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SBIFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and education organization dedicated to making a positive impact utilizing the power of film. SBIFF is a year-round organization that is best known for its main film festival that takes place each year in February. Over the past 30 years the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 90,000 attendees and offering 11days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums. We bring the best of independent and international cinema to Santa Barbara, and we continue to expand our year-round operation to include a wide range of educational programming, fulfilling our mission to engage, enrich and inspire our community through film.
In June 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. The theatre is SBIFF’s new home and is the catalyst for our program expansion. This marks the first time that Santa Barbara has had a 24/7 community center focused on the art of film and is an incredible opportunity to expand our mission of educational outreach. Particularly important to SBIFF is making available high quality learning opportunities for underserved and vulnerable populations. Our programs and reach are more robust than ever before.
Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG® Australia, kicked off Opening Night with the U.S. Premiere of Relativity Studios’ 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.
“Raymond h...
As part of the 30th Anniversary celebration, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival will expand its ever popular director’s panel into the Outstanding Directors of the Year Award, presenting to some of the most talked about and innovative filmmakers from the past year. The tribute will begin at 8pm on Wednesday, February 4 at the Arlington Theatre and will be moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg.
Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the direc...
Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG® Australia, will kick off Opening Night with the U.S. Premiere of Relativity Studios’ 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.
“Raymon...
Claude Lelouch's 'We Love You, You Bastard' Wins Audience Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival Inaugural The Wave Film Festival.
July 15-19, 2015 - THE WAVE FESTIVAL - FRENCH CINEMA
MICKEY DUZDEVICH NAMED THE WAVE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
Santa Barbara, CA –SBIFF’s brand new summer film showcase “The Wave Film Festival” concluded on Sunday with Claude Lelouch's heartfelt family saga We Love You, You Bastard named as Audience Award winner....
OPRAH WINFREY TO RECEIVE MONTECITO AWARD AT THE 29TH SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Santa Barbara, CA- The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is proud to announce that it will honor Oprah Winfrey with the prestigious Montecito Award presented by UGG® Australia at the 29th edition of the Festival on behalf of her inspirational performance in Lee Daniels' The Butler and as a celebration of her overall career. The Tribute will take place on Wednesday, February 5...
Santa Barbara – Just when you thought the summer was ending, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival held the Silver Screen Celebration on Sunday August 25, 2013. The fundraiser started off with a classic silent film screening of Douglas Fairbank’s swashbuckling adventure “The Mark of Zorro” at the Historic Arlington Theatre. The screening was in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Theatre Organ Society and featured a live accompaniment by Adam Aceto on the theat...
-OFFICIAL PRESS- 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SETS DATES FOR BOTH THE 29TH and 30TH EDITIONS January 30 - February 9, 2014 January 22 – February 1, 2015 * * * Introduces the Concierge Pass All Passes and Packages 25% OFF through June 28th
Santa Barbara, CA, May 1, 2013 – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has set Thursday, January 30 through Sunday, February 9, 2014 as the dates for the 29th edition of...
Produced by Geoff Clark and his ‘Something Kreative’ production company, and directed by Justin Le Pera, ‘Isolated’ (2013) is a film about five professional surfers who travel to a ‘No Media Zone’ in western Papua New Guinea in search of unexplored virgin waves and a unique adventure, but find themselves in the midst of a political hot zone and a journey that will change their mission and their lives.
What starts as a story of extreme surfers in search of p...
French winemaker Gauillaume Bodin’s film ‘La Clef des Terroirs’ (2011) to be released on DVD in France and America. The film held its international premier at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Relevant to the situation of California wines and agriculture here in northern California, the film discusses the benefits of ‘biodynamic’ organic farming in the world of wine. It is a form of modern wine producing being used in the global wine industry tod...
"Oh, some are fond of Spanish wine, and some are fond of French." John Masefield (1878-1967), Captain Stratton's Fancy.
“Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved.” Medieval German saying.
'A Year in Burgundy' (2012) held its world premier at the 28th Santa Barbara Film Festival. This richly informative documentary takes the viewer on a cinematic wine tour of the reg...
‘Occupy: The Move’ (2013) by Canadian director Corey Ogilvie tells the story about the global social movement known as ‘Occupy’ which began in Wall Street, New York on September 17, 2011. The movement ‘Occupy’ protests the banking system, its control over the people at large and its ability to cripple an entire national (and world) economy when catastrophe hits. While the ‘Occupy’ social movement spread rapid-fire internationally, giving voi...
Written, directed, produced by Billy Raftery (‘Children Rise’, 2012), ‘Angels in Exile’ (2013) is a documentary of the social disaster of rampant poverty in South Africa. The film focuses on two indigent youths- Zulieka and Ariel- who have grown up in the streets of Durban, South Africa. Billy follows the lives of these two for nearly a decade from glue-sniffing children to young adults. The film is narrated by Charlize Theron.
Recently I interviewed Billy Raftery abou...
Is sex possible after kids? That is the question. Writer/Director/Producer Jeremy Lalonde tackles this very enigma in his latest feature film ‘Sex After Kids’ (2013). The film held its world premier in Santa Barbara last month at the 28th SBIFF. I recently interviewed Jeremy about this titillating romantic sex comedy. Here is what he had to say:
ME: What first inspired you to make this film? Was it based on personal events or people you know?
