From all of the Staff and Board of Directors at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, we would like to extend a large thank you to our excellent Volunteers, VAC, Theatre Team, Production Team, and Interns for the 2012 Festival. The festival would not be possible without you.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Saleh Abdulaziz
Meghan Abe
Elysia Aguero
Lisa Ahlgren
Vicki Ahlgren
Deniz Akdolu
Barbara Alderson
Diane Alexander
Susan Alexander
Heather Allen
Christine Anderson
Susan Anderson
Tara Armbruster
Audrey Arn
Barbara Askew
R. Anthony Askew
Sirwan Assad
Nina Aujla
Christina Baglas
Caroline  Bailet
Bill Ballhorn
Roselynne Ballhorn
Carmen Barone
Bob Basche
Karey Basche
Zachary Basler
Dave Basso
Shaun Beardsmore
Gabby Becerra
Charisse Becker
Anne Benard Franceschi
Dale Bengtson
Sheila Bengtson
Angela Bevilacqua
Brooke Biederman
Jacob   Biever
Rae Bittle
Patricia Bivens
Camilla Black
Bob Blackburn
Doris Blethrow
Cathy Boggs
Janet Bojorquez
Peshtiwar Botani
Marielle Bourgeois
Bill Boyd
Dennis Bozanich
Aninha Brill
Linda Brown
Spencer Bruttig
Isabel Bubel
Sabrina Buchcik
Candace Buck
Abby Bunker
Jody Burg
Patricia Burkard
Sylvia Butler
Rosemary Cabe
Zoila Cabrera
Nancy-Kay Cameron
Cherisse Carandang
Erin Carpenter
Kimberly Yvonne Carreno
Heidi Carter
Marta Castro
Solveig Chandler
Peter Chen
Barbara Chornyak
Gerred Clarke
Patricia Clements
Cathy Closson
Rick Closson
Phyliss Cohen
Katy Corbin
Helen Cornell
Curt Coughlin
Dana Crampton
Audrey Crettex
Nancy Curtis
Anneliese Curtis Place
Shelby Curtis Place
Michelle Cutler
Jane Dailey
John Dailey
Marika Davidek
Jeanne Davis
Giulia De Paoli
Katie De Witt
Margot Dear
Beverlyn Dela Cruz
Patrick Delbray
Vicky Delmas
Danielle Deltorchio
Charlotte Dibon
Becky Dirk
Lore Dobler
Adriana Dominguez
Alysia Dominguez
Ken Dunkley
Rosie Dyste
Pamela Emerson
Jeffrey Englert
Kelly Erland
Norma Escarcega
Elma Ettman
Caroline Laura Fahrni
Karen Fear
Grace Ferry
Andrea Fishback
Lauren Fisher
Suzy Fitch
Jay Fitzgibbons
Jenna Fitzpatrick
Linda Flake
Christy Flis
Desiree Flores
Zari Foosherian
Lisa Foote
Joy Foraker
Christine Fredericks
Haroldo Freitas
Hannah French
Christine Fry
Maritza Fuljencio
Della Furukawa
Pasquale Galante
Julia Gast
Mary Genis
Jean Gentry
Susan Gentry
Linda Gersten
Heather Gibb
Erica Gilmore
Cam Gittler
Jeff Gittler
Benjamin Goalabre
Lynn Goebel
Ben Goedert
Rudy Gomez
Wendi Gomez
Juliana Gontijo
Trevor Gonzales
Christopher Gonzalez
Greg Goodman
Riley Goodman
Ellen Goodstein
Bonnie Gordon
Terry Gostow
Sharon Granoff
Ann M. Grassi
Sandy Grasso-Boyd
Jennifer Gray
Louise Gray
Danielle Greene
Buffy Jo Grenier
Antonia Guerrero
Raul Guerrero
Claudia  Guerrero
Gabriella Guillen
Lisa Guravitz
Justine Haantjens
Darrell Hall
Nicole Halverson
Dana Hansen
Hoyt Harper
Sandy Hartley
Rachel Harvey
Frazer Hazlett
Jerry Headley
Judy Headley
Lawrence Heald
AnaMaria Herrera
Cecia Hess
Milt Hess
Brad Hill
Susan Hodges
Connard Hogan
Jenna Horiuchi
Laura Horstmann
Christopher Houle
Jennifer House
Sam  Houston
Mark Hubert
Nancy Hubert
Rhonda Huesgen
Charles Huff
Lisa Hugo
Chris Hunter
Toshio Ikeda
Beverly Iles
Anne Illgen
Eva Maria Indermuehe
Eileen Irvine-Winkler
Aimee Iverson
Aria Jacobsen
Daphne  Janelle
Von Jansma
Brooks Jett
Sierra Jett
Leanna Jimenez
Lydia Johnson
Tianna Jones
Stephen Jordan
Tina Jordan
Barbara Kaplan
Len Kaplan
Madeline Kardos
Maya Keane
Amanda  Keehmer
Caitlin Kelley
Judy Kemp
Mike Kemp
Kishan Khemani
Madhu Khemani
Cherif Khoury
