The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced its 2025 Virtuosos Award honorees. This year’s honorees are Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Selena Gomez (“Emilia Pérez”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), Harris Dickinson (“Babygirl”), Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and John Magaro (“September 5”).  The award recognizes “a select group […]

 

 

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Saldaña will receive the award on Friday, February 7, 2025 at an in-person conversation about her career, leading up to her acclaimed performance this year as Rita Moro Castro in Netflix’s EMILIA PÉREZ. Zoe Saldaña's performance in EMILIA PÉREZ is one of her most transformative roles to date, and adds another unique facet to her already impressive career.

 

“Zoe Saldaña has a fantastic filmography worth celebrating any year, but her commanding and stouthearted performance in EMILIA PÉREZ makes our tribute to her imperative” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

 

Zoe Saldaña has steadily earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected powerhouses in the industry with a remarkable career spanning more than 20 years as an actor and producer. As the only actor in history to have starred in four films that have grossed over 2 billion dollars and the top three highest grossing films of all time, AVATAR, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Saldaña’s passionate commitment to seeking compelling, indelible roles has remained constant.

Most recently, Saldaña lead and executive produced the independent film THE ABSENCE OF EDEN, directed by Marco Perego in his feature film debut, and currently stars in Taylor Sheridan’s undercover CIA drama series “Lioness” for Paramount+, which she also executive produces with her production company Cinestar Pictures. Saldaña can next be seen starring in the Spanish-language musical crime comedy from Jacques Audiard, EMILIA PÉREZ, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and took home the Jury Prize. Saldaña received the festival’s prestigious Best Actress Award alongside the female ensemble and Netflix will release the film in theaters this Fall.

 

From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes EMILIA PÉREZ, an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song and dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Written and directed by Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), the double Cannes-winning film also stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Édgar Ramírez.

 

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American Cinema. Previous recipients include Mark Ruffalo, Brendan Fraser, Kristen Stewart, Delroy Lindo, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortenson, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening, Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.

 

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that cinema icon Angelina Jolie will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Jolie will receive the prestigious award on February 5, 2025. Angelina Jolie's career as an actress has been marked by versatility and critical acclaim, with significant impact globally. Angelina Jolie's latest film, “Maria” marks a significant turn in her career, as she portrays the iconic opera singer Maria Callas. Critics have praised Jolie for her transformative performance, particularly her ability to embody Callas’ intensity and grace. Her performance evokes the emotional depth and fragility behind the operatic legend’s public persona. 

 ANGELINA JOLIE TO BE HONORED WITH MALTIN MODERN MASTER AWARD

AT 40TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

“Angelina Jolie makes bold choices, both as an actress and as a director. She sets the bar high in both disciplines and always comes through. I look forward to reviewing her career with her in Santa Barbara!” remarked Leonard Maltin.

 

Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award-winning actress, director, and producer, with film credits including Walt Disney Pictures’ Maleficent series, Salt, and Girl, Interrupted. Jolie directed, produced and co-wrote the critically acclaimed feature First They Killed My Father and the upcoming Without Blood; additionally, she directed the Oscar®-nominated drama Unbroken. She is a Tony Award-winning producer on the acclaimed new Broadway musical The Outsiders.

 

With over 20 years working as a humanitarian focusing on work with refugees and human rights, Jolie also champions local leadership in environmental conservation and has funded schools, health and education initiatives globally. Additionally, she is founder of the Maddox Foundation, an integrated development program headquartered in Cambodia, with a focus on conservation, agriculture, education and economic development projects in the area.

 

She is the founder of Atelier Jolie, a hub for artists, empowering people to participate in creating their own fashion, with a focus on sustainability. Jolie is also co-author of Know Your Rights and Claim Them, a guide for youth.

 

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of long-time SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. Past recipients include Academy Award-winning actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Robert Downey Jr., Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, and Christopher Plummer, and acclaimed filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, and Peter Jackson.

 

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 4 - February 15, 2025. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at Read more

Arthur Fogel, President of Global Touring and Chairman of Concerts, Live Nation, personally oversees many of their largest tours, connecting artists with millions of fans around the globe. Current tours include Oasis’ highly anticipated 2025 stadium tour which has sold out all dates across Europe and North America and just announced Australia and New Zealand shows, Justin Timberlake’s The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, Sting’s 3.0 Tour, and more.

Recent notable tours include the launch of ‘U2 Achtung Baby Live at Sphere’ in Las Vegas, the first residency at the cutting-edge venue, Madonna’s 78-date ‘The Celebration Tour,’ which concluded with a record-breaking 1.6 million people at Copacabana Beach in Brazil, becoming the largest concert in history from a solo artist, and Beyoncé’s massive ‘Renaissance World Tour,’ which grossed nearly $580 million.

