Santa Barbara Film Festival

SBIFF: Lawrence wows Arlington at SBIFF’s final tribute

February 3, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Jennifer Lawrence stops for photographers at the Arlington Theatre. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — Jennifer Lawrence stops for photographers at the Arlington Theatre.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

If SBIFF followers were feeling a bit underwhelmed with the star power of its last few tributes, the screaming crowds 10 people deep ringing the Arlington on Saturday night assuaged all fears.

Jennifer Lawrence, the 22-year-old actress best known for three standout hits, was in town to receive SBIFF’s Outstanding Performance of the Year award.

The award was for her Oscar-nominated work in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” but the throngs of devoted fans were here to see the Ms. Lawrence they knew: Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games.”

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.”

Time to Shine

January 29, 2010May 7, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Sandra Bullock may finally be having her time in the sun. After the critical and popular success of “Speed” and “While You Were Sleeping” in 1994 and 1995, the actress has never been off our marquees, from thrillers and romantic comedies. But the big awards have eluded her, until now.

11 Amazing Days, 10 Starry Nights.

This year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival almost throws down a gauntlet with that slogan: we’ve got so many must-see events, we dare you to get to them all! And we know. We’ve seen those people in line, heck sometimes we’ve been them, too: the hardened determination, the 1,000-yard stare of the film addict. More stories, more inspiration, more celluloid, more tributes, more buzz, more, more, more!