Christopher Kilpatrick
Eun Gee Kim
Fred Kim
Jongok Kim
Su Hyun Kim
Ivy P. King
Will King
Josh Kirkwood
Genevieve Kirsch
Michelle Kitson
Colleen Klinefelter
Jeff Knepp
Karl Koerbling
Carolyn Kope
Judith Kopf
Michelle Kosinsky
Deborah Kramer
Allison Lama
Martin Landsfeld
Lizzie Larson
Christine Le Bon
Ana Lerdo
Shannon Leskowitz
Kayee Leung
Lesley Levy
Julie Ann Lewis
Brandon Li
Te Li
Catherine Li
Robert Limkeman
Trey Lindsley
Raveewan Livesley
Sophie Loire
Sophia Loomis
Tania  Lopez
Janet Loughlin
Barbara Love
Cathryn Low
Norman Lower
Christopher Lynch
Eleanor Lyon
Eve Lyons
Catherine Macaulay
Charlotte MacMillan
Jim MacMillan
Jordan Maldonado
Joan Malendez
Barbara Malvinni
Karin Marhefka
Jacob Martin
Victoria Masjuan
Francine Matas
Larry Matthews
Cheryl Maxwell
Michele Maybee
Lyn McCabe
Emily Mccardle
Kevin McCauley
Kat McCauley
Molly Mcdonough
Charlotte Mcguire
Margaret Mcmurtrey
Katharina Meinhardt
Joan Melendez
Misty Mellett
Terry Merritt
Erica Mesker
Ivan  Michultka-Calel
Dottie Milici
Colleen Miller
Dusty Miller
Felipe Miranda
Tom Mitchell
Jeanne Mohle
Elisa Monelli
Jeana Morelli
Kana Morita
Gerry Morozowsky
Margaret Morrison
Coralie Mouries
Jeff Mueller
Stephanie Munguia
Susan Murray
Alana Naber
John Napier
Susan Napier
Janet Napier
Tara Naughter
Alyssa Beth  Nelsen
Jody Nelson
Tom Nesbit
Ariel Ngov
Claudia Nizich
Judy McElearney Nobriga
Caitlin Ohara
Denise Ohara
Sandra Ohman
Alyssa Oldham
Jocelyn Olivares
Luiz Gustavo Othero
Mark Pagdanganan
Presley Pahl
Jeanne Palumbo
Parkie Parker
Carol Parnell
John Patelzick
Samantha Pattegay
Diane Pearson
Steve Pearson
Linda Perez
Tony Perez Jr
Dylan Perry
Eliesa Peters-Bollinger
LP Phelps
Ruby  Phillips
Julia Pockrandt
Arielle Porat
Michael Prodanovich
Robin Prodanovich
Sabrina Propper
Mikayla Quinlyn
Vicke Quinlyn
Sylvia Quinn
Deborah Rankin
Debbie Reber
Barry Remis
Arturo Reyes
Rachel Richman
Jennifer Ringer
Jack Rivas
Cynthia Rivera
Jem Robinson
Ricardo Robles
Luan Rodrigues
Lucia Rodriguez
Kim Rodriguez-Skipwith
Gretchen Rogers
Mary Rogers
Lorena Rosales
Sharon Rosenberg
Nicole Roth
Kenneth Ruz
Marilyn Ryan
Anne Rydfors
Michele Sakakibara
Lindsay Salzman
Anita Samaha
Wendy  San
Nancy Sandstrom
Alvaro Santos
Anna Sophie Sather Mahfouf
Rachel Scarlett
Mara Scherzinger
Robin Schievink
Cara Schipper
Mathilde Schmatz
Melody Schmidt
Graham Scott
Jean Sedar
Ned Seder
Steve Seim
Veronica Sequeira
Yifan Shao
Martin Shapiro
Fred Shaw
Ken Sherman
Janet Shotwell
Juli Shulem
Antonia Sieb
Jerry Siegel
Casey Simon
Jason Simpson
Darcie Simson
Ken Sipes
Sidonia Slaff
Tom Sloan
Daphne Smets
Casey Smith
Nancee Smith
Neb Smith
Suzanne Smith
Edmond Smith
Connie Sommer
Cara Sottak
Elloura Stalie
Evan-Marie Steele
Joan Stewart
Peter Stone
Shannon Storey
Alexa  Stringer
Camille Suetos
Rosana Swing
Jake  Taylor
Meredith Taylor
Crystal Thompson
Dianne Travis-Teague
Angela Trenwith
Kathy Trinh
Elisa Trowbridge
Jessica Truyol
Crista Tucker
Katie Tullsen
Cat Tunger
Lewis Turman
Dorian Ulmer
Andrew Unetic
Erica Valdez
Pamela Vander Heide
MaryAnn Vanover
Lazara Kamila Varjao De Moraes
Esther Velarde
Jessica Vennum
Carey Villasenor
Samantha Von Burg
Lindsay Vong
Caroline Walker
Tia Walker
Tracy Warren
Wendy Watcher
Patricia Watkins
Suzanne Wedow
Sam Wei
Betty Weiner
Robin Weiss
Jeannette Weisskopf
Gerry Westerfield
Candace White
Ashley Whitman
Julia Wiggin
Jill Wilk
Madelyn Willis
Beverly Winsor
Michael Winsor
Shawnee Witt
Kasey  Woodlin
Cory  Yoshida
Lauren Zabel
Elgie Zeni
Livia Zirkel

