Santa Barbara Film Festival unveils its 2021 lineup
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is always starry a celebration of up and coming filmmakers and Oscar hopefuls, but this year the programmers have also decided to make it more accessible. For the first time, it’ll be free for the community, organizers announced Tuesday.
The 36th installment kicks off on March 31 with the world premiere of Aaron Mauer’s “Invisible Valley” about the people of California’s Coachella’s Valley, from the undocumented farmworkers to the wealthy snowbirds and music festival partiers. The film also explores the “looming ecological crisis threatening it all.”
After a year of mostly online film festivals, the festival is taking a hybrid approach and building two beachside drive-in theaters for the screenings. There will also be a ticketed online component. There are 47 world premieres in the lineup, hailing from 45 countries in addition to celebrity tributes, panels and community outreach programs.
Celebrity honorees at the 36th installment include Amanda Seyfried, Delroy Lindo, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bill Murray and Carey Mulligan, who is getting the Cinema Vanguard Award. Virtuoso Award recipients include Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, Kinglsey Ben-Adir, Andra Day, Sidney Flanigan, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim and Zendaya. That event, moderated by Dave Karger, will take place on April 3.
Feature films in the lineup include “Trees of Peace,” about four women hiding and fighting for survival during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, “Coast,” about a teenager in a small town who falls for a punk singer, and “Alaskan Nets,” a documentary about a high school basketball team who has a shot at the state championship for the first time since 1984. Other films include “Last Call,” a documentary about the hospitality industry in Queens at the outset of COVID-19, “Highway One,” set around a New Year’s Eve party in rural California and “The Revolution Generation” about the largest youth generation in history and the challenges they face. The documentary “$avvy” explores the topic of women and personal finances.
U.S. premieres include “Fellinopolis,” about the world of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, “Teach Me If You Can,” a French documentary about teachers in Burkina Faso, Bangladesh and Siberia, and “Six Angry Women,” from New Zealand, which covers the 1984 kidnapping of an Auckland University lecturer.
“This year’s festival will look different on many fronts, but we are unchanged when it comes to what’s most important: our love of film, and our dedication to bringing forward a program of unmatched quality and sharing it with our community,” said Roger Durling, the festival’s executive director. “We are so excited to have the opportunity to be a source of joy and optimism.”
Closing night on April 10 will highlight short documentaries by local filmmakers, covering subjects as diverse as an annual trip by the Chumash people to a historic site, a woman’s quest to restore ecosystems with sheep and how the residents of Santa Barbara survived 2020.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival regularly attracts more than 100,000 attendees annually.
The complete SBIFF film lineup is below:
22 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)
Addict Named Hal
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Lane Michael Stanley
Alaskan Nets
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Jeff Harasimowicz
Broken Diamonds
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Peter Sattler
The Cinderella Addiction
Japan - World Premiere
Directed by Ryohei Watanabe
Cinema of Sleep
Canada - World Premiere
Directed by Jeffrey St. Jules
Climb
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Neil Myers
The Conservation Game
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Michael Webber
Coast
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Jessica Hester, Derek Schweickart
Daughters of the Waves
France - World Premiere
Directed by Lisa Monin, Sébastien Daguerressar
Evan Wood
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Niki Byrne
Highway One
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Jaclyn Bethany
The Hosts (Os donos da casa)
Brazil - World Premiere
Directed by Carla Dauden
Invisible Valley
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Aaron Maurer
The Knot (Uljhan)
India - World Premiere
Directed by Ashish Pant
La Recua - The Mule Pack Train
USA, Mexico - World Premiere
Directed by Darío Higuera Meza, Trudi Angell
Last Call
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Johnny Sweet
Reclaim Idaho
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Laura Wing-Kamoosi, Jim Kamoosi
The Revolution Generation
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell
$avvy
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Robin Hauser
Snakehead
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Evan Jackson Leong
Trees of Peace
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Alanna Brown
We Burn Like This
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Alana Waksman
29 U.S. PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)
Akilla's Escape
Canada - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Charles Officer
Baby
Spain - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa
Backyard Village
Iceland - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Marteinn Thórsson
A Bruddah's Mind (Cabeça de nêgo)
Brazil - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Déo Cardoso
By Your Side (À la folie)
France - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Audrey Estrougo
Erna at War (Erna i krig)
Denmark, Estonia, Belgium - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz
Fear (Strah)
Bulgaria - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ivaylo Hristov
Fellinopolis
Italy - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Silvia Giulietti
The Flood Won't Come (Tvano nebus)
Lithuania - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Marat Sargsyan
The Forbidden Strings
Iran, Afghanistan, Qatar - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Hasan Noori
Fortitude (La fortaleza)
Venezuela, Colombia, France, Netherlands - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand
Four Mothers
Israel - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dana Keidar Levin, Rephael Levin
The Ghosts (Los fantasmas)
Guatemala, Argentina - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Sebastián Lojo
