News: Rooney Mara is recipient of 31st SBIFF Cinema Vanguard Award!

Oscar-winning actress and Rooney's "Carol" co-star Cate Blanchett will present the honor to Ms. Mara on February 12th!

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced on Tuesday, December 8th, that it will honor Rooney Mara with the Cinema Vanguard Award on Friday, February 12, 2016 during the 31st edition of the festival.  The actress will be celebrated for her remarkable role in this year’s "Carol" alongside Cate Blanchett, who will present Mara with the award at a tribute at the Arlington Theatre.

The Cinema Vanguard Award was created in recognition of actors who have forged their own path - taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Previous honorees include Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, Nicole Kidman, Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Stanley Tucci, Peter Sarsgaard, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ryan Gosling.

Festival Director Roger Durling commented, “From her scene-stealing turn in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to her outstanding performance in his year’s Carol, Rooney has repeatedly showcased her talents as one of the most gifted actors of her generation. I truly admire the enigmatic and complex nature of her performances. She’s an adept, beguiling actor, and we are proud to present her with this year’s Cinema Vanguard Award.”

Rooney Mara is best known for her Golden Globe® and Academy Award® nominated performance in David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She has also appeared in The Social Network, Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects, and Joe Wright’s Pan. She will be seen in Lion alongside Nicole Kidman and in Untitled Terrence Malick Project, also starring Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Ryan Gosling.

Carol follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. The film is adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel “The Price of Salt”, and also stars Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson.

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Raymond Lo

News: SBIFF announces honors for actresses Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan

Leading Oscar contenders BRIE LARSON & SAOIRSE RONAN to receive OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR AWARD at the 31st SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

Santa Barbara International Film Festival Executive Director Roger Durling proudly announced on Tuesday, December 1st, the selection of both Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan as the twin recipients of the coveted 2016 Outstanding Performers of the Year award. This is the first time the award will be given to two honorees.  Both Larson and Ronan had previously been awarded the festival’s Virtuoso Award, in 2014 and 2010 respectively.  The duo will be celebrated for their remarkable performances in "Room" and "Brooklyn" on Monday February 8, to coincide with the 31st edition of Santa Barbara International Film Festival, one of the the biggest SoCal Film Festivals, which will run February 3 to February 13, 2016.

Durling stated, “This is an incredible year for emerging talent to take center stage and showcase their abilities. We’ve long been following the careers of Brie and Saoirse and their recent roles as empowered young women transcend time, place and circumstance” Adding, “We are so proud to be jointly celebrating these two great actresses in such strong performances.”

Larson and Ronan will join a recognized group of previous Outstanding Performer Award recipients, including: Steve Carell (2015), Cate Blanchett (2014), Jennifer Lawrence (2013), Viola Davis (2012), James Franco (2011), Colin Firth (2010), Penelope Cruz (2009), Angelina Jolie (2008), Helen Mirren (2007), Heath Ledger (2006), Kate Winslet (2005) and Charlize Theron (2004).

The festival previously announced honors for the legendary Jane Fonda (Youth) with its Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. It has also announced that it will honor Johnny Depp (Black Mass) with its Maltin Modern Master Award and Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams (Spotlight) as an ensemble with its American Riviera Award.  It is also set to celebrate Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Joel Edgerton (Black Mass), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, Youth) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) with the Virtuoso Award among additional, yet to be announced, honorees.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, festival passes and packages, please visit www.sbiff.org.

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Raymond Lo

SBIFF 2015: Third Weekend "Best of the Fest" Screenings

Hip Hop-eration, Bang Bang Baby, Happy Times will be screened for one last time!

The 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival has come to a close and was a resounding success.  And carrying on tradition, SBIFF will present the Third Weekend at the Riviera Theatre, 2044 Alameda Padre Serra, featuring FREE screenings of many of the award-winning and more popular films of the festival!  All seating is on a first come, first serve basis.