3rd weekend is a community event where we show some of the highlights from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for free at the Riviera Theatre (2044 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara, CA). The schedule for this year is as follows:

Friday February 10
7:00 pm Up There w/ The Missing Key
9:30 pm Vinyl

Saturday February 11
11:00 am Dirty Energy
1:00 pm Barrymore
4:00 pm Pretty Old
7:00 pm Starbuck w/ Picture Paris
9:30 pm The Rumble of the Stones

Sunday February 12
11:00 am Otter 501
1:00 pm Heat Wave w/ L Train
4:00 pm Nothing Like Chocolate
7:00 pm Free Men

ADMISSION POLICY

• All screenings are free to the public and in fairness to the entire community,seating is on a first come first served basis
• As the policy for all free Festival programming, there will be no Q’s handed out
• Saving seats will not be allowed inside the theatre

FILM SYNOPSES

Barrymore

Awarded Jury Prize for Artistic Distinction
It’s often said that Christopher Plummer is the greatest actor Canada has ever produced and one of the finest classical actors of his generation. Having mastered the stage, as well as the big and small screens, he took on a role in 1996 that would come to define him: John Barrymore, another actor of towering stature. Barrymore opened at the Stratford Festival in 1996 before moving to Broadway, where Plummer won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. The production has since been revived to even more widespread acclaim, with Plummer maturing into the role and imbuing it with ever-deeper pathos and wit. The play has now been transformed into a film directed by Erik Canuel. With its elegant close-ups contrasted against a deliberately theatrical setting, BARRYMORE is a ribald and affecting exploration of the pleasures and perils of show business, as well as a tribute to the tremendous artistry of its star.

