Features & Essays

SBIFF 2023: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson receive the Cinema Vanguard Award

The award — presented to them by the film’s director, Martin McDonagh — celebrated their contribution to film over the course of their careers that expanded the foundation of their craft. 
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“Now, Voyager” sails miles ahead of its time

The Carsey-Wolf Center hosted a screening of the 1942 classic “Now, Voyager,” followed by a discussion led by professor E. Ann Kaplan about the film’s historical context.
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Big Hungry: A pretty good freshman meal

Forming friendships while learning to balance school, newfound independence and starting a band is not a typical freshman experience, and that’s why the members of Big Hungry are so unique.
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UCSB Arts & Lectures holds screenings of “Hiding in Plain Sight,” executively produced by Ken Burns

"Hiding in Plain Sight", which is executively produced by Academy Award nominee Ken Burns, aims to shed light on the crisis of mental health among young people in the United States. 
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Local photographer looks to bring the streets of Isla Vista together

The Instagram account @ivstreets currently has around 2,400 followers and shares a wide variety of daily posts featuring life in Isla Vista.
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Allison Russell wears her heart on her sleeve in debut album performance

On Nov. 16, UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures welcomed Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell to perform her debut album, “Outside Child,” at Campbell Hall.
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Slipping into the industry: Emmett Malloy’s journey to music manager

“Straight out of a funny, young comedy movie” is Emmett Malloy’s apt way of describing his dive into the music industry representing soft-rock cult favorite Jack Johnson. 
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Isla Vista: alive with the Dead

Dead Set encapsulates the image of iconic rock band, the Grateful Dead, with their uniquely Americana sound rising out of packed backyards and into the Isla Vista night.
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‘Sad Girl Indie’: the complex women behind the label

The culture that has evolved around 'sad girls' is one that seems to glamorize the sadness these women and femme artists are experiencing.
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Say the name – Seventeen and its worldwide influence

Seventeen made its debut in 2015, and since then, the K-pop group has become a worldwide phenomenon
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“Sounds of Isla Vista”: A look into the I.V. music scene

“Long live the IV music scene” declares the bio of a recently created go-to resource for I.V. concert lovers: the @soundsofiv Instagram page, which has gained over 3,000 followers in less than a y...
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Molly Nilsson on Witchcraft, Anti-fascism and How Her Nostalgic Synth-pop Ties It All Together

The Swedish-born artist has crafted a discography that waltzes between the electronic, minimal synth and hypnagogic pop genres.
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A Look Into Bugeater1101’s Cozy World of Philosophical Thoughts

On a nicer, less stressful corner of the internet, lies Alisha, who on TikTok is known as @bugeater1101
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Student Film “Figment” Explores the Absurd and Surreal

Stay tuned this summer for the release of an all-UC Santa Barbara student-led film called “Figment," an absurdist comedy about someone who realizes they’re living inside someone else’s dream.
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Dancers off the Stage: “Visions of Vibrancy” Spring Dance Concert

The annual UC Santa Barbara Spring Dance Concert, “Visions of Vibrancy,” highlighted the talent of senior dancers as they showcased their dancing and choreography skills.
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