in the 1980s and 1990s.

WAR WITCH (Rebelle), Canada
(Academy Award® nominee)
Directed by Kim Nguyen
In Sub-Saharan Africa, a 14-year-old girl tells her unborn child the story of her life at war. It all started when she was abducted by the rebel army at the age of 12.

In addition, the following are also added to the program:

BEIJING FLICKERS, China– West Coast Premiere
Directed by Yuan Zhang
Dumped, fired, evicted and abandoned by everyone, a down-on-his-luck man finds solace with a circle of equally ill-fated friends, in this touching and lighthearted drama from independent Chinese auteur Zhang Yuan.

BEYOND THE HILLS, Romania/France
Directed by Cristian Mungiu
A young Romanian woman sets out to retrieve her childhood friend from her “captivity” in a remote Romanian monastery, and soon comes into violent conflict with the archaic strictures of this traditional community.

MUMBAI’S KING, India
Directed by Manjeet Singh
A young boy comes of age in a Mumbai slum while dealing with his long-suffering mother and violent father, in this gently observational portrait crafted in the tradition of the great neorealist classics.

STEEL, Italy
Directed by Stefano Mordini
In a working class town off the coast of Italy just miles from paradise, Anna and Francesca, two teenage girls spend their last summer of innocence before high school.

SOUND CITY, USA – West Coast Premiere
Directed by Dave Grohl
Multitalented musician Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana fronts a mission to resurrect the rapidly vanishing human touch behind the creation of music.

STILL MINE, Canada
Directed by Michael McGowan
An elderly couple fights against local authorities in rural New Brunswick to build their final home.

STUDENT, Kazakhstan – West Coast Premiere
Directed by Darezhan Omirbayev
A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan’s growing inequality, institutional corruption, and a ruthless underworld in this contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.

THE PUNK SYNDROME, Finland/Norway/Sweden
Directed by Jukka Kärkkäinen, J-P Passi
Punk music is about being a voluntary outcast. What if the outcasts want acceptance? Turning punk on its head, the mentally challenged members of Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day find acceptance in the music they create.

 

via Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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[caption id="attachment_3075" align="alignnone" width="550"]Wasteland[/caption]

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), begins Thursday, January 24 and continues through Sunday, February 3, 2013, announced its film line-up for 2013. 

SBIFF 2013 will kick off with the U.S. Premiere of Disconnect, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and starring Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård and Max Thieriot. Disconnect holds a mirror up to our community and our obsession with all things technical. The story introduces us to a vast collection of characters: A lawyer, an estranged couple, a widowed ex-cop and an ambitious journalist who are all strangers, neighbors and colleagues whose stories collide in this compelling drama about ordinary people desperate for a human connection. Filmed with a somewhat voyeuristic style, Disconnect marks the first fiction feature from Henry-Alex Rubin, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Murderball, from an original screenplay by Andrew Stern. 

On Closing Night, SBIFF will present the U.S. Premiere of Wasteland, written and directed by Rowan Athale, marking his feature directing debut, and starring Matthew Lewis, Timothy Spall and Iwan Rheon. In this exhilarating heist thriller, a young ex-con hooks up with his best mates to embark on a wild — and risky — revenge scheme after being framed by a local drug kingpin. 

SBIFF will present an International Gala Screening of Pablo Larraín’s film, “No,” starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The film, which is about an ad executive comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile’s 1988 referendum, was a favorite at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and winner of their Art Cinema Award. Director Pablo Larraín and Gael Garcia Bernal will attend.

Below is the list of World and US Premiere films, followed by the list of titles by sidebar category. 

 

 

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The 2013 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, in its 28th year, will honor Academy Award® nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio with the American Riviera Award. DiCaprio, whose latest film Django Unchained was released to critical acclaim and box office success this Christmas, will be honored on Friday, February 1 at the Arlington Theatre.

“We are thrilled to be honoring Leonardo DiCaprio with the American Riviera Award, in a year where he has shown us another layer of his immeasurable talent” commented Durling. “His performance in Django Unchained reaffirms that he is the most relevant actor of this generation.”

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize an artist who has had a strong influence on American Cinema. DiCaprio will join an illustrious group of past recipients, including frequent collaborator director Martin Scorsese (2012): Annette Bening (2011), Sandra Bullock (2010), Mickey Rourke (2009), Tommy Lee Jones (2008), Forrest Whitaker (2007), Philip Seymour Hoffman (2006), Kevin Bacon (2005) and Diane Lane (2004).

 

 

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[caption id="attachment_3056" align="alignnone" width="550"]Disconnect[/caption]

The 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (January 24-February 3), will open the 2013 Festival with the U.S. Premiere of LD Entertainment’s Disconnect, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and starring Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård and Max Thieriot. Opening night will take place at the Arlington Theatre on Thursday, January 24, 2013, with director and cast expected to attend.

“Disconnect is a visceral and timely film experience – and an extraordinary way to start the 28th edition of SBIFF,” remarked Executive Director Roger Durling.

Disconnect holds a mirror up to our community and our obsession with all things technical. The story introduces us to a vast collection of characters: A lawyer, an estranged couple, a widowed ex-cop and an ambitious journalist who are all strangers, neighbors and colleagues whose stories collide in this compelling drama about ordinary people desperate for a human connection.

Filmed with a somewhat voyeuristic style, Disconnect marks the first fiction feature from Henry-Alex Rubin, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Murderball, and is produced by Mickey Liddell and Jennifer Monroe of LD Entertainment and William Horberg of Wonderful Films from an original screenplay by Andrew Stern. Disconnect screened at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, and will be released by LD Entertainment on April 19, 2013.

 

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[caption id="attachment_3024" align="alignnone" width="550"]Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln[/caption]

Two-time Academy Award® winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis will be honored with the prestigious Montecito Award at the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on behalf of his inspirational performance in the title role of Lincoln, and as a celebration of his overall career. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs January 24 – February 3, 2013.

“Daniel Day-Lewis continues to inspire the industry and the public by his approach to tackling the most complex of characters and delivering brilliant performances time after time,” said Executive Director Roger Durling. “He is indicative of what the Montecito Award represents and we are thrilled to be presenting this to him this year.”

Daniel Day-Lewis’s most recent work includes his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln.

 

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 [caption id="attachment_2971" align="alignnone" width="550"]Amy Adams in The Master[/caption]

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor award winning actor Amy Adams with the Cinema Vanguard Award on Thursday, January 31, 2013. She will be honored for her exceptional performance in this year’s The Master with a tribute at the 28th edition of the Festival, which runs January 24 – February 3, 2013.

Adams, a three- time Academy Award® nominee and just awarded Best Supporting Actress by the L.A. Film Critics Association, portrayed Peggy Dodd, the steely and educated wife to a charismatic spiritual leader set in the 1950s in The Master. 

The Cinema Vanguard Award was created by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path – taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Past recipients include Jean Dujardin & Bérénice Bejo, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sarsgaard, Christoph Waltz, Stanley Tucci, Vera Farmiga, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling.

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