Tag Archives: Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Adam Valdez to Receive One of Variety’s Artisan Awards

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Adam Valdez is a true artisan…

The Latino Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor will be one of the honorees at Variety’s sixth annual Artisans Awards, which celebrates those essential to the filmmaking process and who’ve exhibited the most exciting and innovative work of the year in their respective fields.

Adam Valdez

Valdezis being recognized for his work on Disney’s The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau. Valdez, along with Rob Legato, serves as the film’s visual effect supervisor. 

Previously, he has worked on the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. And he nabbed an Oscar for his work on Jungle Book, also directed by Favreau.

The tribute evening will take place during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday, January 19 at the Lobero Theatreand will be moderated by Variety’s senior VP and awards editor, Tim Grayand Variety’s artisan editor Jazz Tangcay.

The 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs from January 15 through January 25.

Trailer Released for Sanz’s Comedy “A Better You”

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Horatio Sanz isn’t afraid to pull the “I don’t speak English” card… Well, at least the character he plays in his latest film.

The trailer has been released for Matt Walsh’s second directorial comedy A Better You, which features the 45-year-old Chilean actor and former Saturday Night Live cast member.

Horatio Sanz in A Better You

Sanz appears as Hugo in the film, which follows Dr. Ron (Brian Huskey), a Hollywood quack hypnotherapist.

The only thing worse than Dr. Ron’s methods are his disrespectful patients who loiter around the neighborhood as seen in this clip.

The film, which was co-written by Huskey and Walsh, made its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Joe Lo Truglio, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Morgan Walsh, Natasha Leggero, Reid Scott and Mo Gaffney also star.

Bichir Declared a Film Virtuoso

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It’s turning out to be a better life for Demián Bichir after his starring role as a an East L.A. illegal immigrant gardener.

The 48-year-old Mexican actor, who has received a Spirit Award nod and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, will receive one of the Virtuosos Awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival next month for his inspired work in A Better Life.

Demian Bichir

The critically acclaimed film centers on an illegal immigrant father’s love and details the lengths he’ll go to give his child the opportunities he never had.

Along with Bichir, Virtuosos Awards will be presented on Friday, February 3 to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’s Rooney Mara, Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy, Young Adult’s Patton Oswalt, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Andy Serkis and The Descendants’ Shailene Woodley.

In addition, The Artist’s Bérénice Bejo and her co-star Jean Dujardin will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the festival on Saturday, February 4, 2012.

The 27thAnnual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from January 26 through February 5.

Bejo Receives Critics’ Choice Nomination…

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It could turn out to be a stellar awards season for rising star Bérénice Bejo…

The 35-year-old Argentine actress has received a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Supporting Actress from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her show-stopping performance in The Artist.

Berenice Bejo The Artist

The announcement comes about a week after it was announced Bejo will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February. She’s also received Best Supporting Actress nods this season from the Detroit Film Critics Society and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.

In the highly acclaimed film directed by her husband Michel Hazanavicius, Bejo stars as Peppy Miller, a young dancer on the verge of her big break in Hollywood in 1927 as silent movies grow out of fashion and get replaced by “talkies.”

Bejo faces serious competition in the Best Supporting Actress category. She’s up against Jessica Chastain for the The Help,
Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, Carey Mulligan for Shame, Octavia Spencer for The Help
and Shailene Woodley for The Descendants.

jean-dujardin-berenice-bejo-the-artist

In addition, Bejo and her The Artist co-stars have received a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Acting Ensemble, along with the casts from Bridesmaids,The Descendants,
The Help and
 The Ides of March.

Meanwhile, 57-year-ild film composer Cliff Martinez, who recently received a Satellite Award nomination, has received a Critics’ Choice nod for Best Score for his work on Drive.

The Artist’s Bejo a Cinema Vanguard…

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She steals the spotlight in the critically acclaimed The Artist… And, now Bérénice Bejo is reaping the rewards of her show-stopping performance in the silent film.

Berenice Bejo The Artist

The 35-year-old Argentine actress and her co-star Jean Dujardin will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Set in 1927 Hollywood, The Artist—which has already garnered plenty of pre-Oscar buzz—centers around silent movie star George Valentin, who wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion as he sparks a relationship with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

“We are grateful to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for this incredible honor,” remarked Dujardin. “Delivering a silent film to the 21stcentury is no easy task, and it would have in no way been possible without the talent and dedication of the incredible ensemble of actors we had the pleasure of working with: James Cromwell, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle and Malcom McDowell. This award is just as much for them as it is for us.”

The award was established to recognize actors who’ve forged their own path by taking artistic risks and making significant and unique contributions to film.

Previous award recipients include Nicole Kidman, Vera Farmiga, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling.

Bejo, who has previously appeared in A Knight’s Tale, will receive her award at a special tribute event on Saturday, February 4, 2012. Meanwhile, the film festival will run from January 26 – February 5, 2012.