O HORIZON

Santa Barbara film festival

Interview with director: Madeleine Rotzler, by Emmanuel Itier

Having lost my dad recently I can identify to Madeleine Rotzler splendid new film: ‘O Horizon’. In this film, Abby, played by the talented Maria Bakalova, is developing a new technology to talk with her deceased father, Warren, played by maestro David Strathairn. Madeleine has assembled a very poetic and charming movie with a deep soul. Her choice of perfect shots is enhancing this very emotional movie and once can only reflect about its own mortality and its family relationship. ‘O Horizon’ won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, last week, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. We were there to meet with Madeleine and get more insights about her brilliant jewel of a movie.

Q: What inspired you to make this film?

Madeleine: I wrote the movie during Covid. That’s when a lot of people were not able to be with their loved ones when they passed away. Like everybody I spent lots of time alone at home. I was thinking and imagining what it would be life if you could talk again to the ones you lost. The idea for the AI was just meant to be a fable. I wanted to write something fantastical and not grounded in reality. But, also something that didn’t disregard all of the hard things we go through. So, I came up with the idea of that technology. And since then, it became more and more of a reality, which I didn’t expect at all. It’s very different watching the movie now. Even every month I was watching it, finishing the film, it’s all different each time.

Q: What are the other themes you were trying to explore? What is this film truly talking about?

Madeleine:  For me it’s really a father daughter story. The world of it is hopefully what draws you into it.  I come from making a lot of documentaries and the first fiction film that I made I found it in   prison with mostly men incarcerated as actors. Covid hit just after that film came out. I wanted to spend more time somewhere else. And so, I saw this new film as an alternate reality and how can we build a world that feels a little bit different. I hope I build a movie that feels different and colorful in spite of her dealing with a loss. I hope I created an uplifting story about loss. Loss is not something we spend too much time looking at or thinking about.  I find myself in denial about it and not wanting to think about it. And so, I’m not ready for it when it happens. This is where we find her. And no amount or knowledge can prepare us for the hardship of losing a loved one. 

Q: Tell me about the various challenges you faced making this movie?

Madeleine: The cinematographer and I had made lots of films together and we joked at the idea of making a film in N.Y cannot be harder than making a film in a maximum-security prison.  We are both from New York and we love this city. New York has been used in so many ways so it’s a challenge to make New York feel different. We were so lucky to have an amazing location manager named Ryan. We scouted over 30 apartments for her own apartment. The one in the film is the very last one we found. It was a challenge, but we kept looking and we found the perfect locations. Also, I had a much bigger crew than the movie I made in the prison (‘O.G’ -2018) and shooting in N.Y is lots more organization. The production itself was quite complicated. Because I have done many documentaries, I’m used to things un-expected to happen. And so, w

O HORIZON

Santa Barbara film festival

Interview with director: Madeleine Rotzler, by Emmanuel Itier

Having lost my dad recently I can identify to Madeleine Rotzler splendid new film: ‘O Horizon’. In this film, Abby, played by the talented Maria Bakalova, is developing a new technology to talk with her deceased father, Warren, played by maestro David Strathairn. Madeleine has assembled a very poetic and charming movie with a deep soul. Her choice of perfect shots is enhancing this very emotional movie and once can only reflect about its own mortality and its family relationship. ‘O Horizon’ won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, last week, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. We were there to meet with Madeleine and get more insights about her brilliant jewel of a movie.

Q: What inspired you to make this film?

Madeleine: I wrote the movie during Covid. That’s when a lot of people were not able to be with their loved ones when they passed away. Like everybody I spent lots of time alone at home. I was thinking and imagining what it would be life if you could talk again to the ones you lost. The idea for the AI was just meant to be a fable. I wanted to write something fantastical and not grounded in reality. But, also something that didn’t disregard all of the hard things we go through. So, I came up with the idea of that technology. And since then, it became more and more of a reality, which I didn’t expect at all. It’s very different watching the movie now. Even every month I was watching it, finishing the film, it’s all different each time.

Q: What are the other themes you were trying to explore? What is this film truly talking about?

