The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced on Monday the lineup for the 35th edition, which will run January 15 to 25, 2020. The festival will feature 47 world premieres and 71 U.S. premieres from 50 countries, along with tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions and free community education and outreach programs.
SBIFF 2020 will start with the Opening Night Film on Wednesday, January 15, at the historic Arlington Theatre with the U.S. Premiere of “A Bump Along The Way” directed by Shelly Love and starring Bronagh Gallagher, Lola Petticrew, Mary Moulds, Dan Gordon and Brendan Farrell.
“A Bump Along The Way” is female-led, feel-good, comedy drama set in Derry, Northern Ireland, about a middle-aged woman whose unexpected pregnancy after a one-night stand acts as the catalyst for her to finally take control of her life and become the role model her teenage daughter needs and craves.
For the festival’s Closing Night Film on Saturday, January 25, they will put the spotlight on Santa Barbara to highlight a series of short documentaries by local filmmakers. This distinctive selection of films covers a range of iconic people and places in the Santa Barbara area including immigrant farm workers, an aging bronc rider, a female cyclist that defied all odds, backpackers exploring the Los Padres National Forest, artists documenting the breathtaking landscapes of the Carrizo Plain, and a celebrated local guitarist who performs in parking garages and public spaces throughout downtown Santa Barbara. The Closing Night Film is sponsored by Winchester Mystery House.
The festival will also present tributes to a number of awards contenders including, Renée Zellweger, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Taron Egerton, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and Brad Pitt.
22 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS (listed alphabetically)
Amazing Grace, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Lynn Montgomery
Americaville, USA, China – World Premiere
Directed by Adam Smith
Bastard’s Road, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Brian Morrison
Born in a Ballroom, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Clara Lehmann and Jonathan Lacocque
By Hand, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Kellen Keene
The Delicacy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jason Wise
Exploring the Pacific Northwest, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ian A. Nelson
Faith Based, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Vincent Masciale
The Lafayette Escadrille, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Darroch Greer
Man in the Field: The Life and Art of Jim Denevan, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Patrick Trefz
Medicating Normal, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Lynn Cunningham and Wendy Ractliffe
Mentors – Tony and Santi, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Davis
The Mustangs: An American Story, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Steven Latham
The Naturemakers, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Scott Saunders
The Night, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Kourosh Ahari
The Oratorio, USA, Italy – World Premiere
Directed by Mary Anne Rothberg
Overland, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Elisabeth Haviland James and Revere La Noue
The Prison Within, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Katherin Hervey
The Restoration (La restauracion), Peru – World Premiere
Directed by Alonso Llosa
Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy!, UK – World Premiere
Directed by John Scheinfeld
Tell My Story, USA – World Premiere
Directed by David Freid
A Worm in the Heart, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Paul Rice
For the complete list of films, synopses, and other special events please visit www.sbiff.org or the SBIFF app.