Dirty Energy

Winner of The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by The Fund for Santa Barbara
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off the Gulf of Mexico taking the lives of eleven workers as millions of barrels of oil poured into the ocean, creating one of the worst environmental disasters in history. DIRTY ENERGY tells the personal stories of those directly affected by the spill who are now struggling to rebuild their lives amidst the economic devastation and long-term health risks. The failure of BP and the federal government to confront this environmental calamity with honesty and integrity has had powerful consequences, but sadly the human cost has been greatly underestimated and hidden from the public. Today, the people of the Gulf are fighting for their livelihoods and for the preservation of a way of life that is now endangered. This is their story.

Free Men

Winner of The Best International Film Award
Paris, 1942. Younes (Tahar Rahim), a young Algerian immigrant, survives by hawking goods on the black market. When German occupation forces crack down on recent immigrants, Younes is picked up and agrees to become an informant. As he delves deeper into the hidden dealings of the Great Mosque of Paris, meeting its charismatic rector (Michael Lonsdale) and befriending an Algerian singer (Mahmoud Shalaby), Younes discovers a world of devout men and women committed to resistance. Director and co-writer Ismael Ferroukhi finds inspiration in the little-known histories of the Muslim men and women who joined the French Resistance. He constructs their world with precision and subtlety, playing with light and small interior spaces. FREE MEN tells the story of a barely literate immigrant worker’s transformation into a passionate freedom fighter and is a powerful reminder of the unifying potential of a long and arduous struggle to be free.

Heat Wave

Winner of The Cinema Nouveau Award
One sweltering afternoon in the south of France, four lives intersect: those of Stéphane and Luigi, two cousins barely out of adolescence; Georges, a retired worker; Amélie, Luigi’s girlfriend; and Anne, Amélie’s mother. Four mundane lives full of hurts, humiliations, fears and fatigue converge on a tragedy. Based on a true story, HEAT WAVE offers up a story from intersecting points of view where different destinies cross paths and are reunited by a tragic event. Staying close to the action, Jean-Jacques Jauffret places each story in a kind of uncomfortable daily reality thanks to his very refined and minimalistic mise en scène, a real director who delivers an intense and captivating film.

L Train

Winner of the Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes
Executive produced by Alexander Payne, L TRAIN is the story of Sunny, a teenaged African American girl commuting through an inner city winter – an existence that injects a negativity into her long days.

The Missing Key

Winner of the Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film
In a richly re-imagined Venice of the early 1920s, young composer Hero Wasabi must compete against the unscrupulous Count Telefino in the prestigious Abacus Scroll musical competition.

Nothing Like Chocolate
Finding hope in an industry entrenched in enslaved child labor, irresponsible corporate greed, and tasteless, synthetic products, NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE reveals the compelling story of Mott Green, founder of the Grenada Chocolate Company. Relocating from Oregon to Grenada in 1998, Mott Green set out to make chocolate using recycled antique equipment. The neophyte entrepreneur leased 100 acres of land from a neighboring estate and established an organic chocolate-making cooperative. NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE looks at this revolutionary experiment, focusing on how solar power, appropriate technology and activism merge to create a business whose values are fairness, community, sustainability and high quality. “We’re doing this for idealistic reasons: we are activists and our goal is to create a true worker-owned cooperative.” From currency to candy, chocolate reflects a rich history saturated with sacred ritual, endorphin highs, hip anti-oxidants, exotic sensuality and high quality luxury. NOTHING LIKE CHOCOLATE adds new depth to the stories of chocolate.

