The 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, is the 2024 edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which took place from February 7 to February 17, 2024, at Santa Barbara, California, United States.
In November and December, honorary awards were announced which are: Outstanding Performer of the Year Award for Bradley Cooper; Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film for Ryan Gosling and Virtuosos Award for Lily Gladstone, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, America Ferrera, and Andrew Scott.
The festival opened with the documentary Madu by Matthew Ogens and Joel Kachi Benson, story of a 12-year-old Nigerian boy Anthony Madu who moves to England to study ballet at a prestigious dance school. This year the festival inaugurated a new award 'Arlington Award', named for the historic venue where all the fest’s annual tributes timed to Oscar season take place. The award honors "an artist who is greatly admired and who has demonstrated an incomparable commitment to film and its craft". Annette Bening is the first recipient of the award.
The festival closed on February 17, with Chosen Family by Heather Graham, story of a yoga teacher Ann who is trying to find inner peace despite having problems in life. In total the festival showcased 45 world premieres and 77 US premieres altogether from 48 countries, with approximately 100 thousand attendees during the week slatted with screenings of over 200+ films. The winners were announced at a ceremony in Santa Barbara.
Official selection
Opening and closing films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Opening filmMadu Matthew Ogens and Joel Kachi Benson United States, Nigeria, United Kingdom Closing filmChosen Family Heather Graham United States
World Premiere Feature Films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 76 Days Joe Wein United States Alien Contact Rick Rosenthal United States Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips John Edward Makens United States Books & Drinks Geoffrey Cowper Dominican RepublicChosen Family Heather Graham United StatesDandelions Basil Mironer United StatesDiving into the Darkness Nays Baghai AustraliaElectra Hala MatarBahrainThe Fight for Black Lives Micere Keels United StatesGiants Rising Lisa Landers United StatesGod & Country Dan Partland United StatesLili Sylwia Rosak PolandThe Long Game Jace Anderson United StatesMadu Matthew Ogens and Joel Kachi Benson United States, Nigeria, United Kingdom The Movie Man Matt Finlin CanadaOkie Kate Cobb United StatesRunning for the Mountains Babette Hogan, Julie Eisenberg United StatesSend Kelp! Blake McWilliam CanadaVeselka Michael Fiore United States
US Premiere Feature Films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Achilles Farhad Delaram Iran, France, Germany Andragogy Budi Pekerti Wregas Bhanuteja Indonesia Atikamekw Suns Soleils Atikamekw Chloé Leriche CanadaThe Ballad of a Hustler Heitor Dhalia United States, Brazil Before It Ends Når befrielsen kommer Anders Walter DenmarkBirthday Girl Michael Noer Denmark The Blue Star La estrella azul Javier Macipe Spain, ArgentinaCinema Laika Veljko Vidak France, Finland Cold Kuldi Erlingur Thoroddsen IcelandCold Sigh Nahid Azizi Sedigh IranCoup! Austin Stark, Joseph Schuman United States Crush: Message in a Bottle Maya Gallus CanadaDance First James Marsh United Kingdom Days of Happiness Les jours heureux Chloé Robichaud CanadaDear Jassi Tarsem Singh India, Canada, United StatesDisconnect Me Alex Lykos AustraliaEdge of Everything Sophia Sabella, Pablo Feldman United StatesEl paraiso Enrico Maria Artale ItalyEstonia Måns Månsson, Juuso Syrjä Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia Excursion Ekskurzija Una Gunjak Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, Norway, QatarFrench Girl James A. Woods, Nicolas Wright CanadaGood Savage Santiago Mohar Volkow MexicoGreen Night Han Shuai Hong KongHoard Luna Carmoon United Kingdom Homecoming Máhccan Suvi West, Anssi Kömi Finland, NorwayI'm Just Here for the Riot Asia Youngman, Kathleen Jayme CanadaThe King Tide Christian Sparkes CanadaThe Last Daughter Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt AustraliaThe Last Movie Olaug Spissøy Kyvik Norway Let Me Go Laissez-moi Maxime Rappaz SwitzerlandMedium Christina Ioakeimidi Greece Mimang 미망 Kim Tae-yang South Korea The Movie Teller La contadora de películas Lone Scherfig Spain, France, ChileMr. Freeman Mads Matthiesen DenmarkMuch Ado About Dying Simon Chambers Ireland On Earth as in Heaven Sur la terre comme au ciel Nathalie Saint-Pierre Canada On the Edge État limite Nicolas Peduzzi FranceThe Other SonEl otro hijo Juan Sebastián Quebrada Colombia, France, Argentina Over the Cracks Sous le tapis Camille Japy FrancePhotophobia Ivan Ostrochovský, Pavel Pekarčík Slovakia, Czech Republic, UkrainePoint of Change Rebecca Coley United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Indonesia Prison in the Andes Penal Cordillera Felipe Carmona Chile, BrazilQueen of Bones Robert Budreau United States, CanadaA Ravaging Wind Paula Hernández Argentina, UruguayThe Reeds Cemil Ağacıkoğlu Turkey Adrian Goiginger Austria, GermanyThe Rooster Mark Leonard Winter AustraliaSeagrass Meredith Hama-Brown Canada Snow Leopard 雪豹 Pema Tseden ChinaSuze Linsey Stewart, Dane Clark CanadaThat They May Face the Rising Sun Pat Collins Ireland The Tundra Within Me Eallogierdu Sara Margrethe Oskal NorwayUnmoored Caroline Ingvarsson United Kingdom Until the Music Is Over Até que a Música Pare Cristiane Oliveira Brazil, ItalyUproar Paul Middleditch, Hamish Bennett New ZealandThe Vourdalak Adrien Beau France
