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 ...
‘Are you a traveler or a tourist?’ That is the question. What Is the difference? A tourist thinks about going home the minute he/she has arrived at his/her destination, whereas a traveler gets so wrapped up in the adventure he/she rarely ever returns home (Paul Bowles’ ‘The Sheltering Sky’). Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl was a true ‘traveler’ and made history with his epic voyage ‘Kon-Tiki’, now a major motion picture nominate...
The international singsong hit ‘The Sapphires’ (2012) held its world premier at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and its North American premier at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Most recently it screened to audiences at the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The film is about a native Australian all-female soul band that travels to Vietnam during the Vietnam War to uplift the morale of the soldiers fighting there, during which time these young talented s...
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu is a prolific filmmaker with each of his feature films having held premiers at the Cannes Film Festival. His first feature ‘Occident’ (2002) screened in the Directors Fortnight at Cannes. He later won the Palme d’Or for his film ‘Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days’ (2007). His most recent film ‘Beyond the Hills’ (2012) was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actress...
On January 26th, actor Daniel Day Lewis spoke to a sold out audience of 2000 at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara during the 28th SBIFF.
Writer/Director/Producer Michael Mann ('The Last of The Mohicans', 1992) introduced his longtime friend beginning with a powerfully edited montage of all his films spanning Daniel Day’s entire eclectic career, after which Daniel Day modestly replied: ‘this is some cruel and unusual torture’.
The two-time Oscar winning actor is...
On Friday 25th January, actor Ben Affleck received the 'Modern Masters Award' in Santa Barbara during the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater for excellence and outstanding achievement in his prolific career as actor/writer/producer/director and for the recent grand achievement of 'Argo' (2012).
Affleck's best friend since childhood, Matt Damon, presented the award to him after making a moving speech about his pride for having shar...
The 2013 SBIFF runs from Jan 24th-Feb 3rd. It is arguably one of the most important international film festivals as it takes place every year just before the Oscars. The festival showcases domestic premiers and award-winning films from around the world and hosts multiple award ceremonies with some of the film industry's most talented artists, many of whom are up for Academy Awards. It is a fantastic festival to discover new films from around the world as well as watch your favorite stars g...
Actor Alexander Skarsgård at US premier of 'Disconnect' (2012) at 28th SBIFF. Photo by Benjamin Schwartz
On Thursday, January 24th, the 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival opened with the U.S. premier of director Henry-Alex Rubin's first ever feature film 'Disconnect' (2012). Rubin is most known for his documentary film, 'MurderBall' (2005), which he co-directed with Dana Adam Shapiro, and which was nominated for an Oscar the same year. ...
The cast and crew of the documentary film WEST OF MEMPHIS (2012) made a splash at the Santa Barbara International FIlm Festival (SBIFF) on February, 3rd, 2012. The film had its world premier just weeks before in Sundance. Following the screening, director Amy Berg, Damien Echols, and Lorri Davis attended a Q and A.
Read a summary of the film here:
SUMMARY by Sundance Film Festival- "For many people, the case of the West Memphis Three has become synonymous with wrongful...
photo still from MIGHTY FINE (2011). Andie MacDowell and Chazz Palminteri
A few weeks ago during the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) I had the pleasure of sitting with the cast from Debbie Goodstein’s film MIGHTY FINE (2011) where the film held its North American premier. What started as an interview turned into a fascinating discussion about rage from the microcosm of American domestic life to the macrocosm of rage in the world at large. Her...
SAMSARA (2011) by filmmakers Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson is the follow-up to the epic non-narrative film BARAKA (1992), which made cinematic history twenty years ago with its arresting 70mm Panavision System images filmed in 24 countries. Described by director Ron Fricke as a ‘guided meditation’ BARAKA still has people dropping their jaw at the astonishing innovative camera work and intercutting of the haunting musical score. Now, the filmmakers bring the same camera and ...
The Artist (2011)…"It’s a love story and there’s a cute dog!"
French auteur Michel Hazanavicius of the film ‘The Artist’ (2011) was born 29 March 1967, and although few can pronounce his name correctly, everyone is talking about this tres talented French director. French actor Jean Dujardin calls the director ‘Michel Hazana-genius’; due to the film’s explosive worldwide success, it would appear that most agree to his work as ‘genius’ ind...
Martin Scorsese wins The American Riviera Award at the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival.. “We have to keep this wonderful life-sustaining conversation going with cinema”.
On the night of January 30, 2012, the legendary director Martin Scorsese, whose latest film HUGO (2012) is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, was awarded The American Riviera Award at the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival (SBIFF) by celebrated actor Ben Kingsley. Before receiving the award, M...
