{"id":6011,"date":"2014-01-08T15:51:36","date_gmt":"2014-01-08T23:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6011"},"modified":"2014-01-08T15:51:36","modified_gmt":"2014-01-08T23:51:36","slug":"mission-blue-is-opening-night-film-for-sb-international-film-festival-complete-program-for-2014-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6011","title":{"rendered":"“Mission Blue” is Opening Night Film for SB International Film Festival, Complete Program for 2014 Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"film-fest-poster\"<\/a>This morning the Santa Barbara International Film Festival<\/a> (SBIFF) announced its highly-anticipated line-up for this year. \u00a0The Festival begins \u00a0January 30 and continues through February 9 and\u00a0UGG Australia is the presenting sponsor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe importance of keeping a sense of exploration and being aware of global issues\u2014as represented in our choice for opening night, Mission Blue<\/em><\/a>\u2014 is an overriding theme in our 29th edition of SBIFF,\u201d said SBIFF executive director Roger Durling<\/a>. \u201cThat spirit carried over into every decision and influenced all of our exciting programs as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The opening night film is a world premiere documentary, \u00a0<\/span>directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens. Shot over a three-year period in numerous locations around the world, Mission Blue<\/em> traces legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle<\/a>‘s\u00a0remarkable personal journey, from her earliest memories exploring the Ocean as a young girl, to her days leading a daring undersea mission in the Virgin Islands to her experience as the chief scientist at NOAA and beyond. The film is part oceanic road trip; part biography; part action adventure story. Guiding us through the film is Stevens, whose own lifelong passion for the ocean inspired him to produce the Academy award winning film, The Cove<\/em>. The film also features James Cameron and the late Mike deGruy<\/a>. Opening night, sponsored by Studio 7<\/a> and The Santa Barbara Independent<\/em>, will take place at the Arlington Theatre on \u00a0January 30, \u00a0with director Fisher Stevens and Sylvia Earle attending.<\/p>\n

On Closing Night, SBIFF presents the critically acclaimed Before Trilogy: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset<\/em> and Before Midnight.<\/em> The first two films will screen back-to-back at the Lobero Theatre in the afternoon. After a short break, Before Midnight will close the fest at the Arlington Theatre and will include an in-depth conversation moderated by IndieWIRE\u2019s Anne Thompson with co-screenwriters Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, who also directed the film.<\/p>\n