Non Premiere Feature Films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Abroad 어브로드 Giovanni Fumu South Korea, United States All You Hear is Noise Ned Castle, Matt Day United StatesAnother Happy Day Nora Fiffer United StatesAshima Kenji Tsukamoto United States Blaga's Lessons Уроците на Блага Stephan Komandarev Bulgaria Brothers Bratři Tomáš Mašín Czech Republic, Germany, SlovakiaBye Bye Tiberias Lina Soualem France, Palestine, Belgium, Qatar City of Wind Sèr sèr salhi Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir Mongolia, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, FranceThe Contestant Clair Titley United KingdomCopa 71 Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine United KingdomThe Cowboy and the Queen Andrea Nevins United StatesEat Bitter Pascale Appora-Gnekindy, Ningyi Sun Central African Republic, China Ezra Tony Goldwyn United States First Time Female Director Chelsea Peretti United States First We Bombed New Mexico Lois Lipman United States Fresh Kills Jennifer Esposito United StatesA Happy Day Hisham Zaman NorwayI’ll Be Right There Brendan Walsh United StatesIn the Rearview Maciek Hamela Poland, France, UkraineJoika James Napier Robertson New Zealand, PolandLa Extorsión Martino Zaidelis Argentina, USA Limbo Ivan Sen AustraliaA Look Through His Lens Matthew Berkowitz, Gregory Hoblit United States, France, Ireland, United KingdomLucha: A Wrestling Tale Marco Ricci United StatesMourning in Lod Hilla Medalia United StatesOne Life James Hawes United KingdomPet Shop Days Olmo Schnabel United States, Italy, United Kingdom, MexicoSeven Blessings Ayelet Menahemi IsraelShari & Lamb Chop Lisa D’Apolito United StatesShow Her the Money Ky Dickens United States Sira Apolline Traoré Burkina Faso, Senegal, France, Germany Solitude Einvera Ninna Pálmadóttir Iceland, Slovakia, France Sorry/Not Sorry Caroline Suh, Cara Mones United StatesThe Taste of Things Trần Anh Hùng FranceThank You Very Much Alex Braverman United StatesTransMexico Claudia Sanchez United StatesWe Are Guardians Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman United States, Brazil We Grown Now Minhal Baig United States Wicked Little Letters Thea Sharrock United KingdomWithout Air Katalin Moldovai Hungary
2024 SBIFF Short Films
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 72 Marissa Chibás United States841 Rachel Burnett United StatesThe ABCs of Book Banning Sheila Nevins United StatesAbove & Within Patrick Hall United States Alarms Apnées Nicolas Panay FranceAnd Now I Lay Me Down Rani DeMuth United StatesArea Boy Iggy London United KingdomThe Ballad of Tita and the Machines Miguel Angel Caballero United States Basri & Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy Basri & Salma dalam Komedi yang Terus Berputar Khozy RizalIndonesia, United States A Bird Called Memory Pássaro Memória Leonardo Martinelli Brazil, United Kingdom The Birthday Party Il compleanno di Enrico Francesco Sossai Germany, France, ItalyA Body Called Life Spencer MacDonald United StatesBoo Genevieve Aniello United StatesBreaking Silence Amy Bench, Annie Silverstein United StatesThe Breakthrough Daniel Sinclair United States Dammi Yann Mounir Demange France, United Kingdom Dog Apartment Koerkorter Priit Tender Estonia Don’t Cry, Gabriel Pleure pas Gabriel Mathilde Chavanne FranceJane Austen's Period Drama Julia Aks, Steve Pinder United States
Awards
Audience Choice Award: TransMexico by Claudia Sanchez Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: Edge of Everything by Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film: Andragogy by Wregas Bhanuteja Best Documentary Award: Diving Into the Darkness by Nays Baghai Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema: The Blue Star (La estrella azul) by Javier Macipe Best Nordic Film Award: Before It Ends (Når Befrielsen Kommer) by Anders Walter Social Justice Award for Documentary Film: The Last Daughter by Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt The ASC Award for Cinematography: The Movie Teller by Lone Scherfig ADL Stand Up Award: The Last Daughter by Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt Best Documentary Short Film Award: A Man’s Man by Myles Desenberg Bruce Corwin Award – Best Live-Action Short Film Area Boy by Iggy London Bruce Corwin Award – Best Animated Short Film On the 8th Day (Au 8ème Jour) by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin and Théo Duhautois
Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film: Ryan Gosling Maltin Modern Master Award: Robert Downey Jr. Montecito Award: Jeffrey Wright Outstanding Performer(s) of the Year Award: Bradley Cooper for Maestro The American Riviera Award: Mark Ruffalo Cinema Vanguard Award: Paul Giamatti Arlington Award: Annette Bening Outstanding Directors of the Year: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall Virtuosos Award: Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple Colman Domingo – Rustin and The Color Purple America Ferrera – Barbie Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon Greta Lee – Past Lives Charles Melton – May December Da'Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers Andrew Scott – All of Us Strangers
Variety Artisans Award: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell – Songwriter – Barbie Stephane Ceretti – VFX – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Ludwig Göransson – Composer – Oppenheimer Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer – Production Designer – Barbie Kazu Hiro – Hairstyling/Makeup – Maestro Jennifer Lame – Editor – Oppenheimer Rodrigo Prieto – Cinematography – Killers of the Flower Moon Michael Semanick – Re-recording Mixer – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Holly Waddington – Costume Designer – Poor Things
References
External links