Patricia Chidlaw’s oil painting becomes Santa Barbara International Film Festival poster
Patricia Chidlaw stands in front of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival poster, which is based on her oil on canvas painting, “2 Stars, Arlington.”
A renowned painter’s realistic image of the historic Arlington Theatre graces this year’s poster for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Artist Patricia Chidlaw’s poster was unveiled Wednesday morning before reporters and photographers at Sullivan Goss: American Gallery, where owner Nathan Vonk had a lot to say in praise of it.
For one thing, Mr. Vonk told the News-Press, Ms. Chidlaw knew what details to include and what details to leave to the viewer’s imagination in her oil on canvas painting, “2 Stars, Arlington.”
“She’s really amazing,” Mr. Vonk said. “It looks like a photograph.”
In creating her first painting for the film festival’s poster, Ms. Chidlaw was careful to leave space in the sky for the typeface promoting the popular festival.
The film festival will take place Feb. 8-18 at the Arlington Theater and other Santa Barbara venues, and the stars will vary from recent Golden Globe winners Angela Bassett and Cate Blanchett to Brendan Fraser, who’s seen as a likely Oscar nominee for his critically acclaimed comeback role in “The Whale.” Mr. Fraser will receive the Riviera Award, and Ms. Bassett and Ms. Blanchett are winners of the Montecito Award and Outstanding Performer of the Year Award winners respectively.
Other stars will vary from Austin Butler, who starred in the title role of “Elvis,” to Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere At Once”) and Jamie Lee Curtis, who will receive the Matlin Modern Master Award and be interviewed by critic Leonard Maltin.
The Cinema Vanguard Award will go to stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
“We will have 52 world premieres and 78 U.S. premieres from 43 countries,” Roger Durling, the festival’s executive director, told reporters at Sullivan Goss.
And he explained the festival reached out to Sullivan Goss for an artist to create this year’s image.
That’s how Ms. Chidlaw became involved, and she took Mr. Vonk’s suggestion that she paint the Arlington from the vantage point of the roof of The Granada’s parking garage.
“It’s a good view,” Ms. Chidlaw told the News-Press.
The artist actually created three oil paintings, one of the Arlington with a clear sky, which was chosen for the poster; another one with colorful clouds in the sky and a third of a woman leaning against an interior wall of the Arlington as an audience watches a movie.
All three paintings were shown during the news conference, and Mr. Vonk said all three will be displayed in the gallery during the film festival.
In addition to unveiling the poster, Mr. Durling discussed the festival’s programming.
“The festival will open with the world premiere of ‘Miranda’s Victim,’ about the people behind the history of the Miranda rights in 1963, starring Abigail Breslin, among other actors,” Mr. Durling said.
Mr. Durling said the festival has a fantastic slate of actors and movies. He added that the participants in the directors’ evening will be announced at a later point.
He started Wednesday’s news conference by describing the festival’s various programs for youths, which includes bussing them to the Arlington Theatre.
Mr. Durling said the director of Netflix’s “Pinocchio,” Guillermo del Toro, will be featured during the marquee event for third through sixth graders. “He will be doing a masters class and answering questions from the kids.”
Educational outreach also includes a film studies program for 30 undergraduate students from across the country, as well as the 10-10-10 Student Screenwriting and Filmmaking Mentorship and Competition. It involves 20 area high school and college screenwriters and filmmakers.
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will run Feb. 8-18 at the Arlington Theatre and other Santa Barbara venues. For more information, go to sbiff.org.
