Santa Barbara Film Fest: Lineup Revealed for 38th Edition

The 38th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which will run Feb. 8-18, will open with Miranda’s Victim, one of 52 world premieres in this year’s lineup, and will close with the U.S. premiere of I Like Movies, one of 78 U.S. premieres, the fest announced Wednesday.

These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.

The fest will also offer a variety of free educational programs, including Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies (for 4,000-plus fourth through sixth grade students from low-income schools throughout Santa Barbara County), which this year will feature a screening of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro; and Film Studies Program (for 30 undergraduate film students invited from across the country), which provides priority access to films, panels, filmmaker seminars and tributes, as well as intimate Q&As with filmmakers.

“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said in a statement. “At SBIFF, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear: to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”

Opener Miranda’s Victim recounts the story of an 18-year-old woman who was kidnapped and brutally raped in 1963, and whose fight to bring her attacker to justice triggers a law that transforms the nation. Directed by Michelle Danner, it stars Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos and Andy Garcia.

I Like Movies, the closer, tells the story of a 17-year-old cinephile who lands a job at a video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older female manager. Directed by Chandler Levack, it stars Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White.

Below is the full festival screening lineup …

30 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)

21 Miles in Malibu

Directed by Nic Davis

United States

American Outlaws

Directed by Sean McEwen

United States

Bringing Back Our Wetland

Directed by Michael Love

United States

Bullets

Directed by Peter Pontikis

Sweden

Call Me Dancer

Directed by Leslie Shampaine, Pip Gilmour

United States

Commitment to Life

Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz

United States

Dancing With Mom

Directed by Trish Neufeld

Canada

The Dirty Divide

Directed by Paul Freedman

United States

Dr. Tony Fauci

Directed by Mark Mannucci

United States

Full Circle

Directed by Josh Berman

United States

Go On, Be Brave

Directed by Miriam McSpadden, Brian Beckman

United States

Grace Point

Directed by Rory Karpf

United States

The Harvest

Directed by Caylee So

United States

HELEN|BELIEVE

Directed by Dylan Mulick

United States

The House Band

Directed by Laura Brownson

United States

Ibiza Blue (La corriente)

Directed by Jesús Lloveras

Spain

Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection

Directed by Randy Martin

United States

Killing Me Softly With His Songs

Directed by Danny Gold

United States

The Legend of MexMan

Directed by Josh Polon

United States

Miranda’s Victim

Directed by Michelle Danner

United States

Rachel Hendrix

Directed by Victor Nuñez

United States

Rachel’s Farm

Directed by Rachel Ward

Australia

The Right to Read

Directed by Jenny Mackenzie

United States

Samichay, in Search of Happiness (Samichay, en busca de la felicidad)

Directed by Mauricio Franco Tosso

Peru

The Team (El equipo)

Directed by Bernardo Ruiz

United States

Tove’s Room (Toves værelse)

Directed by Martin Zandvliet

Denmark

Vishniac

Directed by Laura Bialis

United States

Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever

Directed by Bernardo Ruiz

Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture

Directed by David Mesfin

United States

53 U.S. PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)

Alam

Directed by Firas Khoury

Palestine

Autobiography

Directed by Makbul Mubarak

Indonesia

Baby Ruby

Directed by Bess Wohl

United States

A Bit of Light

Directed by Stephen Moyer

United Kingdom

Black Mambas

Directed by Lena Karbe

Germany

Bones of Crows

Directed by Marie Clements

Canada

Bread and Salt (Chleb i sól)

Directed by Damian Kocur

Poland

A Bunch of Amateurs

Directed by Kim Hopkins

United Kingdom

The Chambermaid (Sluzka)

Directed by Mariana Čengel Solčanská

Slovakia

Coyote (Le coyote)

Directed by Katherine Jerkovic

Canada

Daughter of Rage (La hija de todas las rabias)

Directed by Laura Baumeister

Nicaragua

Dear Memories

Directed by Nahuel Lopez

Germany

Everybody Wants to Be Loved (Alle wollen geliebt werden)

Directed by Katharina Woll

Germany

Exodus

Directed by Abbe Hassan

Sweden

Fathers & Mothers (Fædre og mødre)

Directed by Paprika Steen

Denmark

Filip

Directed by Michał Kwiecinski

Poland

The Hotel (Lu guan)

Directed by Wáng Xiăoshuài

Chinese Hong Kong

How is Katia? (Yak Tam Katia?)