Otter 501
A storm grows, a sea otter pup is separated from her mother, and a young woman bound for adventure blows in to town. On a wild and windswept beach these lives collide and an entire species’ survival gets personal. Through Katie’s eyes you will see our playful pup, otter number 501, get an amazing second chance at life in the wild. Framed against the strikingly beautiful Monterey Bay coastline, Katie discovers just how serious this threat remains. Their adventure, unexpected as it was, illustrates what we can do to contribute to the growing movement to protect the southern sea otter and ourselves.

Picture Paris
PICTURE PARIS is about an ordinary woman (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) with an extraordinary obsession with Paris and a surprising past.

Pretty Old

Winner of the Best Documentary Film Award
When 30 women aged 67–84 from across America and around the world descend on Fall River, Massachusetts to compete in the 30th anniversary of the Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant, hilarity and heartbreak ensue. Under the doting attention of pageant founder and personality, Lenny “Low Price” Kaplan, these women share intimate experiences, discover new-found passions and stir lifelong insecurities that challenge common misconceptions of aging. Following four diverse competitors as they prepare for, travel to and compete in the pageant, PRETTY OLD is a profound and intimate look into what it truly means to age beautifully.

The Rumble of the Stones

Honorable Mention for The Nueva Vision Award
Delia, a young woman living in a slum in Caracas, Venezuela, struggles to rebuild a life for herself, her mother and her two teenage sons. They are survivors of a flood that killed tens of thousands of people, including Delia’s daughter, in the Vargas state of Venezuela in 1999. The sound of rumbling stones that preceded the tragedy is one of their most vivid and terrifying memories. Delia faces a new crisis as her sons get involved in gangs and crime. A heartfelt and compelling portrait of the enduring power of a mother’s love against the backdrop of the social problems of modern-day Venezuela, THE RUMBLE OF THE STONES features powerful performances by Rossana Fernandez as Delia, and Cristian Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Nunez as her two sons. It has won numerous awards, including Best Picture at the 2011 Festival del Cine Venezolano. THE RUMBLE OF THE STONES is Venezuela’s official submission for the 2011 Academy Awards®.

Starbuck

Winner of The Audience Choice Award
David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) is a train wreck of a middle-aged man. When he’s not disappointing his brothers at his family-owned butcher shop or flaking out on his too-good-for-him girlfriend Valerie (Julie Le Breton), he’s getting his head dunked into a bathtub full of water by thugs to whom he owes an obscene amount of money. However, David’s life is soon upended when a lawyer informs him that he’s fathered no fewer than 533 children via his one and only talent: donating sperm. What initially serves as a slapstick set-up makes a surprising transition into dramatic territory when David begins to interact with his extremely diverse children. The film benefits greatly from Ken Scott’s keen eye for detail and loving treatment of Montreal is represented through a vibrant color palette that accurately depicts the city’s distinct beauty and culture. With a plot as outlandish as this, STARBUCK could easily be remade as a broader Hollywood comedy, but duplicating its rich and unique appeal won’t come easy.

Up There

Winner of The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema
If you thought life was bad, get a load of death. Martin (deceased) is stuck in a dead-end job, welcoming the newly departed into the afterlife. All he dreams of is going “up there,” and he attempts to cope with his death by keeping his nose clean and minding his own business. But all this is thrown into disarray when, in order to track down an errant lost soul, he is forced to team up with a relentlessly chirpy ball of energy, Rash. Setting off out of the city and into the bleak hinterlands, Martin meets the mysterious Liz who is similarly struggling to come to terms with her demise. It is through their tentative romance and his love-hate relationship with Rash that Martin finally begins to face up to the realities of his (non)existence and to work out what is of value to him.

