The 29th annual Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival on Sunday tapped “Noble” as winner of the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, given to a feature made outside mainstream Hollywood.
The honor includes a Panavision camera package worth $60,000. Mark Huberman, who appears in the film, accepted the award for director Stephen Bradley. An honorable mention was awarded to Hill Harper for his performance in “1982,” directed by Tommy Oliver.
The International Film Award went to France’s “Eastern Boys,” directed by Robin Campillo. Diane Kurys’ “For a Woman” received an honorable mention for directing.
Documentary Film Award went to “Queens and Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo.” Director Matt Livadary and producer Erin Krozek accepted the award at the press conference and brunch at the Fess Parker Doubletree by Hilton Resort. “Queens” also received the Audience Choice Award, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent.
The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish/Latin American film was awarded to “God’s Slave” (Esclavo de Dios). Director Joel Novoa and producer Jose Novoa accepted the award.
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The Eastern European Film Award for best Eastern Bloc feature went to “Bauyr” (Little Brother), in the photo above, with the prize accepted by director Serik Aprymov and actor Alisher Aprymov.
The Bruce Corwin Award for live-action film under 30 minutes went to “Satellite Beach,” directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson. Bruce Corwin Award for animation short film went to “Tome of the Unknown,” directed by Patrick McHale and starring Elijah Wood and Warren Burton.
The Social Justice Award, sponsored by the Fund for Santa Barbara, went to “Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People,” directed by Thomas Allen Harris.
The festival concludes its 11-day run Sunday with back-to-back screenings of “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight,” which serves as the closing-night film, followed by a Q&A with Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.
Commented fest executive director Roger Durling, “The caliber of films that we welcomed to our community was exceptional and opened our eyes to all corners of the world. We are proud to have shown these films and have them be a part of the 2014 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.”
The jury included writer Thelma Adams, filmmaker Mimi deGruy, SBIFF founder Phyllis DePicciotto, actress Frances Fisher, composer Adam Guettel, producer Ted Hope, editor Artie Schmidt, and actors Alan Thicke, Anthony Zerbe and Arnette Zerbe.
