Artsweek

February 8, 2015

Cirque Ziva Performs Mind-Bending Stunts at Campbell

By Kelsey Tang

One might feel a sense of shame blended with awe when witnessing the Golden Dragon Acrobats contort, bend and balance so seamlessly. The Chinese acrobatic company performed their critically-acclaimed Cirque Ziva show in ...

February 6, 2015

“The Truth About Lies” Delves into Self-Identity

By Nadine Bedwan

On one level, “The Truth About Lies” is largely an account of writer and director Phil Allocco’s own life’s misfortunes. On a deeper level, it delves into the human issue of self-identity. The title itself was en...

February 6, 2015

South Korean Thriller “Confession” Debuts at SBIFF

By Alex Wehrung

Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. -Murphy’s law

February 6, 2015

Documentary “Caffeinated” is Stimulating, Fresh

By Alex Wehrung

Ironic story: right before I went to see this documentary, I sat on a State Street bench, catching up on my Gothic literature reading. I yawned, and some random man passing by me said, “You should get some coffee.” A...

February 6, 2015

Cousteau Family Honored with the Attenborough Award “Secret Ocean 3D” Grants Cousteau Excellence in Nature Filmmaking Award

By Phi Do

The second day of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival found the Arlington Theatre packed with many eager to meet the legendary Cousteau family. Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, and ...

February 6, 2015

“It Starts With the Script” Writer’s Panel SBIFF Panel Uncovers the Process and Art Behind Screenwriting

By Phi Do

Like most Hollywood professions, the art and business of screenwriting is perplexing. Career paths don’t necessarily follow the same direction (although the formulaic nature of scripts themselves are debatable). “It ...

February 5, 2015

A-List Celebrities Flood to the Arlington for Virtuosos Award

By Bin Nguyen

Hollywood’s newest, hottest and brightest stars arrived in chauffeured SUVS on Sunday, Feb. 1 to receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Award. A virtuoso is defined as “a person highly sk...

February 5, 2015

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones Honored with the Cinema Vanguard Award “Theory of Everything” Stars Speak to the Nexus on the Red Carpet

By Arasch Blurfrushan

Eddie Redmayne has been on a roll lately. Nominated for over 25 awards for his leading role as Stephen Hawking in the biographical film “The Theory of Everything,” the 33-year-old British actor has already won the Go...

February 5, 2015

Jennifer Aniston Sells Out the Arlington to Fans “Cake” Star Receives Montecito Award

By Nadine Bedwan

The street facing the Arlington Theatre in Downtown Santa Barbara was completely blocked off to cars while staff anxiously scurried to make sure everything was in place. A mass of reporters and photographers began to poo...

February 5, 2015

Emotions Spring Up During Michael Keaton’s Tribute

By Audrey Bachelder

Michael Keaton is well-loved. A man who has done genres from salacious comedy to psycho-thriller, he’s scored admiration from co-stars and directors alike in his career, which began in 1968 when he operated “Picture,...

February 4, 2015

John Kay and Dirty Knobs Rock Out in SOhO

By Daniel Slovinsky

The crowd gathered as close as security allowed when John Kay, rhythm guitarist, vocalist and primary songwriter for Steppenwolf, took the stage on Friday night at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club before being joined by ...

February 2, 2015

Normcore: What It Is and How To Get It

By Bin Nguyen

If you have been reading the latest issues of Vogue or W, or have been following the recent images on street-style blogs such as Streetpepper and The Sartorialist, you may be familiar with the new fashion term “normcor...

January 29, 2015

Patti Smith Plays Explosive Show at the Granada Godmother of Punk Rock Sells Out Arts & Lectures Gig

By Audrey Bachelder

Sitting at the edge of the Granada theater stage, the godmother of punk rock shook her silver hair out before jumping down, landing with a feathery thud into the thin carpet. A collective gasp came from 272 audience memb...

January 29, 2015

Earl Wobble Showgrounds: LOUDPVCK, Djemba Djemba, AC Slater and Zimmer Invade Local SB Showgrounds

By Alex Bocknek

There are many pros to living in the quant seaside town of Santa Barbara: the model-esque beach bums, the year-round sunshine and, of course, the unbelievably cheap ticket price to see festival-headlining acts. In an alt...

January 29, 2015

SBIFF: “Desert Dancer” Premieres on Opening Night Plus Exclusive Interviews with Star Reece Ritchie and Director Richard Raymond

By Bin Nguyen

Even though Santa Barbara is mostly famous for its beaches and natural landscapes, every year at the end of January the coastal city becomes the place to be for filmmakers and movie lovers. The Santa Barbara Internationa...

January 29, 2015

Artsweek Picks for Santa Barbara International Film Festival

By Phi Do, Arasch Blurfrushan, Alex Wehrung, Bin Nguyen, Nadine Bedwan

  “Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D” Phi Do, staff writer In many ocean documentaries, large creatures like dolphins, sharks and whales often dominate the frame. But thanks to the groundbreaking filming ...