"HIP HOP-ERATION", February 14, 7:30PM

"HAPPY TIMES" February 13, 5PM

"BANG BANG BABY", February 13, 7:30PM

Friday, February 13

5:00 PM: Happy Times (Winner, Nuevo Vision)

7:30 PM: Bang Bang Baby (Winner, Independent Cinema)

9:30 PM: Award-Winning Shorts


Saturday, February 14

11:00 AM: Children of the Arctic (Winner, Documentary)

2:00 PM: Monument to Michael Jackson (Winner, Eastern Bloc)

5:00 PM: All Cats are Grey (Winner, International)

7:30 PM: Hip Hop-eration (Winner, Audience Choice)

9:30 PM: The Truth About Lies


Sunday, February 15

11:00 AM: Margarita With A Straw

2:00 PM: A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake (Winner, Social Justice)

5:00 PM: Tangerines

7:30 PM: Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey (Winner, Santa Barbara                                      Feature)

See you at the movies!

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Raymond Lo

SBIFF 2015: Winners!

Audience Award: HIP-HOPERATION (New Zealand)
Best International Film: ALL CATS ARE GREY (Tous Les Chats Sont Gris) (Belgium)
Best Documentary: CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC (Switzerland)
Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: BANG BANG BABY (USA)
Best Santa Barbara Feature: HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY (USA)
Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Film: A SNAKE GIVES BIRTH TO A SNAKE
Nueva Vision Award: HAPPY TIMES (Tiempos Felices) (Mexico)
Best Eastern European Film: MONUMENT TO MICHAEL JACKSON (Spomenik Majklu Dzeksonu) (Serbia)
Best Documentary Short Film: LIFE AFTER PI
Best Animated Short Film: LOAD
Best Live-Action Short Film: THE ANSWERS

The 30th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGGÒ Australia, announced the winners of the 2015 festival competition at a Press Conference and Brunch Saturday morning at the Fess Parker – A Doubletree by Hilton Resort.  The festival’s 30th edition proved once again that SBIFF consistently presents truly exceptional films, spanning many genres, generations and topics and even surpassed years past.  This year we welcomed more filmmakers and attendees than ever before, and provided a fare that was embraced and celebrated by cinephiles from around the globe.

Commented Executive Director Roger Durling:  “Audiences were treated to the most innovative and daring collection of films in our 30-year history, which is reflective of Santa Barbara’s eclectic and informed film-going community.  We were thrilled by the response to this year’s slate, which was further enhanced by new sidebars, such as Cinematic Overtures, which featured films dealing with performance and dance, hence the opening night film Desert Dancer and this year’s audience choice winner.”

The esteemed jury for the 2015 SBIFF included:  Director and cinematographer Will Eubank, director Peter Chelsom, producer Chaz Ebert, actors Anthony and Arnette Zerbe, composer/lyricist Adam Guettel, actor James Read, SBIFF founder Phyllis de Picciotto, director/actor Perry Lang and producer Mimi deGruy.

The 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGGÒ Australia, concluded with the US Premiere of Niki Caro’s "McFarland, USA", starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello.  And as a special treat, the film was preceded by a performance of the Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars,” performed by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois and band.


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Raymond Lo

SBIFF 2015: "Banana"

Film Review: Banana
(Italy)
2015 Santa Barbara International Festival
World Premiere

"Banana" is a delightful and ultimately poignant comedy from Italy about a chubby and hopelessly romantic boy who went to great lengths to win the affection of a beautiful girl he likes.

The story is about a young boy, who fancies himself as Brazilian and is nicknamed Banana for his poor soccer skills, is teased at school for not only his lack of skill on the field but also in the classroom. Despite his less-than remarkable grades, he offers to tutor a girl he has a crush on. A bit bewildered by the offer, she agrees.

Written and directed by Andrea Jublin, this movie offers ample laughs but it does not just end there. The audience is presented with thoughtful subplots featuring the adults and other kids that surround Banana's world. There's a stern teacher who has decided to torture her student after she had lost hope about the world around here and his mother and father who has long ago ceased communicating sincerely. There's also his sister who is torn between her first love and her new boyfriend who is offering her a new life. He also has a classmate whose entrepreneurial skills have him selling anything and everything - and always funny every time!

There's a certain charm to see an innocent young boy set out to prove to himself that he can achieve anything he imagines if he keeps his sight on it and works on it while all the adults around him have surrendered their lives to a fate they imagined they deserved.

The main character, Banana (his real name is Giovanni) reminds me strongly of the three girls in the swedish film "We Are the Best (a favorite from last year) --- their zest for life and his limitless optimism that there's always something good, something nice for each one of us if we all just believe are truly inspiring.

