The afterlife comedy "Up There" and the Christopher Plummer showcase "Barrymore" are among the films that have won awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which concluded its 11-day run on Sunday by handing out 10 jury and one audience award.
Ken Scott's "Starbuck," about a sperm donor sued by some of the 500-plus children he fathered, won the festival's Audience Choice Award.
"Up There," Zam Salim's comedy about a newly-deceased man who's given a job welcoming newcomers to the afterlife, was given the jury's Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, which also includes a camera package worth $60,000.
"Barrymore," Erik Canuel's film of Plummer's one-man show about actor John Barrymore, won a Special Jury Prize for Artistic 'Distinction.
Other awards went to Ismael Ferroukhi's drama "Free Men" (Best International Film Award), Julia Morat's "Found Memories" (the Nueva Vision Award for a Spanish/Latin American film), Walter Matteson's "Pretty Old" (Best Documentary Film Award) and Jean-Jacques Jauffret's "Heat Wave" ("Apres Le Sud") (Cinema Nouveau Award).
Short film awards were given to the live-action "L Train" and the animated "The Missing Key."
Most of the winning films will be screened for free next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at SBIFF's traditional "Third Weekend," in which a selection of the festival's most popular films are shown free-of-charge to locals during three days of screenings.
The winners:
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: "Up There"
Jury Prize for Artistic Distinction: "Barrymore"
The Best International Film Award: "Free Men"
The Nueva Vision Award: "Found Memories"
Honorable Mention: "The Rumble of the Stones"
Best Documentary Film Award: "Pretty Old"
Cinema Nouveau Award: "Heat Wave"
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes: "L Train"
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film: "The Missing Key"
The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award: "Dirty Energy"
The Audience Choice Award: "Starbuck"