Madeleine:  For me it’s really a father daughter story. The world of it is hopefully what draws you into it.  I come from making a lot of documentaries and the first fiction film that I made I found it in   prison with mostly men incarcerated as actors. Covid hit just after that film came out. I wanted to spend more time somewhere else. And so, I saw this new film as an alternate reality and how can we build a world that feels a little bit different. I hope I build a movie that feels different and colorful in spite of her dealing with a loss. I hope I created an uplifting story about loss. Loss is not something we spend too much time looking at or thinking about.  I find myself in denial about it and not wanting to think about it. And so, I’m not ready for it when it happens. This is where we find her. And no amount or knowledge can prepare us for the hardship of losing a loved one. 

Q: Tell me about the various challenges you faced making this movie?

Madeleine: The cinematographer and I had made lots of films together and we joked at the idea of making a film in N.Y cannot be harder than making a film in a maximum-security prison.  We are both from New York and we love this city. New York has been used in so many ways so it’s a challenge to make New York feel different. We were so lucky to have an amazing location manager named Ryan. We scouted over 30 apartments for her own apartment. The one in the film is the very last one we found. It was a challenge, but we kept looking and we found the perfect locations. Also, I had a much bigger crew than the movie I made in the prison (‘O.G’ -2018) and shooting in N.Y is lots more organization. The production itself was quite complicated. Because I have done many documentaries, I’m used to things un-expected to happen. And so, w

FINE YOUNG MAN (‘HOMBRES INTEGROS’)

Santa Barbara international film festival

Interview with director Alejandro Andrade Pease and lead actor Andrés Revo by Emmanuel Itier

‘Hombres Integros’ (Fine Young Man) is the journey of a young man, Alf, played by the talented Andres Revo and looking for himself. Growing to become the man he truly is in spite of the macho environment that he suffocates in. Directed by “maestro” Alejandro Andrade Pease the film is inspired by true events lived by Pease as a young man. More than a coming-of-age story, it’s also a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Andrés Rovo won the acting prize at the Morelia film festival and it’s a testament to his talent. For sure a young actor to follow with a bright future. We can’t wait to see the next movie by Peace who is also a director to follow and whose destiny is written in golden letters. I was lucky to catch up with the two of them at the Santa Barbara film festival where the film got a warm welcome.

Q: Tell me how this film came together?

Alejandro: This film came from a very personal place since I went to a school like the one depicted in my movie. This is where I met my screenwriter partner with whom I wrote the film. We were in the same class. We saw these kinds of people living there. The scary thing is that after all these years these guys became governors or businessmen. They became really important people in society. And in their past, there are stories like the one told in our film. And at the end it doesn’t matter because there is some sort of pact in Mexican society and these kinds of things get hidden and people continue their lives as if nothing happened. We started writing this film in 2018 and we even won a prize for the script.

Q: What challenges did you face making that movie?

Alejandro: First challenge was to get the money and it’s never easy for independent cinema. In Mexico it’s even harder than in the U.S. I found a co-producer in Spain that came on board and with another company in France. That way we were able to add the Mexican film fund with money from other places.

Andrés: It’s my first feature so it was a blessing, but it was a challenge with lots of pressure to be this protagonist. We were shooting 12 hours per day and this was very exhausting. The level of emotions required to get into my role was intense. Sometimes it’s deep and dark. The emotional charge that this character has, is draining. Getting in and out of these emotions was challenging. Not easy after a shooting to get to my house and go to sleep.

Q: What are the themes explored in your film, what are the messages if any?

Andrés: The themes touched in the movie are machismo, sexism and classism. All of those themes are very present in Mexican society.  The movie reflects that. It’s also this privileged circle that surrounds the characters. They all have a mask, publicly. And there as so many people who are racist and classist. Those are the themes the movie touch.

