News-Press – Page 25

A Bit of Faith – Local Christian Filmmakers premiere their first feature at Arlington

March 14, 2014September 9, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

Melissa Dixon, left, plays Elaine and Crister De Leon plays Alex in the film "Redemption of the Heart Road Less Traveled Pictures — Melissa Dixon, left, plays Elaine and Crister De Leon plays Alex in the film “Redemption of the Heart
Road Less Traveled Pictures

Indie filmmakers work years to see their projects through to the premiere date. They enlist friends, family and co-workers to help. They scrape together funds to start and they further scrape to finish. But it’s all worth it for the love of creativity.

“Redemption of the Heart” ‘s filmmakers, Isaac Meeks of Santa Ynez and Sandon Yahn of Oxnard, have had a similar experience with their film, but the twist here is that they’re also doing it for the love of Jesus and their church, Calvary Chapel.
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DRINK OF THE WEEK: Dargan’s Patrick’s Pride

March 13, 2014October 2, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

Ah, the luck of the Irish! Or, shall we say, the luck of the Drink of the Week team, to walk into Dargan’s when bartender Patrick Owens was tending to his flock. Indeed, to impress a birthday girl over at a corner table, we watched him fold up a napkin and tuck it under his black shirt collar, making him look like a vicar. We knew right then that this witty man would rise to our St. Patrick’s Day challenge of an appropriate cocktail.
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Thanks for the memories : Survivors gather to honor loved ones at annual Cottage Hospital event

March 3, 2014September 4, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

Heidi Braunger places a note for her mother Nancy, who passed away in August 2013, during the "A Gathering of Remembrance" memorial service held at the Burtness Auditorium in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. — Heidi Braunger places a note for her mother Nancy, who passed away in August 2013, during the “A Gathering of Remembrance” memorial service held at the Burtness Auditorium in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

A group of around 40 mourners gathered on Sunday afternoon for Cottage Hospital’s annual memorial service, “A Gathering of Remembrance.”

The event provides families and loved ones of those who have died in the hospital’s care in the last year another chance to say goodbye. Started four years ago by members of the hospital and its nondenominational clergy, the memorial is a short service with numerous texts read by staff and a chance to place an origami crane with a message to a love one on an altar.
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The verdict is in : Dos Pueblos wins county Mock Trial, advances to state finals

March 2, 2014January 29, 2021 tedmills Leave a comment

Longstanding rivals Dos Pueblos and San Marcos high schools battled it out Saturday, not on the court, but in the courtroom, as the county finals of the Mock Trial competition came to a conclusion.

This three-decades-long contest pits schools against each other as they play both prosecutor and defense counsel, witnesses and accused, and other roles in a long day pitched somewhere between a debate club and live theater.
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The planter of seeds : ‘Banker to the poor’ Muhammad Yunus shares micro-lending philosophy

March 1, 2014September 3, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

Muhammad Yunus addresses Westmont College President's Breakfast Friday.STEVE MALONE/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — Muhammad Yunus addresses Westmont College President’s Breakfast Friday.

STEVE MALONE/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus spoke Friday at this year’s Westmont President’s Breakfast to a full room of faculty, sponsors and students at the Fess Parker Doubletree resort.

In his hour-long speech that shares its title with one of his books — “Creating a World without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism” — professor Yunus talked about how he started the Grameen Bank and the business of micro-loans in his native Bangladesh, his numerous other projects, and his philosophy of a kinder, less rapacious capitalism.
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SBIFF: Wide eyes and big movies: SBIFF’s Field Trip brings in children to experience films on the big screen

February 9, 2014September 2, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

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.

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

February 8, 2014September 2, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

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.

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

February 7, 2014September 2, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

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.

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

February 7, 2014April 22, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

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.)

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

February 7, 2014September 15, 2014 tedmills Leave a comment

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.