Vinyl
Based on true events, Sara Sugarman’s VINYL tells the remarkable story of an ’80s punk band teetering on the edge of obscurity when it reunites to write a hit song and make an unforgettable comeback. In 2004, aging UK rocker Johnny Jones of the famed Welsh ’80s band The Weapons of Happiness (WOH) hoodwinked top record labels, radio DJs, and the entire rock music world by releasing his punk-pop single under a fictitious band name. After being rejected by his former record label for being too old, Johnny passes off the single to a radio DJ claiming it’s a young, unknown Welsh rock band he is managing. Much to everyone’s surprise, it receives immediate airplay. Johnny and his old band mates assemble a rowdy bunch of teenagers to pretend to be the face of the song and teach them how to have true punk rock spirit.

The 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced the winners of the 2012 festival competition at a Press Conference and Brunch, Sunday morning at the famed Fess Parker’s Resort Santa Barbara. To the delight of patrons and industry professionals, the festival’s 27th season continued the tradition of presenting purely exceptional films, spanning genres and topics that surpass anything before. Throughout the 11 days, cinephiles from around the globe packed the theaters of State Street, creating one of the most vivacious periods the area has ever seen.

Commented SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, “Each year, SBIFF strives to feature film from all ranges of the ‘cine-spectrum’. Successfully building upon this tradition of excellence, the lineup for the 27th edition of the festival showcased a particularly captivating yet challenging collection of works. With even more broadly accessible crowd pleasers and premiere films distinguished by their master of storytelling, theaters filled to the brim screening after screening.”

The esteemed Jury for the 2012 SBIFF included:  actor/comedian Dave Koechner; actor/director Brad Hall; actor/writer W. Earl Brown; actor Anthony Zerbe and his wife Arnette Zerbe; SBIFF originator Phyllis de Picciotto; director Glenn Jordan; actor Tim Matheson; online awards columnist Kris Tapley and writer/ director Perry Lang.

The winning films are as follows:

The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, given to a unique independent feature that has been made outside mainstream Hollywood, went to UP THERE, directed by Zam Salim, about Martin, who is stuck in a dead-end job, welcoming the newly departed into the afterlife. All he dreams of is going “up there,” and he attempts to cope with his death by keeping his nose clean and minding his own business. But all this is thrown into disarray when, in order to track down an errant lost soul.   Winner received a Panavision camera package worth $60,000.

A special Jury Prize for Artistic Distinction was awarded to BARRYMORE, directed by Erik Canuel and starring Christopher Plummer, to acknowledge Mr. Plummer’s superb performance, Mr. Luce’s remarkable play and Mr. Canuel’s adaptation and uncanny ability to capture the play (originally directed by Gene Saks) in a completely original piece of cinematic art.

The Best International Film Award went to FREE MEN, directed by Ismael Ferroukhi about an Algerian Muslim immigrant who joins the French Resistance to save Algerian Jews.

The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish/Latin American film was awarded to FOUND MEMORIES, directed by Julia Murat.  A young photographer finds a forgotten ghost town where only a handful of old people live, and changes their lives forever.

The jury awarded an Honorable Mention to THE RUMBLE OF THE STONES (El Rumor de las Piedras), directed by Alejandro Bellame Palacios.   Venezuela’s official submission for the Academy Awards, Rumble of the Stones is a heartfelt and compelling portrait of the enduring power of a mother’s love against the backdrop of the social problems of modern-day Venezuela

Best Documentary Film Award went to PRETTY OLD, directed by Walter Matteson.  Pretty Old follows four diverse women, ages 67 to 94, competing in the 30th year Anniversary of the Ms. Senior Sweetheart Beauty Pageant in Fall River, Massachusetts, exploring what it truly means to “age beautifully.”

The Cinema Nouveau Award went to HEAT WAVE (Apres Le Sud), directed by Jean-Jacques Jauffret.  Based on a true story, HEAT WAVE offers up a story from intersecting points of view where different destinies cross paths and are reunited by a tragic event.

Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes went to L TRAIN, directed by Anna Musso.  Executive produced by Alexander Payne, L TRAIN is the story of Sunny, a teenaged African American girl commuting through an inner city winter – an existence that injects a negativity into her long days.

Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film went to THE MISSING KEY, directed by Jonathan Nix.  In a richly re-imagined Venice of the early 1920s, young composer Hero Wasabi must compete against the unscrupulous Count Telefino in the prestigious Abacus Scroll musical competition.

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 DIRTY ENERGY, directed by Bryan Hopkins, which tells the personal story of those directly affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill and who are now struggling to rebuild their lives amidst the economic devastation and long-term health risks.  Winner receives $2500.

The Audience Choice Award, sponsored by the SB Independent, went to STARBUCK, directed by Ken Scott, about a former sperm donor who discovers he’s the father of 533 children, 142 of whom have filed a class action lawsuit to determine the identity of their biological father, known only by the pseudonym Starbuck.

10-10-10 Winning Screenplays and Films

Screenwriting Winners:
Jillian Fisher – San Marcos HS – Dying With Laughter
Sarah Sloat – UC Santa Barbara – Your Place or Mime

Filmmaking Winners:
Aaron Dalton – San Marcos HS – Family, Weekend
Tekin Girgin – Brooks Institute – Your Place or Mime

The creative minds behind some of this year’s finest films will share their experiences and anecdotes with audiences during the panel series at the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, January 26 and runs through Sunday, February 5, 2012.

SBIFF’s Directors on Directing panel will take place Saturday, February 4, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lobero Theatre. Moderated by Variety’s Peter Bart, this ever-popular panel will feature: Gore Verbinski (Rango), Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), Terry George (The Shore), Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2), and Chris Miller (Puss in Boots).

Following at 2:00 pm, also at the Lobero Theatre, is the Movers & Shakers panel which brings together some of today’s most established producers to share their insights in sparkling conversation. Moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein, this year’s panelists include; Letty Aronson (Midnight in Paris), Jim Burke (The Descendants), Bill Pohlad (The Tree of Life), Mike De Luca (Moneyball), Thomas Langmann (The Artist), and Graham King (Hugo).

The creative minds behind some of this year’s finest films will share their experiences and anecdotes with audiences during the panel series at the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, January 26 and runs through Sunday, February 5, 2012.

SBIFF’s It Starts With The Script panel will take place Saturday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lobero Theatre. Moderated by IndieWire’s Anne Thompson, this ever-popular panel features Mike Mills (Beginners), Tate Taylor (The Help), Will Reiser (50/50), Jim Rash (The Descendants), and JC Chandor (Margin Call). The panel is sponsored by Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Following at 2:00 pm, also at the Lobero Theatre, is Creative Forces: Women in the Biz, which spotlights creative decision-makers sharing the challenges and successes they have faced as women in the industry. Moderated by Madelyn Hammond, this year’s panelists include Denise Ream, producer Cars 2, Leslie Urdang, producer Beginners, Dede Gardner, producer Tree of Life, Melissa Cobb, producer Kung Fu Panda 2, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star and producer of the short film Picture Paris. The panel is sponsored by Fielding Graduate University.

On Saturday, February 4th at 8:00 PM, Santa Barbara’s alt-rockers, Gardens & Villa will perform the world premiere of an original score to F.W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece, FAUST (1926) at the Lobero Theater co-presented by the New Noise Music Foundation. This is an individually ticketed event. If you do not have a pass, you can purchase tickets through www.sbiff.org.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which begins Thursday, January 26, is proud to welcome 23+ Academy Award nominees, as this morning’s Oscar nomination announcements brought news that many of the artists and films SBIFF has the privilege of paying homage to have earned spots on the most coveted of ballots.