Alejandro: We are talking about the patriarchal system and that affects us all. There is also the theme of homophobia. And we are talking also about gender violence. Having in mind that the main victims of this violence are women and people from the LGBT. At the end those are the main victims. But men as well are also victims of this abusing system. Because they are forced to play or to reach an unreachable level of masculinity. That only generates suffering i

AN ARRANGEMENT at Santa Barbara film festival

Interview with Director: Noree Victoria, by Emmanuel Itier

Maverick director Noree Victoria is delivering a majestic “tour de force” with this thrilling drama full of unpredictable twists. ‘An Arrangement’ is a pure delight. Actors Bel Deliá, Matt Dellapina and Jessica Damouni are casting a spell of movie magic with their “on the dot” interpretation in this triangle of suspenseful and toxic relationships. You are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what’s coming next; each minute the tension is building to a final genius climax. Noree is for sure a new voice to follow and her film a guaranteed box office hit. Let’s listen to Noree Victoria’s inspiration and vision about her feature directorial debut:

Q: How did this film come together and what was the inspiration?

Noree: It was written by Helen Shang and her partner Bel Deliá, a filmmaker from Australia. It all started around 2016. So, it’s true that a film takes an average of ten years to be made, especially for indie filmmaking. I came on board in 2018. I met Deliá at a series of networking events. She didn’t know I was studying directing. She assumed I was a director because of the way I directed the crowd at various events. And we ended up talking about this project for a year and a half. But then the world shut down in 2020 with covid. It was interesting for me to have a multicolored project with so many different faces in this very politically charged story. It took me a while to find my voice. It’s about this republican candidate and his undocumented immigrant caretaker who is watching after the candidate’s wife who has a problem with addiction. I found my voice by talking to the various actors in my movies and to other friends from the Middle East. Who are from different cultures like Lebanon, Iran, Irak and Palestine. I also talked to politicians. First, I looked at it through the lens of style, what are the shapes of it, what is this story trying to say. I also love films from the silent era. I love symmetry and drawing parallels. Here I can draw a parallel between what a political campaign might be and what stylistically it should look like. And then what does it look like when it falls apart. What it feels like. We go from some very symmetrical shots to handheld phonetics.

When we casted this film I looked first for vulnerability. Vulnerability in real life. Having conversation about their point of view on the World. What their sensibilities are about other topics and not film. And that really worked for me. It gave me more insight and how to shape my shots. How to direct my cast and how to begin a dialogue; not just me giving you instructions and directions. But an actual dialogue on how this comes together.

Q: What were the many challenges you faced making this film?

Noree: There are no challenges in production, haha! First thing that happened is that a day before starting principal photography, my director of photography tested positive for covid. We had spent almost one hundred hours in preparation coming with shots lists and she tested positive, so we had to push the film back by three days. This was the high of the pandemic, so we had to test everyone. It was a time we didn’t know much about covid, so we had to make sure that people were comfortable working together even if they tested negative. For example, I lost a gaffer because her partner who is in medical school didn’t want her to be on the set. We shot in a little town in northern California, Camarillo which ha

Interview with director Dan Kay by Emmanuel Itier

What a very emotional movie put together by the brilliant and talented Dan Kay. ‘Spider and Jessie’ deals with addiction but on the side of what families of addicts go through and how the trauma remains within for a long time. With this so well-crafted movie Dan manages to let us go through multiple emotions, from tears to joy, from sadness to hope. His cast led by McKenna Grace, Jojo Regina and Jesse Williams will keep you alert with their intense interpretation. One can only be changed by watching ‘Spider and Jessie’. I caught up with director Dan Kay on the eve of his first screening at the Santa Barbara international film festival.

Pictured: Mckenna Grace & Jojo Regina & Jesse Williams

Q: How did this film come together and what motivated you to do it?

Dan: There has been several film about addiction and the opioid pandemic. It’s such a horrific crisis. But I wanted to do something different from these films where you follow an addict journey. I was more interested in the collateral damage caused by addiction. The family members and friends that are left if, sort of if you pick up the pieces in the wake of a loved one addiction. My family like thousands of other families have had to deal with this. It was something I felt very passional about it. I had read an article about opioid orphans, and I thought it was so tragic. It was a story that dealt with that collateral damage caused by addiction. So, I called up a writer friend of mine, a journalist living in Ohio. It’s very close to the first wave of the opioid pandemic which was West Virginia and Kentucky. She was part of that belt, and I asked her to do a research trip with me. I told her about the article I had read and how it could make for a great film. So, she set up many interviews through Kentucky and Ohio. We met folks impacted by addiction from both sides. We did a ride along with the sheriff. We went to sober houses. We also did an amazing round table with social workers who had dealt with family where the parents are addicts and handling the fall out of the children from these addicts.  We met some children, three sisters between the age of 8 and 12, whose mother had overdosed and whose father was in jail. They were raised by their grandmother. We really heard so many tragic stories. It really informed what went into this movie.

Q: Tell me about the various challenges you faced making this film?

Dan: The main challenge was to film in Florida during the raining and lightning season! And so, we had days when we were left without being able to shoot. And we were not funded by a studio we could call to get extra shooting days. We really had bad weather and even a hurricane came in forcing to shut down for four days.  Because we were losing so many days, I didn’t even know if we were going to be able to finish the movie. Fortunately, our producers found a few extra dollars for us to add a few extra days to film extra footage we needed. 

Q: What are the themes talked about in this film and what are the hopes in term of impact on an audience? 

Dan: What I hope is that people think about addicts and addiction and how it creates so much collateral damage and trauma. Around 2022 and 2023, over a million people had died from addiction. When you see those numbers, you usually think about the people who had died. But you don’

Interview With director: Susanne Rostock by Emmanuel Itier

When you think you knew everything about Harry Belafonte, here comes Susanne Rostock new documentary on the man who was such a genius, a musical maverick and an activist. This film follows Harry in his last act of life, but what a final Act! Susanne had done another film with Belafonte before, and you can feel the warm energy between her camera and the iconic man he is. As a documentary filmmaker myself I am quite impressed by the smooth balance Susanne was able to implement in this film between entertainment and messages. Yes, this is a “call for action” film but it is also a guilty pleasure to look at and listen to a man who has had such an impact in all our lives. I know Harry is watching us and he is hoping we keep leading the fight for Freedom of speech, for racial justice, for women’s rights. Merci Monsieur Belafonte for the inspiration. Thank you, Susanne, for this very emotional ride.

Harry Belafonte: what a voice!

Q: How did this film come together? How different is this film compared to others about Harry?

Susanne: I had done another documentary about Harry (Sing your song - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787797  ) in 2011. Harry had approached me to make that film. That film goes from his birth until 2008. It deals with his life as an artist and an activist. As he says, “I was an activist first”. At the time there was lots of activism actions and at the end of the film it says: “what do you do now?”. At the time I had a young daughter in high school and like many she was willing to move forward and make a difference in the world. At the time Harry invited me to move in his new large office space where I could set up my editing room and be close to him. It was impressive, and we had become friends and so this was amazing. Harry was 84 years old at that time and it was amazing to be in this space with famous people coming and visiting him like Bruce Springsteen. We would gather and get the wisdom from Harry; how can we make the World better. And then, Trayvon Martin was murdered. And Harry decided again to get engage in what was going in America. How to wake up people and give them some guidance. Even so I was working on some other films of mine, I thought it had to be documented and so I started filming again Harry in his journey. It was important to me to show how a   movement is created. How do you respond to Humanitarian disaster but also how do you respond to aging, how do you respond looking back at your life and reflecting after having worked so hard to change the World? After the death of Doctor King, I never thought we would end up here! I miss Harry terribly and I think I would break his heart to see what’s going on in America.

Q: Talking about his wisdom, what would you keep from his guidance and wisdom?

Susanne: There is so much I learned from him that it is hard to isolate one or two things. But the main thing I learned is that “community” is essential. It’s essential to open your heart and to keep conversations going and to be accessible. Harry would always embrace and hear everyone. He was never judgmental or condemning. We must recognize each other talent humanity. It’ the only way we can come together and have world Peace. We need to meet people where they are. Not to say I should invite Elon Musk to dinner!  But we need to understand where some people come from. And make them understand the

QUWA screening at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2025, a film by Jade Ipina (co-producer), Jonathan Coronado (sound designer), Ryan C.Grant (director of photography and co-editor)  and Catherine Scanlon (co-producer and assistant camera/editor).