He is also the promoter for Lady Gaga, Peter Gabriel, and Neil Young.      

His achievements have been recognized throughout the music industry with honors and awards including: awarded the Order of Canada (2018), induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2017), inclusion on Billboard Power 100 list for the last decade, the TJ Martell Entertainment Visionary Award (2014), and Pollstar Promoter of the Year (2007). In 2024, he was listed as #1 on Billboard Canada’s Power Player list.

He was also the subject of the acclaimed documentary, Who The F**k Is Arthur Fogel – a backstage view into his career in which U2 front man, Bono, calls him “clearly the most important person in live music in the world.”  

We are delighted to welcome Arthur, dubbed the "most powerful man in music" (and in FestForums' opinion, just as importantly, one of the nicest) to FestForums 2025. 

 

FestTalks: Candace Newman and Diversify-ing the Music Industry    Charlotte Ege, FestForums |  A leading figure and champion for underrepresented voices in the music industry, Candace Newman sat down with FestForums th Read more Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Producers Lab Fellows Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Producers Lab Fellows Rick W / Monday, June 10, 2024 0 138 PARK CITY, UT, June 10, 2024 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the 10 producers selected to participate in its annual Producers Lab, being held June 10–22 for the first time at Ucross Foundation in Wyoming where they host artists throughout the year. The Producers Program reflects the Institute’s long-standing commitment to increasing support for independent producers and champions the current and rising generation of producers year-round. The annual Producers Lab, a focal point of the program, brings emerging fiction and nonfiction independent film producers together for networking and professional development opportunities. Fellows also receive year-round mentorship from experienced advisors.  The Producers Lab nurtures emerging independent film producers with project-specific support through one-on-one meetings and intimate group sessions with veteran producer advisors. The lab encourages fellows to hone their creative instincts and problem-solving skills and to develop strategies for pitching, financing, production, navigating the marketplace, and sustainability. The 2024 cohort includes five fiction film producers and five nonfiction film producers. Fellows in the Documentary Film Program include Alan Domínguez with Commerce City, Eurie Chung with Finding Má, Brenda Ávila-Hanna with How to Clean a House in Ten Easy Steps, Mars Verrone with Untitled Solidarity Project, and Jillian Schlesinger with We Are Volcanoes. Fellows in the Feature Film Program include Ivan MacDonald with Buffalo Stone, Yona Strauss with The Glob, Tara Sheffer with Rubber Hut, Mireia Vilanova with Silence Sometimes, and Carolyn Mao with Sprout. The 2024 Documentary Producers Lab advisors are Daniela Alatorre (Igualada), Jess Devaney (Power), Lauren Domino (American Symphony), Andrea Meditch (Fathom), and Tracy Rector (PILI KA MO’O). The 2024 Feature Film Producers Lab advisors are David Hinojosa (Past Lives), Julie Lynn (Mother and Child), Dan Janvey (Nomadland), Laura Kim (Marketing Executive), and Christopher Tricarico (Tricarico Chavez LLP). “Amid the dynamic shifts within the film and media landscape that demand interrogation and entrepreneurial ingenuity, we’re inspired by the bold imagination in this year’s projects and by the determination and collaborative spirit of the producers behind them,” said Documentary Film Program Interim Director Kristin Feeley and Feature Film Program Producing and Artist Support Director Shira Rockowitz. “We are also grateful for the community of generous producer advisors supporting their work and careers.” PROJECTS AND FELLOWS SELECTED FOR THE 2024 SUNDANCE INSTITUTE PRODUCERS LAB: Documentary Film Program Alan Domínguez with Commerce City (U.S.A.): A visually striking portrait of the daily life and resilience of the Latinx residents of Commerce City, Colorado — one of the most polluted zip codes in the United States. Alan Domínguez, a Chicanx border crosser since birth, is Denver-based with Nuevo Mexicano roots. His films gravitate toward the unique cultural fabric and social landscapes of the Southwestern United States. He recently co-directed and produced for American Masters’ In the Making series. Eurie Chung with Finding Má (U.S.A.): After 20 yea Read more Release Rundown: “Fancy Dance,” “Thelma,” and More Open to Wider Audiences This June Release Rundown: “Fancy Dance,” “Thelma,” and More Open to Wider Audiences This June Rick W / Thursday, June 6, 2024 0 127 (L–R) Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) and Jax (Lily Gladstone) prepare for a powwow and search for Roki’s missing mother in “Fancy Dance,” which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. By Lucy Spicer Summer is in the air, and an exciting variety of Sundance-supported releases are rolling into theaters and streaming services. This month, patient audiences from past Festivals can look forward to several long-awaited titles, including Fancy Dance from 2023 and Am I OK? from 2022, as well as a special 4K re-release of Run Lola Run, which screened at the Festival back in 1999.  