Commented SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, “We’re thrilled to pieces to have all of these nominees coming to SBIFF. Congrats to all of them, and we’re grateful they will be joining us soon.”

Hugo emerged as the film with the most nominations, receiving 11 in all, including Best Director for American Riviera Award honoree Martin Scorsese, as well as Best Picture.

Receiving an astounding 10 nominations was The Artist, and Santa Barbara will have the honor of celebrating first time nominees Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo with the Cinema Vanguard Award. Director Michel Hazanavicius and producer Thomas Langmann will also attend the festival.

This year’s Modern Master, Christopher Plummer, received his second Oscar nomination for his performance in Beginners, written and directed by Santa Barbara’s own Mike Mills, who will present the festival’s highest honor.

SBIFF’s Outstanding Performer of the Year, Viola Davis also received her second Oscar nomination for her extraordinary performance in The Help. Joining her that night will be her co-star and Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress, Octavia Spencer, along with writer/director Tate Taylor.

Receiving their first Academy Award nominations are Virtuosos Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Demián Bichir (A Better Life), as well as director Gore Verbinski (Rango), who will screen Rango for Field Trip to the Movies.

Additional festival attendees/films that received nominations include:

The Artist
Hugo
Rango
Kung Fu Panda 2
The Help
Beginners
Pina 3D
Puss in Boots
Bullhead, foreign film from Belgium
La Luna, animated short film from Pixar
Joe Berlinger, whose documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory got nominated, will be at the festival with his documentary Under African Skies.

The number of nominees attending SBIFF will continue to grow, as you can expect to see the following in SB for panels (soon to be announced), to name just a few:

Jim Rash (Descendants)
Jim Burke (Descendants)
Letty Aronson (Midnight in Paris)
Paul Feig (Bridesmaids)
Bill Pohlad (Tree of Life)
Mike De Luca (Moneyball)
Thomas Langmann (The Artist)

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by lynda.com, takes place Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, February 5. For information, log onto www.sbiff.org.

Got an iPhone or iPod Touch? Carry the Santa Barbara International Film Festival schedule in your pocket, even without an internet connection.

Whether you’ve already built a custom schedule on our web site or just want to be able to browse our films on your iOS device, the Festival Genius iPhone app lets you:

- Browse, sort, and search the complete film list and event schedule at your festival

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The 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival presented by lynda.com, which takes place January 26 through February 5, is pleased to announce the addition of the World Premiere of THE SAMARITAN, starring Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson, to the program as a Gala Presentation. The red carpet Gala event will take place on Sunday, January 29, at 7pm at the Lobero Theatre.

Produced by Andras Hamori and directed by David Weaver from a screenplay by Weaver and Elan Mastai, The Samaritan also stars Luke Kirby (Take This Waltz), Ruth Negga (Love/Hate) and Oscar nominated Tom Wilkinson (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol). After twenty-five years in prison, Foley (Jackson) is finished with the grifter’s life. When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris (Negga), the possibility of a new start looks real. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion: Ethan (Kirby), the son of his former partner, has an ingenious plan and he wants Foley in. The harder Foley tries to escape his past, the tighter he is ensnared in Ethan’s web of secrets, until it becomes all too clear to Foley that some wrongs can never be made right.

THE SAMARITAN was produced with the participation of Telefim Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation and The Harold Greenberg Fund. Producers are Hamori and Weaver with Suzanne Cheriton and Tony Wosk, Executive producers are Mark Musselman with Lacia Kornylo, Mark Horowitz, Jackson, Eli Selden, Geoffrey Brant, James Atherton, and Jan Pace.

IFC Films recently acquired the U.S. distribution rights from H2O Motion Pictures and Traction Media. H2O and Quckfire Films is selling international rights for The Samaritan.

SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling says “THE SAMARITAN is an electrifying neo-noir thriller with amazing twists and turns. Samuel L. Jackson’s performance is fantastic.”