News-Press – Page 44

It’s all in the script: SBIFF offers an in-depth look at screenwriting with Oscar nominees

January 27, 2013December 28, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Discussing screenwriting in a Santa Barbara International Film Festival panel were, from left, moderator Anne Thompson; Stephen Chbosky, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"; Roman Coppola, "Moonrise Kingdom"; John Gatins, "Flight"; Rian Johnson, "Looper"; and David Magee, "Life of Pi." MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS — Discussing screenwriting in a Santa Barbara International Film Festival panel were, from left, moderator Anne Thompson; Stephen Chbosky, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”; Roman Coppola, “Moonrise Kingdom”; John Gatins, “Flight”; Rian Johnson, “Looper”; and David Magee, “Life of Pi.”
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS

Saturday afternoon’s “It Starts with the Script” panel at SBIFF was an even-handed affair, giving six of the Oscar-nominated screenwriters time to discuss craft, take questions from the audience (mostly good ones), and offer encouragement to those hoping to make it in the industry.

Critic Anne Thompson returned once again to host the event at the Lobero, bringing on Stephen Chbosky (“The Perks of Being A Wallflower”); Roman Coppola, (“Moonrise Kingdom”); John Gatins (“Flight”); Rian Johnson (“Looper”); and David Magee (“Life of Pi”). “Zero Dark Thirty” writer Mark Boal was a no-show.

Rule breakers: SBIFF directors panel entertaining but uneven

January 27, 2013December 28, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

The directors panel, from left, moderator Peter Bart; Tom Hooper, "Les Miserables"; Rich Moore, "Wreck-It Ralph"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Malik Bendjelloul, "Searching for Sugar Man"; and Mark Andrews, "Brave." NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS — The directors panel, from left, moderator Peter Bart; Tom Hooper, “Les Miserables”; Rich Moore, “Wreck-It Ralph”; David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”; Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; Malik Bendjelloul, “Searching for Sugar Man”; and Mark Andrews, “Brave.”
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS

Six of this year’s Oscar contenders for best director from the narrative, documentary and animation fields sat for a panel discussion on their craft early Saturday morning at the Lobero.

Led by longtime moderator Peter Bart, the annual “Directors on Directing” panel was an entertaining look into their craft, dealing with actors, theories of editing, and working with audiences.

On the other hand, it was an uneven panel in terms of speaking time, and occasionally let down by snark from Mr. Bart.

SBIFF: A man of two worlds

January 27, 2013December 21, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Two-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is a Best Actor nominee for his performance in "Lincoln." Below, he speaks with moderator Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter on Saturday at the Arlington Theatre, before being presented the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Montecito Award. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — Two-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is a Best Actor nominee for his performance in “Lincoln.” Below, he speaks with moderator Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter on Saturday at the Arlington Theatre, before being presented the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Montecito Award.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

For an actor known for his intensity and physicality, Daniel Day-Lewis seems modest and shy in real life, even when taking time to chat with fans gathered Saturday night outside the Arlington Theatre.

The evening was the long-awaited arrival of the Oscar-winning actor to Santa Barbara and SBIFF’s second tribute, the Montecito Award, in its 28th annual fest.

Introduced by director Michael Mann, who worked with the actors on 1992’s “The Last of the Mohicans,” and presented the award by his “Lincoln” co-star, Sally Field, Mr. Day-Lewis sat down with the Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg for a career-spanning, introspective interview.

Hitting the bullseye: SBIFF Honors Ben Affleck for both acting and directing

January 26, 2013December 28, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Above, actor, director and screenwriter Ben Affleck arrives Friday at the Arlington Theatre to receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's 2013 Modern Master Award. Mr. Affleck's latest film, "Argo," is a nominee for Best Picture in the Academy Award. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — Above, actor, director and screenwriter Ben Affleck arrives Friday at the Arlington Theatre to receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 2013 Modern Master Award. Mr. Affleck’s latest film, “Argo,” is a nominee for Best Picture in the Academy Award.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival kicked off its tribute week with Friday night’s celebration of actor, writer, and director Ben Affleck, held before a packed crowd at the Arlington Theatre.

Mr. Affleck was in town to receive the Modern Master Award and to sit down with film critic Leonard Maltin to look back on a career that, for awhile, looked like it was heading toward action films until Mr. Affleck turned to directing. After that point, in the words of Mr. Maltin, Mr. Affleck hit “three bull’s-eyes.”

Young Oscar nominee, Quvenzhane Wallis, takes it all in stride

January 25, 2013December 28, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Quvenzhane Wallis COURTESY PHOTO — Quvenzhane Wallis
COURTESY PHOTO

Actress Quvenzhane (pronounced Kwa-ven-sha-nay) Wallis was five years old when she auditioned for the lead role in “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” six years old when she filmed it, eight years old when she watched it premiere at Sundance and go on to gather acclaim and her own record-breaking Best Actress Oscar nod, and nine when she talked to this interviewer a week before she sits down Tuesday at the Arlington to do the exact same thing. (It’s a part of the Why, she must be thinking, do these adults keep asking me about this film?)