The wonderful cast include Ascanio Balbo, Anna Bonaiuto and Giorgio Colangeli.

Rating: 4 Stars

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Raymond Lo

SBIFF 2015: Festival Diary

I had a grand time at this year's 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. I spent 7 days watching and discovering wonderful, excellent films from new and established filmmakers from all over the world. I saw 30 films and some of them were masterpieces. Many of them great films. Even those that i did not like offered something to ponder on, be curious about.... Am missing the festival already!

This is my 2nd year of going to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Last year, I only stayed for two days but this year I planned on staying for one whole week (and i did!) I arrived Saturday evening and attended my first movie at 10AM on Sunday, February 1.  

This is my diary from the festival containing all the 30 movies i saw (each with my brief review.) The standouts for me were THEEB, the beautiful and thrilling adventure-drama from Qatar, the thought-provoking THE FAREWELL PARTY, about a group of friends who banded together and built a mercy-killing machine from Israel, and the riveting adaptation 12 CITIZENS from China.

I also enjoyed CARMEN'S KARMA, an endearing and thoroughly entertaining character study from Argentina about a thirtysomething woman's travails in life, and HIP HOP-ERATION, the charming and rousing documentary from New Zealand about a group of old people (with artificial hips!) who formed a hip-hop dance group and performed at the world championship in Las Vegas.

The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime (El Patron, Radiografia de un Crimen)

(Argentina)
Rating: 5 Stars!

This is a beautiful film about an illiterate butcher who snaps one day and kills his abusive boss in cold blood, in broad daylight and in front of countless witnesses. It's a thoughtful film that attempts to show us the humanity in every accused murderer while at the same time presents to us the harrowing abuses poor folks have to endure from men who exploits their simpleness and poverty. The filmmaking here is excellent, methodical and the close-up shots of meat being cut, grounded, chopped serve as a stark reminder of the raw and delicate nature of man. 

Nightingale

(USA)

Rating: 4 ½ Stars. 
See full review here: http://raymonddeasislo.blogspot.com/2015/02/sbiff-2015-nightingale.html

Confession
(South Korea)
Rating: 3 Stars.

This is a story of three lifelong friends who bonded together after a life-threatening incident in their youth. Their friendship would be put to a test later after a botched arson resulted in the death of the mother of one of them. The movie is elegantly photographed but it is hampered by a weak narrative and a melodramatic treatment in the middle. An attempt to provoke massive audience outburst at the end of the movie unfortunately backfires. 

Young Tiger (Bebe Tigre)

(France)
Rating: 4 Stars.
This is an interesting and unsentimental film about an underage Indian immigrant who was smuggled to Paris in hopes of finding work to help his impoverished family in India. The film attempts to call attention to the growing problem of human smuggling in France with children becoming virtual modern-day slaves. The story is fictional but the filmmakers use of non-actors for the main characters lends the film a realistic and gritty atmosphere. 

The Last Five Years
(USA)
Rating: 5 Tearful Stars.
My first favorite film of the festival is this Richard LaGravenese's adaptation of the hit broadway musical of the same name! It's a wonderful, wonderful film about the five years in the lives of two lovers told stylistically from opposing perspectives -- him in forward chronology and her in reverse... the final scene, when their first and last goodbyes are combined together in one song, you will be shattered and heartbroken! Leads Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan are amazing, fantastic actors and their voices, just perfect! 

Theeb (Wolf)
(Jordan, Qatar, UAE, UK)
Rating: 5 Super Stars.
See full review here: http://raymonddeasislo.blogspot.com/2015/02/sbiff-2015-theeb-wolf.html

Cart
(South Korea)
Rating: 5 Stars.
This is an explosive South Korean film based on real events. It tells of the struggle by a group of female grocery workers in Seoul after they were unlawfully terminated because they attempted to form a union. It is quite powerful and reminds one of the kind of movies about social injustices that were popular during the 70s in Hollywood and if you are a Filipino movie buff and misses the kind of movies that the late great National Artist Lino Brocka used to make -- the kind that infuses commercial filmmaking with heavy social issues to great success-- this movie is a must-see! 

Day Release (Tercer Grado)
(Spain)
Rating: 4 Stars.
This is a suspenseful crime-thriller from Spain. It's about a parolee who gets a day pass after 5 years in prison only to witness a brazen and violent robbery. I will not offer any more details about the plot so as not to spoil the movie but let me just emphasize that it is one riveting film that would make Liam Neeson beg to make a remake of. Minus a few plot contrivances this film is an excellent thriller that delivers the goods! 

Songs She Wrote About People She Knows
(Canada)
Rating: 3 ½ Stars.  
This is a quirky film about a woman who discovers a way to express her true feelings to people she knows by writing them songs (this is not a Taylor Wwift biopic, sorry, Haha!) and the result is decidedly uproarious. Why? because her songs are horrible and her singing just atrocious. The film is a hit-or-miss affair but fortunately there are more hits than misses. 

Banana
(Italy)
Rating: 4 Stars
See full review here: http://raymonddeasislo.blogspot.com/2015/02/sbiff-2015-banana.html

Cesta Ven (The Way Out)

(Czech Republic)

Rating: 5 Stars

This is a powerful but utterly grim film about the lives of the marginalized Roma gypsies in the Czech Republic. At its core is the story of a young wife and mother who just couldn't get a break. But the movie also gives us a glimpse into the challenges the Romas have to deal with every fucking (Apologies, the depiction of the struggles of the Romas in the movie will just make you shout expletives) day. From dire poverty to the discrimination they have to endure, the Romas try to survive; they try to thrive but until when are they gonna persist? Until when are they gonna fight? There isn't just an easy way out it seems... I love how the narrative was structured and i just love how the director just ended the movie; nothing is resolved, nothing is explained. Nothing, there's just nothing! Like the real lives of the real people that the characters represent, their lives seems to just run in cycles of poverty, of discrimination, of despair.

Hip-Hop-eration
(New Zealand)
Rating: 5 Joyful Stars
This feel-good (extremely feel-good!!!) and exhilarating doc from New Zealand about a group of geriatrics from a small island off Auckland who have had hip replacements and who took up hip-hop dancing as therapy --- and they end up at the world hip-hop championships in Las Vegas is one of the pleasant joys I have ever had at this festival! 
The movie is brimming with infectious energy that I was just completely filled with overwhelming joy watching it! And, of course, tears (tears of joy, that is) flowed freely! The audience must have applauded for some 30 seconds after the movie ended! I would not be surprised if this wins the Audience Award for documentary.

Cruel
(France)
Rating: 4 ½ Stars.
This is disturbing and chilling psychological thriller from France. It is an exploration into the psyche of a criminal. The exposition is breathtaking and the filmmaking lyrical. Jean-Jacques Lelte plays Pierre, the lead character with ruthlessness and intensity of a cold-blooded serial killer and a surprising tenderness and aloofness of a lover in love. You are not a sick person if you find yourself enjoying this movie. It is very well-made and it deserves to be seen. 

They Have Escaped (He Ovat Paenneet)

(Finland/Netherlands)

Ratings: 4 Stars

This is contemporary fairy tale about two teenaged misfits who decided one day to escape from their "forced" confinements to search for a fabled treasure hidden somewhere. Their escape takes them literally into the woods and into the wild, into a new world where they can roam unconstricted and free. The filmmaking in this movie is fabulous. The director employs various ways to enhance the fantasy element of the film -- from how the scenes are staged, how the cameras are used to the music and score used. There is a specially memorable sequence halfway through the movie when the two main characters shed their clothes, run wildly naked across and island refuge that they discovered and when they eventually don the stuffed animals they found in a cottage. 

Bonobo
(United Kingdom)
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a strangely erotic British comedy-drama about a mother and a daughter who are trying to resolve their differences in a commune patterned after the tribe of Bonobo monkeys of Africa and where free and uninhibited sex is part of the problem-solving process. The film offers ample scenes of nudity but never too gratuitous and the ultimate takeaway from the movie is that it's not about forcing solutions to any problem but about just trusting one's instinct to follow what your conscience and your heart dictates... Great and promising directorial debut from Matthew Hammet Knott!

12 Citizens
(China)
Rating: 5 Stars
This excellent remake rivals the original for its intensity and passion. The setup is almost the same, there's a crime and twelve men are assigned to determine whether the accused is guilty of the crime or not. What differs from the original is the way the screenwriter transferred the setting to a Chinese city and infused the narrative with local issues. The performances by the entire cast are amazing and incredible. The resolution of the case is almost an afterthought because we all get so engrossed with the personal dramas each of the jurors brought to the room. The final sequence, a twist, if you will, further strengthened the film and gave it a power that makes it a uniquely chinese story based on an American tale. 