Karnawal
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Juan Pablo Félix
Ladies Of Steel
Finland - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Pamela Tola
The Last Ones (Viimeiset)
Finland, Estonia, Netherlands - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Veiko Õunpuu
Listen, Portugal
UK - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ana Rocha de Sousa
The Man with the Answers
Cyprus, Greece, Italy - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Stelios Kammitsis
Mirage (Miraggio)
Switzerland - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Nina Stefanka
My First Summer
Australia - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Katie Found
One-Way to Moscow
Switzerland - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Micha Lewinsky
The Pit (Bedre)
Latvia, Finland - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dace Pūce
Poppie Nongena
South Africa - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Christiaan Olwagen
Run Woman Run
Canada - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Zoe Hopkins
Six Angry Women
New Zealand - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Megan Jones
Teach Me if You Can
France - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Émilie Thérond
Under My Skin
Australia - U.S. Premiere
Directed by David O'Donnell
We Will Never Die
Argentina - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Eduardo Crespo
When I'm Done Dying
Turkey, USA, Germany - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Nisan Dağ
2021 SBIFF FEATURE FILMS (non-premieres listed alphabetically)
American Skin
USA
Directed by Nate Parker
Giants Being Lonely
USA
Directed by Grear Patterson
Hope
Norway
Directed by Maria Sødahl
2021 SBIFF SHORTS - (listed alphabetically)
25 WORLD PREMIERES AND 8 U.S. PREMIERES
Anxious
USA
Directed by Anthony Gilbert
Anything for You
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Matt Ferrucci
The Beast of Our Time
USA - World Premiere
The Beauty President
USA
Directed by Whitney Skauge
Becoming Eddie
USA
Directed by Lilan Bowden
Black Boys Can't Cry
USA
Directed by Victor Gabriel
Bobby
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Henry Burge
Can't Have It Both Ways
USA
Directed by Morningstar Angeline
The Carousel
Italy
Directed by Valerio Berruti
Clara With a Mustache
Kosovo - World Premiere
Directed by Ilir Blakcori
A Critter Fable
USA
Directed by Grace Fisher
Cycles
USA
Directed by Jonathan Barenboim
Dia De Los Muertos
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by George Ortega, Ricardo Ortega
Dis-Dance!
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Michael Love
East-West
Poland - World Premiere
Directed by Natalia Koniarz
Electric Lady
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Casey McGarry
Eyes
USA
Directed by Zachary Goodwin, Flynn Harris, Alex Flanagan, Alex Kumph
First Light
USA
Directed by Amy Lee Ketchum
Gratified
USA
Directed by Leslie Hope
The Great Malaise
Canada
Directed by Amy Catherine Lepage
Heartland
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Jahmil Eady
Homecoming: Journey to Limuw
USA
Directed by Nick Zachar
Hospice of Santa Barbara Presents: Manuel's Story
USA
Directed by Greg Kroes
I, Barnabé
Canada
Directed by Jean-François Lévesque
Identibye
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Sajjad Shahhatami
In White Places
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Brian Keith Powell
Kaizo
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jeremy Lethco
Kapaemahu
USA
Directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe WIlson
Keeping the Sport Alive
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Will Hahn
Keiara
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Floyd Russ
The Kicksled Choir
Norway
Directed by Torfinn Iversen
Language of Dreams
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Peter Sasowsky
The Last Ferry from Grass Island
Hong Kong
Directed by Linhan Zhang
Lion on the Mat
USA
Directed by Asali Echols
Lucky
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Phinehas L Hodges
Malakout
Iran
Directed by Farnoosh Abedi
Man with a Broom
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Joel Rader, Lydia Leiber, Caroline Nouhan
A Man with Emotions
USA
Directed by Miki Inoguchi
Mariah: A Boxer’s Dream
USA
Directed by Nina Meredith
The Mechanical Dancer
USA
Directed by Jenna Jaillet
Mrs. Taylor’s Show & Tell - A Prince Story
USA
Directed by Victor Dean
My Father The Mover
South Africa
Directed by Julia Jansch
Nickel in the Sand
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Mike Winger
Nine
USA
Directed by Jane Musky
Not One More
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Cameron Leingang
Ocean Stories: Michele's Magic Carpet Ride
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Patrick Creadon, Greg Goggin
Pant Hoot
USA
Directed by Richard Reens
Project H
France
Directed by Maharaki
Remisivir
Romania - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Bobby Barbacioru
River Tigers: Giant Taimen of the Russian Far East
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Andy Maser, Adam Bagger
Roy
UK - World Premiere
Directed by Tom Berkeley, Ross White
Safe
US - World Premiere
Directed by Josema Roig
Savior
USA
Directed by Christopher Oroza-Nostas
Shadow Of The Fox
US - World Premiere
Directed by Nooshin Meraji
Shepherd's Song
USA
Directed by Abby Fuller
Sperm
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Kirsten Kearse
Stoke Chasers
USA
Directed by Jo Anna Edmison
Stormy and the Admirals
USA
Directed by Dan Rybicky
Subtle Body
USA - U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robin Bisio
Sunshine In The Rain
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Benny Chen
Sweet Dreams
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Navid Saedi
Tristo
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Ryan Oligmueller
Underdogs
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Alex Astrella
The Unknown
UK
Directed by Stephanie Marshall
Vial
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Sonja O'Hara, Micah Stuart
Vuja De
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Casey McGarry
Waking Up
USA - World Premiere
Directed by James Patrick Nelson
Wally Wenda
USA
Directed by Diane Russo
When It's Late
USA - World Premiere
Directed by Mitch Hadley
The Winter
Australia
Directed by Xin Li
For the complete list of films, synopses, and other special events please visit www.sbiff.org or the SBIFF app.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr
