Month: February 2014

SBIFF: Wide eyes and big movies: SBIFF’s Field Trip brings in children to experience films on the big screen

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Approximately 2,000 school kids descended upon the Arlington Theatre for "Mike's Field Trip to the Movies" during the SBIFF.NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS
Approximately 2,000 school kids descended upon the Arlington Theatre for “Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies” during the SBIFF.

NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS

The view from the Arlington stage was impressive on Thursday morning. From the front row to the balcony, 2,000 kids from schools all over the county laughed, applauded, and cheered along to Disney’s animated hit “Frozen.” But this wasn’t a regular screening of the Hans Christian Andersen-based animated film, but one of two screenings of SBIFF’s “Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies.”

One of SBIFF’s outreach programs, Field Trip buses in a total of 4,000 students, many of them in Title 1 schools for children below the poverty level, to see a movie at the Arlington and meet the filmmakers.

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SBIFF: Robert Redford looks back on more than 50 years of filmmaking

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Above, Robert Redford is interviewed on the Arlington Theatre stage by Leonard Maltin during a celebration of Mr. Redford's career.MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Above, Robert Redford is interviewed on the Arlington Theatre stage
by Leonard Maltin during a celebration of Mr. Redford’s career.

MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

“I’ve always been shy, especially at celebrations of myself,” Robert Redford said as he sat down for a career retrospective at Friday night’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Cinema Vanguard award.

“But,” he added, “I’m glad I’m getting one.”

So was the packed Arlington Theater, which was just as sold out as the previous night’s Scorsese-DiCaprio two-fer, just with fewer screaming fans waiting outside on the red carpet.

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Pop-Up Underworld – ELEMENTS THEATRE RETURNS WITH THE DARK FANTASY ‘KING OF SHADOWS’

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Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo

When both founding members of Elements Theatre Collective respectively left Goleta and Santa Barbara to follow their graduate careers on the East Coast, there was a brief moment — at least among their fans — when the pop-up theater looked set to dissipate.

But not so. The always-evolving company returns this weekend with “King of Shadows,” under the direction of Kate Bergstrom, who currently teaches theater at Laguna Blanca Middle School.

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SBIFF: Double Dose – Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio share the stage at SBIFF

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Leonardo DiCaprio meets fans on the red carpet before receiving the SBIFF award.
Leonardo DiCaprio meets fans on the red carpet before receiving the SBIFF award.

Look what happens when you wait.

When Leonardo DiCaprio bowed out of his own American Riviera Award at the SBIFF last year fans were disappointed. When, they wondered, would Mr. DiCaprio return? Well, as it turns out, he’s back this year and he brought Martin Scorsese with him for an evening’s worth of conversation moderated by Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy. The focus was film and the history of the two men, who increase their symbiotic relationship with each movie they work on together. (This time Mr. DiCaprio’s award is the “Cinema Vanguard” award.)

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Undaunted – AS TEEN STAR APPROACHES, ONE CONSTANT HAS OVERCOME A GREAT OBSTACLE

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Mary Grace Langhorne has the happy face of a 12-year-old girl, the voice of a 30-year-old blues singer, and the resilience and outlook of a 40 year old. She’s one of ten finalists this year in Joe Lambert’s Teen Star talent competition, happening tomorrow night at The Granada. The “American Idol”-style show features ten teens (and two alternatives) from Santa Barbara County, performing together and individually in front of celebrity judges, a packed audience of family, friends and supporters, and an ever-increasing internet audience.

Last year’s competition (its third annual) was a much larger event than previous years. It sold out The Granada and the winner, Allie Nixon was awarded a $1,000 scholarship, a chance to record at Santa Barbara Sound Design, and since then she’s had radio and TV appearances, as well as opportunities to appear at various entertainment events around the country.

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DRINK OF THE WEEK: Alison Reide’s Two of Hearts

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Two of Hearts NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS
Two of Hearts
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS

Chocolate and strawberries. Strawberries and chocolate. Is there a better traditional combo for Valentine’s Day?

We softies at Drink of the Week say no, precisely because even if our hearts are broken at least we have chocolate to eat and maybe some strawberries to blend into pancakes. So when we got to talking to Alison Reide, host of the cupcake and champagne tastings at Corks & Crowns, about her plans for V-Day, we had to have her design a cocktail. Last year, she made us the Valentini, but this time we challenged her to top that.

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SBIFF: A star quartet: Despite cancellations, SBIFF’s Virtuosos celebrates 2013’s breakout roles

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Tuesday night’s Virtuosos awards at the Arlington Theatre celebrated seven of the breakout roles in this past year of films.

Fans of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos evening, which honors several actors for one particular role instead of one actor for a career, have noticed the increasing number of honorees. In 2011 there were five actors, in 2013 six, and now seven.

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SBIFF: Heavy hitters: Producers and women’s panels give insight to the industry

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival hosted discussion panels Saturday at the Lobero Theatre.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival hosted discussion panels Saturday at the Lobero Theatre.

The industry panels are some of the Santa Barbara Film Festival’s most popular events for the cinephile.

While the movie stars attract the most, the two panels Saturday at the Lobero offered much more insight into the day-to-day machinations of the movie business: the search for funding, the challenges of getting films made, and the often convoluted ways of attaining a career.

The panels had some guest overlap, but both provided interest during their hour-long chats.

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SBIFF: Catherine the Great: Cate Blanchett honored for her role in ‘Blue Jasmine’

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Ms. Blanchett signs autographs before walking the red carpet Saturday at the Arlington Theatre.MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Ms. Blanchett signs autographs before walking the red carpet Saturday at the Arlington Theatre.

MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Cate Blanchett sat down with Deadline Hollywood’s Pete Hammond on Saturday night for a conversation about the craft of acting.

This was the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s evening for the Outstanding Performer of the Year, honoring Ms. Blanchett for her starring (and Oscar-nominated) role in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.”

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