One Night in Oslo
(Norway)
Rating: 4 Stars
This movie tells an absorbing story about two immigrant best friends in Oslo on the eve of the Constitution day in Norway. It details the contrast in their characters when a conflict arises between them. This film shows us how the youth in Oslo could act immaturely, impulsively and sometimes violently similar to other youths in other parts of the world. They are not special although they appear angelic compared to the kids in Larry Clark's highly-inflammatory movies about growing-up in America.

The Chambermaid Lynn (Daz Zimmermadchen Lynn)
(Germany)
Rating: 3 ½ Stars.
This erotic drama is about an obsessive compulsive hotel chambermaid who derives a strange pleasure by laying under the bed and peeping on the hotel guests. On one occasion, she witnesses an S&M act and becomes obsessed with the dominatrix she saw. She later strikes a friendship with the dominatrix (sexual, of course) and she is forced to examine her true nature and what really ails her. It's a wickedly interesting film that drags a bit in the middle but still satisfies in the end.

Kebab & Horoscope
(Poland)
Rating: 3 ½ Stars.
This is a dramedy about a recently fired horoscope writer who teams up with a former waiter in a restaurant that serves kebab after his horoscope told him to leave his job. The duo passed themselves off as "Marketing Specialists" and worked in a crumbling carpet store with the promise to bring in more sales. The setup is rife with lots of comedic opportunities but the dramatic arc of the characters mostly overwhelmed the narrative making one think that sometimes the saddest movies are those that present itself off as a comedy --- and that is a compliment.

The Farewell Party
(Israel)
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a grand comedy about old age, dying and death. It's about a group of friends who banded together and created a mercy-killing machine to help their dying and terminally-ill friends transition. The movie has the perfect balance of clever comedy and tender moments of drama. It's a wonderful, thought-provoking film that invites reflection on what is really the consequence of death -- to the dying and to those left behind.

La Pantalla Desnuda (The Naked Screen)
(Nicaragua)
Rating: 4 Stars
This film details the fall-out of a sex scandal in a small town involving two young college sweethearts. The narrative style is melodramatic and writer-director Florence Jaugey skillfully navigates the intricate nuances of the story and gives us an involving and insightful cautionary tale of the dangers when modern technology and age-old envy collides. I would have loved to give this movie a 5-star rating had it given the character of Octavio an opportunity to realize the mistake he's made. When a movie is plot-driven, I require it to have an ending that anchors the plot.

A Hard Day

(South Korea)
Rating: 4 Stars

This riveting and suspenseful film from South Korea tells the story of a corrupt cop who on the night of his mother's death accidentally runs over a homeless man. How he disposes the body is something quite clever. But as title suggests, that is not the end of the story. Days after his mother's burial, he starts receiving mysterious calls from someone who alleges to have witnessed his crime and is now blackmailing him to produce the body. The movie is intensely thrilling. The narrative is not devoid of eyebrow-raising coincidences but it does not deter the audience from thoroughly enjoying the chase up to the very, very, satisfying end.

El Cordero (The Lamb)
(Chile)
Rating: 5 Stars
This is an excellent character story about a devout catholic man who can't seem to reconcile his guilt and his conscience after he accidentally kills a coworker. His deep faith wants him to punish himself more than what regular penance could provide. To make amends, he goes on a series of increasingly dangerous and violent acts to "redeem" himself but only to find himself even more less remorseful. The film is a masterful examination on the true virtue of faith and the promise of God's infinite grace when we offer full contrition of our sins.

Citizenfour
(US)
Rating: 5 Stars
This leading Oscar contender for Best Documentary is a compelling and riveting film about the tense days prior to the release of one of the most explosive exposes against the American government ever. It details the one week that filmmaker Laura Poitras and investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald spent interviewing Edward Snowden in a Hongkong hotel. It works like a thrilling spy movie with real world implications at hand. The narrative does not feel forced and even if in the end you end up questioning the motives of Snowden and the filmmakers, you still can not help but applaud the incredible film that they have created. I have always been skeptical of Snowden's intention and this movie did not dissuade me from it in any way. It presented what it claims to be facts and it made for a thrilling movie experience. 

Insecure
(France)
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a rather disappointing French character drama about a passive security guard who is trying to become a nurse. He gets by despite being bullied everyday by a gang of kids at work and being unable to completely commit himself to the girl he likes. The movie is almost plotless and could have used more action to be more engaging. Lead actor Reda Kateb delivers a strong and commendable performance.

Maps to the Stars
(Canada)
Rating: 3 ½ Stars.
Finally got to see this much-buzzed David Cronenberg Hollywood satire. It started very strongly with a classic soap-style setup but it eventually collapses under its own lofty ambitions. Like the culture that it is trying to dissect, the film becomes a victim as well as it horribly, horribly crashes down from its celestial promise to the dust of its failure. The performances are strong (Julianne Moore is better here than in "Still Alice") but the depiction of Hollywood as incestuous, fake, conniving, mad, insane would have been shocking and powerful had we not seen the rise of the Kardashians. But the movie is hugely entertaining though -- only it's not the masterpiece i had hoped it would be.



Uncanny
(US)
Rating: 3 Stars
This is a low-budget sci-fi about a reclusive scientist and his robot creation. It is designed to be a thriller but it did not work for me somehow. The premise is simple. A journalist is commissioned to do a profile on one of the most reclusive scientists in the world. Together with Adam, the advanced Robot, they spend one week in a loft above Los Angeles interviewing and touring the curiously bare laboratory/apartment. The movie spend a good part of its running time setting up the one big plot twist in the end. I will not spoil it here but it is quite obvious from the first scene. If you find yourself falling into the deception, then you will enjoy this film. This one gets a rating of 3 stars because I promised myself not to give a rating lower than 3 to any movies screening at a film festival out of respect to the filmmakers and artists who worked hard on their films.

El Karma De Carmen (Carmen's Karma)
(Argentina)
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a hugely entertaining character study from Argentina. The story, told in the guise of a romantic-comedy, is about Carmen, a thirty-something single woman who is relatively content about her status in life until she is forcibly matched by her brother to a friend who just ended a relationship. It's incredibly funny and witty! It touches on the choices we all make that determines our definition of happiness and contentment. Quite superb! This will make a great Hollywood remake starring Kristin Wiig! 

Amor, Etc
(Argentina)
Rating: 4 ½ Stars.
This is an intimate drama about a young couple's disintegrating relationship. It's an involving examination of the stages of a love affair, from the flirtatious first days and the awkward first few weeks to the eventual heartbreaks that lead sometimes to separation. In an art film, the title pretty much suggests the fate of the couple's relationship. No more spoilers. The performances and the onscreen chemistry from the two leads are amazing! 

The Judgment
(Bulgaria)
Rating: 5 Stars.
This is a gripping and moving film about a poor and recently widowed father who resorts to smuggling illegal immigrants to make ends meet for him and his son. The story shares some similarities in plot to the American film "Frozen River" but stands out on its own with a subplot about a murder committed decades before representing a different wave of migration. The lead actor's performance is simply marvelous!

The festival concluded last Saturday. The winning movies were announced on Saturday morning. You can find the winners list here.

Hope to see you at the festival next year!

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SBIFF 2015: "Theeb (Wolf)"

Film Review: Theeb 
(Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK)
2015 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

This is a beautiful and visually stunning adventure film! I love it!!!

Filmed in the classic western tradition, the movie features a thrilling story, magnificent photography and a wonderful, excellent performance from the young actor who portrays the titular character Theeb. The story is set during World War 1 and tells the courageous story of Theeb and his older brother Hussein as they to navigate this encroachment into their daily lives when a British officer came to their tribe for assistance to cross the perilous Hejaz Province, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, to get to the railway. On their way, they will face numerous obstacles culminating in an immeasurable tragedy.

Set in a forbidding landscape, the movie shows the effects of modernization to the culture of the people that's suppose to benefit from this advancement. It begs the question of whether modernization truly benefits the people who have lived and nurtured the land or it only serves the selfish goals of outsiders trying to exploit the land. Everything is moot in the present but the question remains relevant and contentious to this day.