Other Festival films coming to theaters include a dark-comedy-drama about the consequences of bad behavior, a touching portrait of family and community theater, and an action-filled adventure featuring a 93-year-old heroine. Also arriving in June are two titles that received support from Sundance Institute’s artist programs: one funny but poignant story about a 20-something with some growing up to do, and a documentary spotlighting a queer Russian artist risking her safety for what she believes. Last but not least, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is officially underway, bringing a selection of seven shorts from the 2024 Festival to a city near you in the coming months! So mark your calendars; your summer schedule will fill up before you know it. Am I OK? — Lucy (Dakota Johnson) has settled into a comfortable routine in Los Angeles. Her job may be unsatisfying and her dating life nonexistent, but she can always rely on her lifelong best friend, Jane (Sonoya Mizuno), to be fun and supportive. That is, until Jane announces that she’s been promoted at work and will be moving to London. Suddenly unmoored, Lucy is forced to look within and grapple with the notion of coming out as a lesbian in her 30s. Co-directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, this ode to female friendship and self-discovery premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Streaming on Max June 6. Late Bloomers — At 28, struggling Brooklyn musician Louise (Karen Gillan) is shocked to learn that she has broken her hip after a drunken attempt to contact her ex ends in tumble off of a window ledge. The surprises continue when a chance meeting with Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein) — a curmudgeonly Polish woman who speaks no English — in the recovery ward lands Louise with an unorthodox job, a tentative friendship, and wake-up call about growing up and going home. Directed by Lisa Steen, Late Bloomers was supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film and Catalyst programs. Coming to theaters June 7. Run Lola Run — What would you do if your partner called to say you had 20 minutes to save their life? Writer-director Tom Tykwer offers a few possible scenarios for when Lola (Franka Potente) receives that frantic call from her boyfriend, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). The outcomes may be different, but one thing is the same in each one: Lola has to run. Tykwer’s experimental German film won the World Cinema Audience Award when it screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, and now the iconic frenetic thriller is back on the big screen 25 years after its original U.S. release, complete with a 4K restoration. Returning to theaters June 7. Read more 2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Shorts Film Tour 2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Shorts Film Tour Rick W / Thursday, May 30, 2024 0 147 Park City, Utah, May 29, 2024 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, a 110-minute program of seven short films curated from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The short film tour will play in locations across the country and internationally throughout 2024 and into 2025. Filmgoers can enjoy this assortment of short films in over 50 theaters and independent art house venues. This specially curated selection is full of drama and thrills, including eye-opening and heartwarming indie shorts and a few jury prize winners that offer a peek into the Festival program.   For four decades, the Sundance Film Festival has supported short filmmaking, showcasing the work of many now-prominent independent feature filmmakers such as Damien Chazelle, Destin Daniel Cretton, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Joey Soloway, Taika Waititi, Wes Anderson, and many others.    In 2024, the Festival received 12,098 short film submissions, the highest number on record, selecting 53 to screen. Each year The Festival selects a collection of shorts from its most recent program to go on a theatrical tour hitting dozens of cities. The tour and the Festival are programs of Sundance Institute, a leading arts nonprofit dedicated to advancing work by and opportunities for independent creators.   “Despite an industry-shifting year in filmmaking, short films continue to strengthen its art form,” says Mike Plante, Senior Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival. “This year’s showcase is a collection of shorts from the 2024 Festival that proves just how fertile the format continues to be for fresh ideas from ambitious and dynamic emerging filmmakers.”   Below are the current tour locations and dates; more locations are added on a rolling basis:   June 7  Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre  Santa Barbara, CA – Riviera June 14 New York, NY – IFC Center with Post-Screening Q&A with Filmmakers Akron, OH – Nightlight Cinema Cincinnati, OH – Cincinnati World Cinema June 15 Wilmington, DE – Theatre N June 23 Sacramento, CA – Dreamland Cinema Albuquerque, NM – Guild Cinema July 4 Austin, TX – Austin Film Society Williamstown, MA – Images Cinema July 6 Riverside, CA – University of California Riverside July 22 Anchorage, AK – Read more RSS Load next 10 article(s) (28 left)Loading...