Directed by Christina Tynkevych

Ukraine

I Like Movies

Directed by Chandler Levack

United States

Into My Name (Nel mio nome)

Directed by Nicolò Bassetti

Italy

Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman (Jane Campion, la femme cinéma)

Directed by Julie Bertuccelli

France

La jauría

Directed by Andrés Ramírez Pulido

Colombia

Lakelands

Directed by Robert Higgins, Patrick McGivney

Ireland

Leila’s Brothers

Directed by Saeed Roustaee

Iran

A Letter from Helga (Svar við bréfi Helgu)

Directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir

Iceland

Lyra

Directed by Alison Millar

Ireland

Maestro(s)

Directed by Bruno Chiche

France

A Man (Aru otoko)

Directed by Kei Ishikawa

Japan

Manuela

Directed by Clara Cullen

United States

My Name Is Happy

Directed by Nick Read, Ayse Toprak

United Kingdom

The Nannies (Les femmes du square)

Directed by Julien Rambaldi

France

Narcosis

Directed by Martijn de Jong

Netherlands

North Circular

Directed by Luke McManus

Ireland

The Other Widow (Pilegesh)

Directed by Ma’ayan Rypp

Israel

Pinto

Directed by Narges Abyar

Iran

Red Shoes (Zapatos rojos)

Directed by Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser

Mexico

Retreat (Réduit)

Directed by Leon Schwitter

Switzerland

Sanaa

Directed by Sudhanshu Saria

India

Savoy

Directed by Zohar Wagner

Israel

Second Act (Andra akten)

Directed by Mårten Klingberg

Sweden

Semret

Directed by Caterina Mona

Switzerland

The Sixth Child (Le sixième enfant)

Directed by Léopold Legrand

France

Stay With Us (Reste un peu)

Directed by Gad Elmaleh

France

Stellar (Ananghoonska)

Directed by Darlene Naponse

Canada

Summerlight and Then Comes the Night (Sumarljós og svo kemur nóttin)

Directed by Elfar Aðalsteins

Iceland

T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets

Directed by Sophie Fiennes

United Kingdom

The Taste of Apples Is Red (Ta’am al tufah, ahmar)

Directed by Ehab Tarabieh

Israel

Three Nights A Week (Trois nuits par semaine)

Directed by Florent Gouëlou

France

Traces (Tragovi)

Directed by Dubravka Turić

Croatia

Valeria Is Getting Married (Valeria mithatenet)

Directed by Michal Vinik

Israel

The Volunteer (La voluntaria)

Directed by Nely Reguera

Spain

Wild Flowers (Girasoles silvestres)

Directed by Jaime Rosales

Spain

Woman at Sea (Grand marin)

Directed by Dinara Drukarova

Iceland

The Young Arsonists

Directed by Sheila Pye

Canada

NON PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)

26.2 to Life

Directed by Christine Yoo

United States

The 50

Directed by Brenton Gieser

United States

American Dreamer

Directed by Paul Dektor

United States

Anxious Nation

Directed by Vanessa Roth, Laura Morton

United States

The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher

Directed by Gregory Mark Bezat

United States

The Baby Daddy (ארי והזרע הקדוש)

Directed by Adi Rabinovici, Yair Cymerman

Israel

Butterfly in the Sky

Directed by Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb

United States

Category: Woman

Directed by Phyllis Ellis

Canada

Chile ’76

Directed by Manuela Martelli

Chile

Cinema Sabaya

Directed by Orit Fouks Rotem

Israel

Corner Office

Directed by Joachim Back

Canada

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy

Directed by Nancy Buirski

United States

The Grab

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite

United States

Gumbo Coalition

Directed by Barbara Kopple

United States

The Happiest Man in the World (Najsreќniot čovek na svetot)

Directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska

North Macedonia

I Like It Here

Directed by Ralph Arlyck

United States

It Ain’t Over

Directed by Sean Mullin

United States

Kerr

Directed by Tayfun Pirselimoğlu

Turkey

Know Your Place

Directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi

United States

A Little Prayer

Directed by Angus MacLachlan

United States

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Directed by Antonio Lukich

Ukraine

No Ordinary Campaign

Directed by Christopher Burke

United States

Other People’s Children (Les enfants des autres)

Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski

France

Our Father, the Devil (Mon père, le diable)

Directed by Ellie Foumbi

United States

Patrick and the Whale

Directed by Mark Fletcher

Austria

The Prank

Directed by Maureen Bharoocha

United States

Pray for Our Sinners

Directed by Sinéad O’Shea

Ireland

The Quiet Girl (An cailín ciúin)

Directed by Colm Bairéad

Ireland

Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul)

Directed by Davy Chou

Cambodia

Safe Place (Sígurno mj́esto)

Directed by Juraj Lerotić

Croatia

Shot in the Arm

Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy

United States

Snow and the Bear (Kar ve ayı)

Directed by Selcen Ergun

Turkey

The Soldier’s Opinion (Daato shel hahayal)

Directed by Assaf Banitt

Israel

Soul of the Ocean

Directed by Howard Hall

United States

Starring Jerry as Himself

Directed by Law Chen

United States

Susie Searches

Directed by Sophie Kargman

United States

Viking

Directed by Stéphane Lafleur

Canada

We Are Still Here

Directed by Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne

Australia

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

Directed by Thomas von Steinaecker

Germany

Who Are the Marcuses?

Directed by Matthew Mishory

Israel

2023 SBIFF SHORT FILMS – (listed alphabetically)

22 WORLD PREMIERES AND 25 U.S. PREMIERES 

À la vie à l’amor

Directed by Emilie Mannering

US Premiere

Canada

All-inclusive (Todo incluido)

Directed by Duván Duque Vargas

US Premiere

Colombia

Apayauq

Directed by Zeppelin Zeerip

World Premiere

United States

Are You Awake?

Directed by Gabriel Caste

World Premiere

United States

Barefoot Empress

Directed by Vikas Khanna

India

Becoming Yamazushi

Directed by G Yamazawa

United States

Big Water Summer: A Creation Story

Directed by Sophie Harris

United States

Bourn Kind

Directed by Rachel Myers

United States

Broken

Directed by Farzaneh Omidvarnia

World Premiere

Iran

Cara Romero: Following the Light

Directed by Kaela Waldstein

United States

Christopher at Sea

Directed by Tom CJ Brown

France

Daisy

Directed by Torbjörn Edwall

US Premiere

Sweden

Earthbound: Nzambi Matee

Directed by Farhoud Meybodi

World Premiere

Japan

Echo

Directed by Ben Wolin, Michael Minahan

World Premiere

United States

Epicenter (소문의 진원지)

Directed by Heeyoon Hahm

US Premiere

South Korea

Everything at Once (Alt på en gang)

Directed by Henrik Dyb Zwart

US Premiere

Norway

Falling Forward Into an Unknown and Dangerous Future

Directed by Mike Ambs

World Premiere

United States

The Fear Cycle

Directed by Dexter Brierley, Matt Seger

World Premiere

United States

Followers

Directed by Julia Bales

World Premiere

United States

The Golden Cage

Directed by Francisco Lopez, Mitchka Saberi

World Premiere

United States

Here to Stay

Directed by Jared Peraglia

United States

I Have No Tears, and I Must Cry (Sin lágrimas para llorar)