JEREMY: I knew I want...
'My Awkward Sexual Adventure' (2012) is a fresh romantic comedy uniquely exploring the complications of intimacy and relationship, an innovative look at the ageless battle of the sexes. Just when I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to romantic (sex) comedies, this one sneaks out of the depths of freezing ‘Winter-peg’ (Winnipeg), Canada, and heats up the screen with love, sex, laughs and tears.
Read my interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Jonas Chernick he...
After an evening spent with Daniel Day-Lewis speaking about his life in acting, inside the Arlington Theater, actress Sally Field presented him the Montecito Award. Interview with Sally Field before she presented actor Daniel Day-Lewis the Montecito Award:
ME: You’ve been acting almost your whole life, and now at this point in your career you get this great role. What would you say about this role that stands out from past ones?
SALLY: I’ve had a lot of wonderful roles. I...
Interview with screenwriter David Magee for his adaptation of ‘Life of Pi’.
At the 85th Academy Awards the film won 4 Oscars (more than any other film nominated) including- Best Achievement in Cinematography by Claudio Miranda; Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Original Score Mychael Danna; Best Achievement in Visual Effects by Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald Elliott; and Best Achievement in Directing by Ang Lee.
Interview wi...
Denzel Washington plays Whip Whitaker, an alcoholic commercial airline pilot in the Robert Zemeckis directed film; he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor at the 85th Academy Awards.
Read here an interview with quirky comical super talent screenwriter John Gatins of ‘FLIGHT’ (2012), which took place this month at the Lobero Theater at 28th SBIFF.
When asked about the process of 'Flight' emerging from script to screen, Gatins replied:
GATINS: It was a p...
Recently, Ben Affleck spoke in an evening long interview about his life from 8 year-old child actor to great multi-award winning 'Modern Master' at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara where he bared his soul to moderator Leonard Maltin, proving himself to be a modest and grateful multi-talent who realizes that ‘if there is a master, it’s in partnership’.
LEONARD: When you watch an excerpt from one of your films are you thinking about that day or how you ...
Writer, Director, Actor Seth Fischer’s film ‘Blumenthal’ (2012) held its North American premier this month at the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Set in NY, the story starts with the death of playwright Harold Blumenthal (Brian Cox) who dies from a heart attack while laughing at his own joke. His brother, Saul, has a hard time coming to terms with Harold’s death, which results in a domino effect on his immediate family where each of them –Saul, his...
Recently the 3D documentary film 'STORM SURFERS' (2012) made its World Premier at the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film is about two best friends, surfers Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll, who brave some of the most dangerous of Mother Nature's elements, monstrous waves, in search of Australia's largest and most threatening.
Narrated by Australian actress Toni Collette with stunning cinematography and edge-of-your-seat suspense, this documentary is sure...
Winner of last year’s Golden Bear Award for Best Film in Berlin 2012 was the Italian film ‘Cesare Deve Morire’ (Caesar Must Die, 2012). Directed by art-house filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Padre Padrone, Night of the Shooting Stars and Kaos), the film is set in the Rebibbia prison in Rome and tells the story about a group of prisoners (from murderers to mafia) who love Shakespeare so much that they perform the play ‘Julius Caesar’ from within their jail ce...
Quvenzhane Wallis of Beasts of the Southern Wild before receiving her award at SBIFF.
Photo by Benjamin Schwartz
**STAY TUNED!!! for 28th SBIFF interviews, film reviews and panel overviews coming daily.
Edited by Vanessa McMahon
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Daniel Day-Lewis on the red carpet at 28th SBIFF.
-28th SBIFF OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE-
SBIFF 2013 Wrap Release
The 28th Annual SBIFF came to a close on Sunday, February 3rd - The 11 day festival screened nearly 200 hundred films, hosted various Academy Award nominees and brought out the latest creative forces in independent films, world wide. In an assembly such as this, the genre's were eclectic from sexual adventures (An Awkward Sexual Adventure)...
Arguably one of the most talked about films on the 2012 international festival circuit was the extreme realism drama ‘War Witch' (aka 'Rebelle’), 2012. Written and directed by Kim Nguyen, the film is in French and Lingala and filmed on location in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Canada’s entry for Best Foreign Film for the 85th Academy Awards, ‘War Waitch: Rebelle’ tells the story of Komona (Rachel Mwanza) who is kidnapped by Congolese guerilla soldiers...
Leave it to the Danish, once again. The little country between Sweden and Germany is a giant when it comes to international cinema.
With its national cinema state funded by the DFI (Danish Film Institute), Denmark has been a mainstay on the cinema scene for decades, having produced some of the world’s most influential and greatest directors of contemporary film- Carl Th. Dreyer (The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928; Vampyr, 1932), Erik Balling (Qivitoq, 1956), Gabriel Axel (Babette’s ...
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has star wattage and a wealth of premieres in a Mediterrean-style city by the sea.
Blogging here with dailies:
The team of editors of the The Santa Barbara Blog:Carol Marshall, Felicia Tomasko, Vanessa McMahon, Marla and Mark Hamperin, Kim Deisler and Bruno Chatelin
