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Roger Durling opens the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Photo by Lambert Photography.

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Film Fest kicks off 25th year

By COLBY FRAZIER — Feb. 5, 2010

There weren’t many stars in the sky, but it’s difficult to imagine organizers of the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival could have dreamt for a better opening night to its silver anniversary last night at the Arlington Theatre.

A capacity crowd turned out for the world premier of “Flying Lessons,” which was shot in the Santa Ynez Valley; the movie stars appeared to show up on time for their strolls down, or rather up, the red carpet; and festival Executive Director Roger Durling’s hair was just brown, as opposed to bright red, blue, green or purple. But of course, this last matter is subject to change as Durling, and this festival, take over the area’s theaters and the imaginations of cinema buffs over the next “11 Amazing Days, 10 Starry Nights,” as the festival’s motto says.

“Everything is beautiful at the movies,” Durling told the audience during his opening night speech, just before asking the crowd to take a moment to shake hands with an unknown person nearby.

In his seventh year as festival director, it’s become clear that Durling is serious about movies.  But the man also obviously takes his movie-going experience personal. And he encouraged festival-goers to do the same.

“I hope that you open this incredible gift of the next 11 days and take an active role with the films that you watch,” he said.

Anyone hoping to see even a portion of what the festival has to offer will have to be extremely active, and suck down some serious caffeine.

Aside from honoring the likes of Sandra Bullock, James Cameron, Julianne Moore, Colin Firth and Kathryn Bigelow, 196 films from 45 countries will be shown. Among them are 18 world premiers and 28 U.S. premiers.

In between are several panels and seminars, including a director’s panel that’s stocked with undeniable talents like Jason Reitman (“Juno” and “Up in the Air”), James Cameron (“Avatar”), Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”), and Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”).

In his opening remarks, Durling paid homage to Santa Barbara’s film history. He noted that 100 years ago, Flying A Studio set up shop here, and for a couple of decades, rivaled Hollywood.

The Arlington Theatre, with its always shining stars on the ceiling and Spanish village lurking on the peripheries, was built 80 years ago, Durling said, calling it Santa Barbara’s “own church of film.”

Before “Flying Lessons,” which stars Maggie Grace, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Cary Elwes and Nikki DeLoach, and was directed by Derek Magyar, got underway, Durling gave up his microphone to the festival’s founding director, Phyllis DePicciotto, who recalled how 25 years ago, she hit up the Santa Barbara City Council for some cash for a film festival, which would lure tourists here during the doldrums of winter.

“They didn’t even know what a festival was,” she said of that City Council. But city leaders forked over the cash anyway, and a quarter of a century later, the festival has blossomed into a cozy, seaside stop-off for Academy Award-bound talent (32 Academy Award nominated actors, directors and the like will be making appearances over the next 11 days.)

Prior to Durling’s opening remarks, a film montage was shown that featured various community members who recalled 1985, the festival’s inaugural year.

But it was DePicciotto who delivered the most poignant tie to that night 25 years ago, and this opening night. She said the first film shown at the inaugural festival was “Just Between Friends,” which starred Christine Lahti, who also appears in “Flying Lessons.”

Along with the glitz, the flashing of cameras and smell of popcorn, an undeniable sense of history was on display.

And both DePicciotto and Durling had the same slice of advice for festival-goers: to venture into new fields of cinema and explore the vast well of films on tap.

“Go to the movies,” DePicciotto said, “Take a chance.”

More information about the festival and a full list of films and events is available at www.sbiff.org.

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: 2/5/2010

I love the FF, but this movie sucked. Come on, guys!!!

Dissapointed

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Durling : 2/6/2010

Roger Durling can get all the accolades and nice press out there but I will still never forget when I approached him at the opening gala about 5 years ago to congratulate him on the success of the SBIFF. He looked me up and down, mumbled something, and quickly walked away. He is more pompous than any of the stars on his red carpet.

unimpressed

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