I so love the final sequence showing the boy astride in his camel riding away from the camera, defiantly riding back to his village while a train is slowly cutting the screen, continuing in its advance to modern age. It's a powerful image that is both breathtaking and evocative. This is a masterpiece! Yes, cinema is evolving and the future of the western genre lies in the east!

Rating: 5 Stars

SBIFF 2015: "Nightingale"

Film Review: "Nightingale"
(USA)
2015 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Elliott Lester's "Nightingale" is an intriguing proposition. It is a new addition to what is becoming a new genre showcasing the talent of just one actor to drive the narrative of a movie similar to what saw Robert Redford and Tom Hardy did in the films "All is Lost" and "Locke", respectively.

In this film, it is British actor David Oyelowo's turn to show his acting range and he delivers a tour-de-force, sterling performance as a man suffering from multiple personality disorder.

David plays Peter Snowden, a war veteran, who murders his mother, hides the crime, records a video blog, lies to his sister, stalks a former army buddy all in the confines of the house he shares with his mom. The audience is immediately introduced to David's madness with an arresting opening sequence showing him rambling and ranting in front of his laptop confessing to the crime he just committed. We do not yet know the extent of his madness but the audience will eventually get to discover how deeply insane Peter has become when his only means of communication with the world is through telephones, behind doors, his reflection in the mirror and his job at a grocery (but even that part could have been just his imagination as well.)

The screenplay is almost fault-free. The character is written in such a way that if the audience starts to sense a weakness in the story, one is immediately struck with the thought that perhaps that very weakness could be the manifestation of Peter's madness as well. When Peters rants on the phone as he tries to get hold of his old buddy, one wonders if Peter is gay and is in love with the guy while at the same time he could just be making it all up as well. We never get to hear the voice on the other end of Peter's conversation so we never know which characters are imagined and which are real. Even when a priest decides to visit David to check on his mom, we only hear the voice of the character behind the door but we never get to see whether there really was a real person.

But we do not question because David makes us all believe that his madness is real and the audience, who are observers to his breakdown, are left defenseless, mortified. And what's more interesting is despite the fact that Peter was insane, we do not even feel an ounce of sympathy for him - we just don't care. We don't care because we are, the audience, are the very people that have abandoned Peter and driven him to his madness.

Rating:  4 ½ Stars

(Note: Brad Pitt's Plan B will release the film later this year. Meanwhile, below are pics I took from Sunday's screening of "Nightingale")

Raymond with David Oyelowo

Elliott and David for the Photo Op

More Photo Op

And more Photo Op

XXX
Raymond Lo

SBIFF 2015: David Cronenberg's Cannes-winning "Maps to the Stars"

Julianne Moore's Cannes-winning performance will screen at 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival next week!

Theatrical and VOD opening on February 27th!

Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.

Connecting the savage beauty of writer Bruce Wagner’s Los Angeles with the riveting filmmaking of director David Cronenberg and a stellar ensemble cast (Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Carrie Fisher & Robert Pattinson) to take a tour into the darkly comic heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.

The result is a modern Hollywood Gothic at once about the ravenous 21st Century need for fame and validation - and the yearning, loss and fragility that lurk in the shadows underneath.

Focus World will release the film in theaters and VOD on February 27th.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival Screenings
All screenings will be at Metro 4, 618 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

• Thursday February 5 at 10:10PM - Metro 4 Theatre 2
• Friday February 6 at 7:20PM - Metro 4 Theatre 2
• Saturday February 7 at 1:20PM - Metro 4 Theatre 2

SBIFF 2015: Creative Forces: Women in the Biz panel announced!

The 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG® Australia, is pleased to announce the participants of the wildly popular Creative Forces:  Women in the Biz panel, which takes place on Saturday, February 7.  Moderator Madelyn Hammond, President, Madelyn Hammond & Assoc., and Former Chief Marketing Officer for Variety, will guide this assembly of creative and powerful women discussing not only their own individual careers, but collectively what they have faced as women in the industry.



The panel will feature:

• Bonnie Arnold  (producer of the Academy Award-nominated How to Train Your Dragon 2 and newly-crowned co-President of Dreamworks Animation)
• Carolyn Blackwood (executive producer, Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies)
• Kristin Hahn (executive producer, Cake)
• Rory Kennedy (director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary feature, Last Days in Vietnam)
• Aneta Kopacz (director and writer of the nominated live-action short film, Joanna)
• Joanna Natasegara (producer of Academy Award nominated documentary Virunga)
• Kristina Reed (producer of the nominated animated short film Feast).   