WINNERS OF THE 27TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA FILM FESTIVAL (SBIFF 2012)
With closing film of festival, the Lebanese hit film by actress/writer/director Nadine Labaki, WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (Arabic: وهلّأ لوين؟ w halla' la wayn, French: Et maintenant, on va ou?, 2011) which held its world premier during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival as part of 'Un Certain Regard'. It was the Lebanese 2011 Oscar submission this year. The film held its North American premier in Toronto at TIFF...
SAMSARA (2011) (sequel to BARAKA, 1992) premiered this past week at the 27th SBIFF. Stay tuned for a one on one interview with producer Mark Magidson coming soon!
Twenty years ago a film was released that changed the way people viewed cinema because its filmmakers dared to go where no other film has ever been, and none since...
...BARAKA (1992), directed by cinematographer Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson, does everything against the rules in textbook fi...
During the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival on the night of February 3rd, while I was celebrating my birthday, celebrated documentarian filmmaker and venerated cinematographer Mike DeGruy died in a helicopter crash in Australia. DOP of docs like DEEP BLUE (2003) and TV series like PLANET EARTH (2006), to name but a few, this talented and adventurous artist will be missed by all. The following statement is notice from Santa Barbara Press.
written by Vanessa McMahon
SBIFF PRESS
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Today at the 27th SBIFF, there is a hot lineup of premiers with filmmakers to attend.
1) “MIGHTY FINE” (2012) by director Debbie Goodstein will premier at 7:40 pm at the Metro theater. Talent: Director Debbie Goodstein and cast members Chazz Palminteri and Rainy Qualley will be doing a live Q&A following the film.
2) SAMSARA- From the makers of the groundbreaking film BARAKA (1992) their latest film “SAMSARA” (2011) will premier in the Arlington Theater tonight at 8:00pm. Tale...
Ben Kingsley at The Arlington Theater at 27th SBIFF, 30th January, 2012
I spoke to Sir Ben as he walked up the red carpet into the theater...
ME: Tonight you’re going to be presenting an award to the great Scorsese.
BEN: The great Scorsese! Yes!
ME: So, how does that feel?
BEN: Well, when I think of the number of men or women that could be presenting this award, people who owe their greatest moments on screen to him, people who owe their car...
photo still from film
RAW MATERIAL at 27th SBIFF, 2012!
One of the documentaries highest on my list in the past year is the film, RAW MATERIAL (Greece, 2011) by director Christos Karakepelis. This documentary left me with chills, not only because of its raw subject about the declining Greek economy but the worsening of the situation of immigrants to Greece and the inhumane lives they lead.
When we follow the lives of three Roma from Albania, two Indians, a Turk and a Greek ...
SBIFF PRESS
27th SBIFF held its World Premier of 'NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE' (2012) Sunday, Jan. 29th at the Lobero Theatre.
SYNOPSIS: 'NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE' tells the moving story of anarchist chocolatier, Mott Green, founder of the Grenada Chocolate Company, as he pursues his unique vision to create the best chocolate in the world, ethically and taste-wise. Along with farmers such as Nelice Stewart, this tree-to-bar chocolate factory -- the smallest in the world...
SBIFF PRESS
Sunday, January 29th at the 27th SBIFF was the World Premiere of "The Samaritan" (2012) at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. Actor Samuel L. Jackson and director David Weaver appeared on the red carpet for interviews.
Summary:
"After twenty years in prison, Foley is finished with the grifter's life. When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris, the possibility of a new start looks real. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion."...
SBIFF PRESS
Saturday, January 28th, 2012, Santa Barbara International Film Festival held the premier of SASSY PANTS (2012) at the Metro Theatre. In attendance were stars: Haley Joel Osment, Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Ashley Rickards (from MTV’s Awkward), Diedrich Bader (Drew Carey Show).
Synopsis: A biting coming of age comedy, "Sassy Pants" follows recent homeschool grad BETHANY PRUITT as she struggles to break free from her smothering mom without any help from ...
Generation "П" (GENERATION P, 2011) will screen today, January 27th at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, SBIFF 2012.
Based on the book by Russian writer Victor Pelevin, the film is directed by American/Russian director Victor Ginzburg. The film is about Babylen Tatarsky, a copywriter for a major advertising company in the late 90’s in
Post-Soviet Russia. Babylen is put to the test by the advertising firm to find the 'new Russian identity'. Well, ...
2012 SBIFF SPECIAL EVENTS ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
“A CLOCKWORK ORANGE” – Newly Restored Location: Metro 4 (618 State St.) Time: 1:20 p.m.
Talent to appear: Ned Price, Warner Bros. Archives, who headed the restoration, will do a Q&A following the film.
“THE BIG CHILL” – LAWRENCE KASDAN RETROSPECTIVE. Location: Metro 4 (618 State. St.). Time: 4:40pm
Talent: Director Lawrence Kasdan and actor Kevin Kline will be doing a li...