Directed by Luis Fernando Puente

United States

ifine

Directed by Adisa Septuri, Ebony Gilbert

World Premiere

United States

III

Directed by Salomé Villeneuve

US Premiere

Canada

It’s Nice in Here

Directed by Robert-Jonathan Koeyers

US Premiere

Netherlands

Ivalu

Directed by Anders Walter

US Premiere

Denmark

John Leguizamo Live at Rikers

Directed by Elena Francesca Engel

United States

Junglefowl

Directed by Kalainithan Kalaichelvan

World Premiere

Canada

Lamara

Directed by Bo Yoon Ha

Uganda

Lamb

Directed by Sinéad O’Loughlin

Ireland

Last Weekend With Jenny and John (Sista helgen med Jenny och John)

Directed by Jimmy Olsson

US Premiere

Sweden

Locals Only: The Big Little Pub

Directed by Gareth Kelly

World Premiere

United States

The Moisture (Rutubet)

Directed by Turan Haste

US Premiere

Turkey

Money and Happiness

Directed by Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak

US Premiere

Serbia

More Than Hair (Plus que des cheveux)

Directed by Fitch Jean

Canada

Mud Crab

Directed by David Robinson-Smith

US Premiere

Australia

Night Cafe

Directed by Joshua Nowak

World Premiere

United States

Nowhere to Go but Everywhere (行き止まりのむこう側)

Directed by Masako Tsumura, Erik Shirai

US Premiere

Japan

Oskar

Directed by Max Vannienschoot

US Premiere

Canada

Pillow Fortress

Directed by Zander Coté

US Premiere

United States

Please Hold the Line (Qing bie gua duan)

Directed by Tan Ce Ding

US Premiere

Malaysia

Range Rider

Directed by Colin Arisman

World Premiere

United States

The Red Suitcase (La valise rouge)

Directed by Cyrus Neshvad

Luxembourg

Regular Rabbit

Directed by Eoin Duffy

Ireland

Rejoice in the Lamb

Directed by Courtney Bush, Will Carington, and Jake Goicoechea

World Premiere

United States

Requiem for a Whale (מותו של לוויתן)

Directed by Ido Weisman

Israel

Run

Directed by Alex Prager

World Premiere

United States

See You In My Dreams (Rencontres nocturnes silencieuses)

Directed by Ariane Louis-Seize

US Premiere

Canada

Shirampari: Legacies of the River (Shirampari, herencias del río)

Directed by Lucía Flórez

Peru

Snow in September

Directed by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

France

The Soft Skinned

Directed by Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe

US Premiere

Australia

Starving

Directed by Bobby Louise, Brig

World Premiere

United States

The Tadpole Trilogy (La trilogie des têtards)

Directed by Léonard Giovenazzo

US Premiere

Canada

Take Me Home

Directed by Liz Sargent

United States

Telos

Directed by Jesse Hovey

World Premiere

United States

This Is Not a House

Directed by Morgan Neville

World Premiere

United States

This Will Not Be a Festival Film (To nie będzie film festiwalowy)

Directed by Julia Orlik

US Premiere

Poland

Three Grains of Salt (Trois grains de gros sel)

Directed by Ingrid Chikhaoui

US Premiere

France

Thursday (Czwartek)

Directed by Bren Cukier

World Premiere

Poland

Tommies

Directed by Brian Fairbairn, Karl Eccleston

US Premiere

United Kingdom

Troy

Directed by Mike Donahue

United States

Trundle and the Lost Borscht of Atlantis

Directed by Laura Lee

World Premiere

United States

Two Chairs, Not One

Directed by Austin Kolodney

United States

The Vacation

Directed by Jarreau Carrillo

United States

Voces de Old Town Carpinteria

Directed by Brent Winebrenner, Leslie A. Westbrook, Suzanne Requejo

World Premiere

United States

Waves Apart

Directed by Josh Greene

World Premiere

United States

Whale-Roads

Directed by Michael Lee, Ethan Takekawa, Meg Kievman, Emma Holm-Olsen

World Premiere

United States

Whiteness at Work

Directed by Peter Bonde Becker Nelson

World Premiere

United States

Will You Look at Me (Dang wo wang xiang ni de shi hou)                                                                                                                                                                                               

Directed by Shuli Huang

China

You’ll Be Happier

Directed by Daniel Lombroso

United States