Jeff Margolis, executive producer and director of the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, has announced the creative team for this year’s Actors® honors. Many of the talented producers and artists behind the 12th Annual SAG Awards™ are returning to create this year’s ceremonies, joined by two new film segment producers.Nominations for the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6:05 am PT / 9:05 am ET at the Pacific Design Center in West Holl...
Dame Helen Mirren will be honored with a tribute and receive the award for Outstanding Performance of the Year for her role in “The Queen” at the upcoming 22nd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.Dame Helen Mirren will be honored on Friday, January 26th in recognition of her portrayal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in this year’s acclaimed film “The Queen,” directed by Stephen Frears. “The Queen” is an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse at the interaction between H...
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SET TO RUN JANUARY 25-FEBURARY 4Will Smith, multifaceted actor, producer and writer, will be this year’s recipient of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Modern Master Award, it was announced today by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.Smith has the distinction of being a cross-generational draw as well as being able to break through various genres of films. Having first endeared himself as a fresh new artist in TV’s “Fresh Princ...
In recognition of his contributions to the world of film, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to present the inaugural KIRK DOUGLAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM to legendary actor, producer and director Kirk Douglas.The award will be presented to Mr. Douglas on Sunday, July 30, launching what will become an annual summertime tradition. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will host the black-tie Gala dinner at Bacara Resort & Spa and will feature a look at Mr. Doug...
“Paradise Now, which was featured at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, plays tonight at the University of California at Santa Barbara.Over the past few months, Hany Abu-Assad’s film, “Paradise Now” has been honored and excoriated simultaneously. While being nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category, winning several other awards, and enjoying critical acclaim, the controversial Palestinian film about the last 48 hours of two would-be suicide b...
Despite the extra burden of responsibility of making a film in his native South Africa, filmmaker Gavin Hood has happily enjoyed riding the wave of film festivals to success. This has resulted in Hood’s film “Tsotsi” being nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at next month’s Academy Awards. The Oscars will held in Hollywood on March 5. Hood was recently on the South Coast to participate in the director’s panel at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Held ...
“The Shape of Water” Sometimes the Sparkling Jewels are Diamonds in the RoughSanta Barbara- Not far away from the glitterati of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a movie that may be a diamond in the rough. Kum-Kum Bhavnani’s “The Shape of Water” is so well thought of that Oscar winning actress Susan Sarandon is a part of it. “The Shape of Water” is about five women in four Third World countries who defy odds by using grass roots efforts to make sweeping social chang...
Santa Barbara- With several of his former students on hand, the late acting coach Roy London was feted during the Santa Barbara Film Festival showing of "Special Thanks to Roy London". Actors Sharon Stone, Gary Shandling, Julie Warner (who is also a producer of the film), Elizabeth Berkley, Arye Gross, and Rhonda Aldrich joined producers Tim Healy, Karen Montgomery, and director/producer at Santa Barbara's Victoria Hall Theatre on Saturday to screen the film. Afterward, film introducer Stone ...
Blog and Podcast from Sundance to Santa BarbaraThe 10 day indie extravaganza from Sundance Park City wrapped last Sunday and marked the launch of filmfestival.com new blogging approach.Filmfestivals is preparing a major shift in the web technology of your favourite film festival site. Our new blog platform currently under beta test will allow thousands of indie filmmakers to interact with festival organisers, media sales agents and film fans at large. Early 2006 some 40 000 film pros are receivi...
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced today the lineup of honorees for the 21st annual Fest, February 2-12, 2006. Actors Philip Seymour Hoffman, Naomi Watts, and Heath Ledger will be honored at this year’s Fest. Also set to be recognized for his achievements in nature filmmaking is James Cameron. As previously announced, George Clooney will be the recipient of the Modern Master Award.Philip Seymour Hoffman will receive “The Riviera Award,” an award the Santa Barbara In...
24th Annual VIFF Announces Full Line-Up of Films and Events Vancouver, BC (September 7, 2005) – The 24rd Vancouver International Film Festival announced today that it will show 329 films, including 230 feature and mid-length films, at more than 500 screenings. The slate includes 8 World Premieres, 22 International Premieres, 38 North American Premieres, 59 Canadian Premieres and 10 English-Canadian Premieres. The Festival will open on September 29 with a Gala screening of Deepa Mehta’s WATER...
THAT’S A WRAP!PALM BEACH CLOSES 10TH ANNUAL FILM FESTIt was a celebration of a decade worth of film as the Palm Beach International Film Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. After a week of screenings, the jury votes were tallied to determine the winners for Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director and Best Performance by an Actor/Actress, while audiences voted for their favorite in categories of features (including a separate Favorite Palm Beach Feature), documentaries and shorts. Wi...
Dave Barry Turns Movie Star at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has always been a bit adventurous with its selection of films. Along with the requisite slate of solid international and American independent features, the festival does a great job supporting local films and filmmakers. This year, midway through the 20th edition, more than two thousand people packed the Arlington Theatre for the Centerpiece screening and World Premiere of ...