The forum is sponsored by Brooks Institute. Click HERE for tickets.

SBIFF 2015: World Premiere of KANSAS Documentary "Miracles Out Of Nowhere"

World Premiere on Monday, February 2nd at the Lobero Theatre, 7PM

Theatrical release on March 24th, 2015!

"Miracles Out Of Nowhere" is a documentary film that chronicles the epic and inspiring career of KANSAS.

2014 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of KANSAS, the band's debut album. To commemorate the occasion, the classic KANSAS lineup reunited for the first time in over 30 years; at the place their memorable journey began, Topeka, Kansas.

The documentary features interviews from legendary Queen guitarist and former tour mate Brian May, acclaimed producer Brendan O'Brien, Rolling Stone/journalist icon David Wild, and more. Featured prominently is country icon Garth Brooks, who counts KANSAS, alongside The Beatles and the Eagles, as one of his greatest inspirations. These extraordinary new insights are coupled with rare and unseen footage, including live performances and candid, fan-shot footage of the band on the road. "Miracles Out of Nowhere" offers an unprecedented look at the incredible ascent of KANSAS, a story that will appeal to new fans and veteran enthusiasts alike.

Directed by Charley Randazzo (Grammy, Emmy, Ace and three-time MTV award winning director/editor). Projects include documentary films on artists such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, N'Sync, Prince, Backstreet Boys, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Produced by Budd Carr (Best known for his work with Academy Award winning director, Oliver Stone.) Represented acts such as The Cream, James Taylor, Carole King, Eric Clapton and Crosby-Stills-Nash and Young.

Film also includes commentary from KANSAS' classic line-up: Phil Ehart (drums), Dave Hope (bass), Kerry Livgren (guitar and keyboards), Robby Steinhardt (violin and vocals), Steve Walsh (vocals and keyboard), Richard Williams (guitar). First classic line-up reunion in more than 30 years.

David Wild (Rolling Stone), Garth Brooks, Brian May (Queen), Brendan O'Brien (acclaimed producer) all provide commentary and are featured prominently throughout the film.

SBIFF 2015: Darko Lungulov's "Monument to Michael Jackson" set to premiere this weekend!

Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015, 7:20PM

In a dying town in Serbia, an old communist-era monument is removed from the Square. Marko, daydreamer, is on the verge of divorce from the love of his life, Ljubinka. She is disappointed in him and the life in Serbian small-town. Out of despair, he comes up with the idea to replace the communist-era statue with a monument to Michael Jackson in order to save his dying town and seduce his wife again. Marko convinces his close friends to help him. But the town’s mayor has his own plans and uses right-wing group “Clean Serbia” to crash Marko’s dream.

Desperate, Marko falsifies Michael Jackson’s letter and convinces the mayor and everybody else that Jackson will come to the monument’s unveiling. The town is now revitalized and its citizens full of hope while Marko regains the love of his wife. But on the big day, the death of real Michael Jackson’s is announced without him knowing it. The group “Clean Serbia” creates the chaos. The insane turn of events unexpectedly leads to the fulfillment of Marko’s plan, but in an absurd and darkly ironic fashion.

"Monument to Michael Jackson" had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czech Republic in 2014. It was Grand Prix winner for Best Film at the Montenegro Film Festival and has been screened at the following film festivals all over the world:

Pula Film Festival, Croatia
Film Festival Helsinki, Finland

Raindance Film Festival, UK
Filmfest Hamburg, Germany

LET'S CEE Film Festival, Vienna, Austria
 - SPECIAL MENTION AWARD
Antalya Int. Film Festival, Turkey

Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, The Hague, Netherlands
Minsk International Film Festival, Belarus
Arras Film Festival, France

Black Nights Film Festival, Tallinn, Estonia

Goa International Film Festival, India

Bangalore International Film Festival, India

Chennai IFF, India

Pune International Film Festival, India

Trieste Film Festival, Italy
Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden


About Darko Lungulov
His previous film, HERE & THERE, (67% rating on RT) won Tribeca's Best N.Y. Narrative Award in '09. It starred David Thornton, whose wife Cindy Lauper composed an original song, and also had a cameo in the movie.

You can watch the trailer below.