The Santa Barbara International Festival will present its directors of the year awards Thursday.
Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”), Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”), Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”) and Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”) will receive the 2022 Outstanding Directors of the Year Award during the 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Following one-on-one conversations, all the director honorees will join in a panel discussion. The event will take place at 8 p.m.Thursday at the Arlington Theatre and will be moderated by Scott Feinberg.
“The heart and soul of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has always been the camaraderie and conversation emanating from its panels. After two years of virtual dialogues, it will definitely be thrilling and exhilarating to be in a room listening live to all of this incredible talent,” said Roger Durling, SBIFF’s executive director.
The festival will take place in-person Wednesday through March 12. More than 200 films, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will take place throughout Santa Barbara, including the historic Arlington Theatre.
The Writers Panel will be in-person at 11 a.m. Saturday and moderated by Anne Thompson. Panelists include Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”); Siân Heder (“Coda”); Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”)); Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”; Zach Baylin (“King Richard”); Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”); Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”); and Eskil Vogt (“The Worst Person in the World”).
The Producers Panel will be in-person at 2 p.m. Saturday, moderated by Glenn Whipp. Panelists include Laura Berwick (“Belfast”); Patrick Wachsberger (“Coda”); Kevin Messick (“Don’t Look Up”); Teruhisa Yamamoto (“Drive My Car”); Mary Parent (“Dune”); Tim White (“King Richard”); Sara Murphy (“Licorice Pizza”); J. Miles Dale (“Nightmare Alley”); Tanya Seghatchian (“The Power of the Dog”) and Rita Moreno (“West Side Story”).
The inaugural Animation Panel will be in-person at 11 a.m. Sunday, moderated by Mr. Durling, and admission is free. Panelists include Charise Castro Smith, co-writer/co-director (“Encanto”); Charlotte De La Gournerie, producer (“Flee”); Enrico Casarosa, co-writer/director (“Luca”); Mike Rianda, co-writer/co-director (“The Mitchells vs. The Machines”); and Don Hall , co-director (“Raya and the Last Dragon”).
The Women’s Panel will be in-person at 11 a.m. March 12, moderated by Madelyn Hammond.
Panelists include Jessica Kingdom, director (“Ascension”); Lynn Harris, producer (“King Richard”); Diane Warren, composer of the Oscar-nominated original song “Somehow You Do”; Amber Richards, production design (“The Power of the Dog”); and Elizabeth Mirzaei, director of an Oscar-nominated short (“Three Songs for Benazir”).
For more information or to buy passes, visit sbiff.org.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
