The screenwriters behind the “Before” film trilogy — Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater – will sit down for an in-depth conversation as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, organizers announced Sunday.
The session will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9, the festival’s final day, following screenings of “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight” at the Lobero Theater.
“This trilogy creates one of the most authentic portrayals of love on the screen,” said the fest’s executive director Roger Durling said, “and it’s an undeniable gift to be able to experience all three movies in one day as well as to host its three talented creators.”
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The trilogy has been a favorite with critics since the first film, “Before Sunrise,” was released in 1995. Starring Hawke and Delpy, it followed a young couple meeting for the first time on a train who decide to spend the whole day together in Vienna with the chance of never seeing one another again.
The sequel, “Before Sunset,” was released nine years later in 2004, with Hawke’s Jesse and Delpy’s Celine meeting each other again by chance in Paris. The film, which was co-written by Hawke, Delpy and director Linklater, was nominated for an Academy Award for adapted screenplay.
Also read: ‘Before Midnight’ Review: Joy and Pain, Long After Happily Ever After
The characters were most recently together in this year’s “Before Midnight,” in which Jesse and Celine are nine years into their relationship and vacationing in Greece. The film, which was again co-written by Hawke, Delpy and Linklater, was released in May by Sony Pictures Classics and is one of the year’s best reviewed films, with a 98 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hawke, Delpy and Linklater have been nominated for the Independent Spirit and Broadcast Film Critics awards for their “Before Midnight” screenplay and won the LA Film Critics award for adapted screenplay. Delpy received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a comedy or musical.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs from Jan. 30-Feb. 9. Admission for these screenings will be via festival Passes and miniPaks which are available for purchase at www.sbfilmfestival.org.