{"id":9607,"date":"2019-01-30T15:15:09","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T23:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9607"},"modified":"2019-01-30T15:06:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T23:06:00","slug":"santa-barbara-international-film-festival-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9607","title":{"rendered":"Santa Barbara International Film Festival Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) opens with world premiere of\u00a0Diving Deep:The Life and Times of Mike deGruy<\/em>, directed by Mimi deGruy. Closing night film is\u00a0Spoons: A Santa Barbara Story<\/em>, directed by Wyatt Daily.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Just\u00a0<\/span>announced:\u00a0<\/span>Rami Malek to receive Outstanding Performer of the Year on Friday, Feb. 1. Plus tributes to Viggo Mortensen, Glenn Close, Melissa McCarthy, Michael B. Jordan and more, including 64 world premiere and 59 U.S. premiere films.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“SBIFF is an event that brings together a plethora of visitors\u2014international, national and local filmmakers, Oscar contenders, vital educational programs,” said Executive Director Roger Durling<\/a> at a kick-off press conference earlier this month.\u00a0 “We have entered this year with a renewed sense of purpose and continuity with the festival and understand more than ever the important role we play in the community. As such, we have chosen to bookend our festival with two films about iconic people and places in Santa Barbara to highlight the resilience, vitality and the talent within the Santa Barbara community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s an overview of the entire festival, which runs from Wednesday, January 30 through Saturday, February 9.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

OPENING NIGHT<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

SBIFF 2019 will start with the Opening Night Film, presented by UGG<\/span>\u00ae<\/sup><\/span>, on Wednesday, January 30, at the historic Arlington Theatre with the world premiere of Diving Deep:The Life and Times of Mike deGruy<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>directed by Mimi deGruy<\/a>.\u00a0 A\u00a0<\/span>feature film documentary about Mike deGruy, an irrepressible biologist turned award-winning filmmaker who swam, dived and filmed in oceans around the world and in the process became the first to film many rarely seen creatures in their own oceans. He was also a passionate advocate of the ocean\u2019s creatures and \u00a0became increasingly outspoken as an environmental activist. In 2012, deGruy died tragically in a helicopter crash in Australia while filming for director James Cameron. Told through the eyes of his wife and filmmaking partner, Diving Deep<\/em> celebrates deGruy\u2019s remarkable life, career and what he passionately believed: we are destroying the ocean before we even know what\u2019s there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the film, the Opening Night Gala, sponsored by Amazon Studios, will take place in Paseo Nuevo Shops and Restaurants in downtown Santa Barbara. Always a fun event, the party features entertainment, food, libations, and a chance to celebrate the start of SBIFF.<\/span><\/p>\n

CLOSING NIGHT<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Festival will close Saturday, February 9 at the Arlington Theatre with the world premiere of Spoons: A Santa Barbara Story <\/em><\/a>directed by Wyatt Daily. The Closing Night Film is sponsored by Winchester Mystery House.<\/span><\/p>\n