Attenborough Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival goes to...Sir David AttenboroughLeonardo got the red carpet. Sir David Attenborough got contagious applause. Total energy.Annette Bening and Kate Winslet got a hundred flashbulbs popping every minute.Sir David got reverence. Those who run the Santa Barbara International Film Festival know.The red carpet should belong to Sir David Attenborough. The festival’s artistic director Roger Durling gushed, threw around the words “rivetin...
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST BRINGS PLATINUM POWER TO 20TH ANNIVERSARYSanta Barbara, CA – Star power and a slew of notable films combined to create a year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival worthy of a platinum celebration. The 20th anniversary of the Fest was marked by ten days filled with more than 140 films, five panel discussions, four award events, and a smattering of “Conversations With” actors, all drawing crowds of film fans and stargazers into the community...
The 20th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced the winners of the 2005 festival competition, as well as next year’s festival dates, February 3-12, 2006.Winners were selected by the following jury members:American Independent Jury: Joe Dante (director, “The Howling” and “Gremlins”), Clark Peterson (producer, “Monster”) and actor Perry Lang (“The Big Red One” and “Eight Men Out”).Spanish and Latin American Film Jury: Cynthia Hargrave (former Music Ex...
KEVIN BACON takes SBIFF Riviera Award“I hate my voice, and I’m ugly. “And I can’t act.”That’s what Kevin Bacon said about himself when he watched dailies of “Footloose.” Clearly, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival doesn’t think so. The actor/director got the Riviera Award Friday night. Meant for an actor whose career has altered the landscape of American cinema, an artist whose work has enriched society as a whole. It was presented by director Ivan Reitman, who, as p...
LEO!!! LEO!!! LEONARDO!!!Gorgeous adolescents screaming, spilling into the street behind the crush.Five rows of Paparazzi outside and inside.Director Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio’s hero-idol-favorite leader, waiting in the wings to present the festival’s highest award to the Oscar nominee for Scorsese's "The Aviator." Roger Durling at the helm of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has done it again. Just one year later and the SBIFF delivered another homerun festival opening weeken...
PANELISTS PREPARE TO TALK SHOP AT SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SANTA BARBARA, CA—Each year, cinephiles and interested locals are drawn to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for many reasons, a number of which are the thought-provoking panels, which traditionally attract the names behind some of Hollywood’s best big-budget and independent films.This year will be no exception. An assortment of panels, ranging from music to made-for-the-big-screen mayhem, will offer pan...
Former Film fest directors Jon Fitzgerald and Mitch Levine announce the launch of Festival Consulting Group (FCG), a company devoted to serving the film festival community. Supported by a comprehensive website, FestivalConsulting.com, the Company will offer a complete range of services – from Sponsorship to Strategic Planning to Production Services – and virtually everything in between. The announcement was made at a reception at the Plage des Palmes Café in Cannes, co-hosted by Film Find...
DIGITAL DAYS 2004 TEEN FILMMAKER AWARDS ANNOUNCEDRichard Corwin and Gretchen Miller, producers of Digital Days 2004 at the 19th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, announced the winners for the Teen Filmmaker program as:* Amanda Weiss, "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat," Cal Arts, Valencia, CA* Cole Sanchez, "Fridge," Rancho Marrieta, CA* Carolyn Chrisman, "Ascension Rites," Anacapa School, Santa Barbara, CA * Austin Madison, "Boy Meets Rex," Sacramento, CA* Daniel Howard, "Jai Yen-C...
It didn’t matter to the packed audience inside or the crowd bundled up against a stiff wind outside the Lobero Theatre Tuesday night that Charlize Theron was running late. Golden Globe-winner Charlize is simply the hottest star on the planet and her presence meant another coup for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which opened last weekend with a tribute to filmmaker Peter Jackson and a host of national attention.On this night, Theron was honored with Outstanding Performance of th...
Santa Barbara -- Meni's latest CGI short “Terra” screened here the opening weekend of The Santa Barbara International Film Festival's short film program. This, the 19th year of this Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences accredited festival, featured the most talked about writers and directors of the year along with an eclectic international film program. Director Aristomenis (Meni) Tsirbas joined over 80 filmmakers who presented their work in this scenic retreat just 90 miles north of ...
2004 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Reveals the Guts and Glory of Directing From Peter Biskind’s documentary, Don’t Bank on Amerika to Denys Arcand’s, The Barbarian Invasions Santa Barbara never ceases to amaze us. On Saturday, January 31st a panel of eight prominent directors answered Biskind’s Q’s at the 2004 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It is an event like this Directors on Directing panel that inspires and intrigues us as filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and f...
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Presents the 6th Annual Digital Days, an interactive showcase and forum featuring screenings, presentations, seminars and classes to be held Saturday, Feb 7, 2004. Highlighting state-of-the-art digital moviemaking and multimedia, Digital Days 2004 will provide area youth and film enthusiasts with an up-close and hands on experience with the latest digital software and computer technologies. Industry veterans and digital arts professionals will take part ...