Because it’s a phenomenal performance of grit and daring and honesty, that’s why. But one can imagine the star is unfazed by all this. When she heard about her nomination, she was in her hotel room half asleep, she says. “And my mom told me to wake up, and I woke up and I really wasn’t that excited because I was asleep. But I was very excited on the inside.”

Farce in the Nick of Time – Thornton Wilder’s other award-winning play

January 25, 2013December 28, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

FROM TOP : Front, from left, velociraptor Danny McMillan and postal worker Brittany Danyel; center, with hat, David Stewart and in back, from left, Thom Thomas and Laura Ring. Getting ready for the next disaster in grand style are the Antrobus family, representing the human race. They are, back row from left, Maggie and George (Laura Ring and Ron Feltner), their intractable maid Sabina (Zuska Sabata) and, front, willful daughter Gladys (Julia Wilson) and son Henry (David Stewart) who hates his father. MaryM Long photos — FROM TOP :
Front, from left, velociraptor Danny McMillan and postal worker Brittany Danyel; center, with hat, David Stewart and in back, from left, Thom Thomas and Laura Ring.
Getting ready for the next disaster in grand style are the Antrobus family, representing the human race. They are, back row from left, Maggie and George (Laura Ring and Ron Feltner), their intractable maid Sabina (Zuska Sabata) and, front, willful daughter Gladys (Julia Wilson) and son Henry (David Stewart) who hates his father.
MaryM Long photos

On 1941, playwright Thornton Wilder conceived of a eons-spanning play that would follow one family from the Ice Age through to Armageddon. After all, the play was written in the shadow of the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into World War II, and the concept of mankind coming to an end felt palpable. But Wilder’s first version of the play was too heavy for already war-weary audiences. Instead, the author did an about-face, changed the play to a silly farce, and everybody was happy — including those on the Pulitzer Prize committee, who gave Wilder an award in 1943 for the work. Overshadowed by Wilder’s wide-reaching and less silly “Our Town,” this farce gets another look starting tonight for a five-week run at OJAIAct.

Director Richard Kuhlman, last seen directing “The Provoked Wife” for Transport Theatre in Ojai, says he’s known the play since high school and has wanted to produce it.

So Many Films, So Little Time – Recommendations for this year’s SBIFF

January 18, 2013December 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

I figure there’s two types at the SBIFF that don’t overlap, but I could be wrong. Those who stand in line, in the cold, to catch a glimpse of a celebrity arriving for the red carpet; and those who stand in line, in the cold, waiting to get in to a cozy theater for a film they know nothing about. Well this is going out to the latter, those who love this long list of films in the guide with very little idea — no TV or magazine review, no publicity campaign — of what they’re in for apart from a few keywords and an intriguing publicity photo or poster. That’s some film love, my friends.

The guide below represents my own choices of what to see, based upon previous festival performances, directors’ resumes and word of mouth. There’s so much more, but here’s a good place to start.

In Memory of Mike – SBIFF Honors Filmmaker Michael DeGruy with retrospective and more

January 18, 2013December 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

It’s been nearly a year to the day when nature filmmaker and friend of the SBIFF, Mike DeGruy, went down in a helicopter accident while filming off Australia. It happened during the 2012 Fest and the shock waves of his death cast a pall over the rest of the week more than any storm could do. In all the years of covering the Fest, the only vaguely equivalent tragedy was the 1999 passing of Stanley Kubrick, but this was completely different. This was close to home; this was one of the festival’s own, a man who not only had started the Reel Nature film sidebar, but also Field Trip to the Movies, bringing school kids out to see films, creating who knows how many film buffs.

And so this year the SBIFF will honor their fallen friend with a retrospective of Mr. DeGruy’s films, spanning over thirty years.

Surfing and Shooting – The circular career of filmmaker Greg Huglin

January 18, 2013December 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

This is a story of a man who retired only to have the technology change for the better, which then brought him back into the field he thought he had just left. And all through it, he’s been able to stay close to the ocean.

When I get Greg Huglin on the phone he’s in Hawaii as part of a film crew that is busy following around big-wave surfers, both those who tow-in by jet-ski and those who prefer the old method of paddling out. Once passe, the method is making a comeback. It’s fitting for Mr. Huglin, who thought he’d retired, having given up working in film. But the new high-definition cameras like the Epic Red have been too good to pass up. And so Mr. Huglin is back doing what he loves to do.

A Hilarious Quartet – Speaking of Stories First 2013 show is all Laughs

January 11, 2013December 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Sometimes you have to just sit back and laugh. Speaking of Stories does, at least once a year, with its “Nothing But Laughs” evening this Sunday and Monday, which presents four short stories designed to make you ell-oh-ell, as the kids say. Artistic director Maggie Mixsell has curated this show of four comic stories from Somerset Maugham, Kurt Vonnegut, Elizabeth Berg, and Jenny Allen along a very easy criteria.

“I have to at least chuckle,” she says.