Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city of Santa Barbara lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city’s economy includes a large service sector, education, technology, health care, finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and local government. The city is rich in terms of hosting a number of cultural activities and has a profound aesthetic background.
In recent years, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has become a major event in the city, and has become the site for a variety of celebrities, premieres, panels and movies from around the world and runs for 10 days. The Film Festival 2011 will begin on Thursday, January 27 through Sunday, February 6, 2011.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is dedicated to the art of filmmaking, which seeks out and consequently offers a broad array of international and independent films, with a commitment to diversity. SBIFF, which attracts more than 70,000 visitors each year, endeavors to enrich the community both culturally and economically by presenting eleven days of films, tributes and symposiums, raising consciousness of film as an art form. SBIFF presents quality American and world independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars as well as documentary cinema within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a premier tourist destination. With the city’s destination desirability and the Festival’s attraction of stellar luminaries and exceptional programming, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is truly a delightful experience.
Utilizing the dramatic and beautiful setting of the historic Arlington Theatre, the Festival honors tribute recipients with an all-star red-carpet experience as lines of media, crowds of fans and Festival supporters line the pathway. The evening’s celebration consists of a professionally produced film montage of the honoree’s body of work, a live on-stage interview hosted by an acclaimed film personality.
Some of the awards are categorized as -
1. Outstanding Performance of the Year Award: This tribute was created to honor the actor or actress whose role in a film has exceeded greatness. The Outstanding Performance of the Year Award is given to the best performance of the year. Some of the past recipients have been - Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz and Angelina Jolie.
2. Virtuosos Award: An award given to multiple “up-and-coming” actors for achieving a breakthrough performance. Some of the past recipients have been - Emily Blunt, Carey Mulligan and Saoirse Ronan.
3. Modern Master Award : The Modern Master Award is the highest honor presented by SBIFF. Established in 1995, it was created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry. Some of the past recipients have been- James Cameron and Clint Eastwood.
The festival that lasts 10 days is an experience which lasts for a lifetime. Join hundreds of filmmakers and thousands of film enthusiasts as Santa Barbara welcomes the best of new and unique cinema.
For more information, contact Sheema Vohra at sheema.vohra@sarthaindia.com, Tel: (11) 2696 5054 / 26853665
