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SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in focus
Noree Victoria interviewed for her Directorial Debut: AN ARRANGEMENT- Official Selection of the 2025 SBIFF
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 relation...
Spider & Jessie @ SBIFF - Interview with the director Dan Kay
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 ...
FOLLOWING HARRY at the Santa Barbara Film Festival - Interview with the director Susanne Rostock
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 impress...
Interview with the team behind " Quwa' ": short film screening at SBIFF
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 ...
The SBIFF Demi Moore retrospective begins tomorrow Friday, February 7th
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announces a retrospective for Demi Moore, a celebration of the esteemed actress's distinguished career. The retrospective begins on Friday, February 7th at 5:40 PM PT with a screening of Adrian Lyne's Indecent Proposal. An exclusive in-person conversation with Academy Award®-nominated actress Demi Moore will follow the 2:00 PM FREE screening of Coralie Fargeat's Best Picture nominee The Substance on Sunday,...
SBIFF Variety Artisans Award Recipients
VARIETY ARTISANS AWARD honoring Judy Becker – The Brutalist: Production Design Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot: Original Score Clement Ducol and Camille – Emilia Perez: Original Song Nick Emerson – Conclave: Editing Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys: Cinematography Tod Maitland – A Complete Unknown: Sound Pierre-Olivier Persin – The Substance: Hair/Makeup Paul Tazewell – Wicked: Costume Design Erik Winquist – Ki...
Hope and Heart : Celebrating 40 years of SBIFF on opening night
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 in...
TO KILL A WOLF director interviewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
TO KILL A WOLF is screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the "Festival Circuit Favorites" category February 9 & 10. This modern re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood is told through the nuanced lens of teenage sexual grooming and is the debut of writer / director Kelsey Taylor. The film is a drama/mystery and has been described as a “haunting modern fairytale” and “Oregon-noir". TO KILL A WOLF...
Incandescence at SBIFF Interview with the directors: Velcrow Ripper and Nova Ami.
As wildfires ravage the planet, a new National Film Board of Canada documentary offers extraordinary stories of survival and adaptation (Image provided by the NFB) Praise to directing partners Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper who are giving a US premiere, at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, of their very timely documentary: ‘Incandescence’. Be ready to truly feel the heat while watching this mesmerizing and very scary "anatomy of fire”. Nova and Velcro...
‘I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE’ At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
An interview with Star: Ali Gallo Meet rising Star, Ali Gallo! You might have catch her in ‘Incoming’ or ‘The Sex lives of college girls.’ Ali is the leading actress of the new dark comedy ‘I hate myself and want to die’ directed by the very talented J.Davis who had directed a little gem: ‘Manson Family Vacation’. Ali Gallo is the young ‘Hayley’ who, with other friends and family members, ar...