Interview by Emmanuel Itier

I was truly taken by surprise by ‘Quwa’, a short film, exploring the history of the Goleta Slough and the historical Chumash island Quwa who was once there. I leave nearby and I drive by the area near the airport which was one sacred Chumash land. I feel now so much sadness and anger when knowing the horrific truth about the Native American genocide. This film assembles beautiful shots captured by a team of very talented filmmaker with a bright future. This was for them a school project at UCSB, and their accomplishment must be saluted as they had little time and resources to bring it to the screen and display it, proudly, to the Santa Barbara film festival audience. Let’s also honor two amazing Chumash elders who are the voices of their tribe in this film: Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto and Marianne Parra. Two magnificent strong women who carry on the legacy of the Chumash people.

I was lucky to get together with the four filmmakers before the festival. Even so I have directed 10 feature documentaries for the last 20 years, shot around the World, I was moved by their passion and their creativity. I saw in their soul the justice flame to tell the truth about this dramatic page of our local history. Bravo!

Q: Who directed the movie?

Together: We all are! This is a true collaboration between us, and we felt we jointly directed this movie.

Q: It’s funny because Jean-Luc Godard used to do this in his film. In the end credits he would put “Directed by” and list everyone who worked on the film.

Jade: Everybody was able to do a little bit of everything. Everyone did a little bit of camera and editing. We all had a say when we edited. This was a project where we needed to pick up the most important pieces of information. It was important to be there as a group to make the right decisions.

Q: What inspired you to talk about this subject and tell this story?

Jade: It all came together because of a class assignment we had.  We had the chance to check online and find a subject of interest. Catherine is the one who had found the story of the island on her own. This clearly caught my attention when it was mentioned in class by our professor. I went myself online to do some more research. This is how we got our first interview with Tom Modugno who has the website www.GoletaHistory.com  . This is where I was able to read more about the island. I couldn’t believe what I was discovering. How can there have been an island when now there is an airport and UCSB?! I didn’t know also about the Goleta Slough; I thought it was just a swamp. Tom’s website opened my eyes about the Chumash and their island. It really was a political and cultural center for them. And then I found out about the horror the Chumash went through by being colonized. They were killed or had to leave or be brought to the Santa Barbara mission. And then the island was destroyed, and the land was used to build an airport during World War II. Today there is just a little part of the island still standing and we drive by without noticing; it’s owned by the Goleta sanitary district, and it’s abandoned. It’s sad to see that there is still a little bit of land and that it could be returned to the Chumash.

40 Years of SBIFF 2025 OPENING NIGHT: on a rainy night, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) opened its 40th edition with the U.S. premiere of “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,”, offering a much-needed respite after a challenging month marked by devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

Starting on February 4, the festival features 33 world premieres from 60 countries, with over half directed by women. Notable stars expected to attend this milestone celebration include Angelina Jolie, Ralph Fiennes, and Timothée Chalamet.

Interviews

At the Arlington Theatre opening, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse reflected on the festival's 40-year journey, followed by SBIFF executive director Roger Durling, who expressed his passion for films and his vision of the role of Film Festivals. He emphasized the healing powers of cinema, how it fosters belonging, and builds communities.

Mr Durling also announced SBIFF's commitment to year-round programming, embedding art and creativity in Santa Barbara throughout the year.

Reiterating the festival's dedication to the community, SBIFF has pledged support for LA fire relief by partnering with Direct Relief to raise funds, featuring a $100,000 matching grant and limited-edition anniversary T-shirts.

Kicking off the festival at the Arlington Theatre was the U.S. premiere of “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” French director Laura Piani’s first feature film.

This finely crafted and elegantly shot Franco-British romantic comedy explores the back and forth between a character's desire and her reality.

It follows an aspiring writer, portrayed by captivating actress Camille Rutherford, on a journey to find her creative voice, yearning for love while also dealing with grief.

The film is a witty and hopeful fairytale about embracing vulnerability and creating human connections in an increasingly disconnected world.

It reflects on the role of literature in our lives, Jane Austen's timeless impact, and on the importance of poetry found through life’s imperfection. Ultimately, it is a story about friendship, love, and forging one’s true path.

Overall, this heartwarming opening night of the Santa Barbara Film Festival remained true to its mission, embodying the promise of inclusivity, togetherness and the joy that cinema provides.

Helene Frain & Guy Kennedy