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Of Mics and Monarchs

Shannon Kelley Gould delivers the scoop on last night’s events, and J’Amy Brown provides a slideshow well worth your while.

From Romania to Canada

Josef Woodard reviews three foreign films: 12:08, East of Bucharest, DarkBlueAlmostBlack, and Away From Her.

More Borat (and, oh yea, films)

Our top fest watcher Josef Woodard provides the inside take on the Borat event, and reviews three foreign films that you should all go see.

Notes on Film

SOUND SCREENINGS: Movie buzzes are in the air, and the highs and lows of the film art abound. Within the city limits, SBIFF has seized our attention and tempted us away from home and workplace, while the general media headspace has us hovering in the suspenseful zone between the Golden Globes and the Oscars. We’re inclined to contemplate recent film kultcha, and for the purposes of this column, its too-often underrated musical component.

Notes on Film

SOUND SCREENINGS: Cineaesthetics and movie buzzes, the highs and lows of the film art, are in the air. In the

Sacha Baron Cohen at the Lobero

Hundreds lined up to see Sacha Baron Cohen (pictured), aka Borat aka Ali G, on Friday at the Lobero. The British comedian behind this year’s mockumentary hit, Cohen is supposedly a tough guy to get to do interviews, but SBIFF managed to get him. And although he threatened to not do the gig if he had his photo taken, our photog managed to snag a shot as he left the building.

Wising Up

Josef takes in gangster films Election and Triad Election and considers whether they might be the first in a wave of high-quality Hong Kong Cinema. Also included: re-posts of Josef’s previous film festival bloggins.

A Stellar Centerpiece

In years past, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival‘s Centerpiece event — which, as the name implies, marks the middle of the festival — has been a relatively mellow affair. A little movie, a little wine, and we’d call it a night. This year, not so much. The SBIFF outdid themselves yet again.

First King of the Festival

Forest Whitaker Talks Acting, Uganda, and Why Idi Amin Wasn’t All Bad

The Last King of Scotland, Forest Whitaker becomes the notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. To deliver the performance of a lifetime-and one that’s likely to land him the Oscar after already netting the Golden Globe-Whitaker spent months researching Amin’s life and legacy, learned to speak Swahili, and mastered the distinct Ugandan accent. And I would know because, last year, I spent nearly a month in Uganda, covering their presidential elections and reporting on the country’s 20-year war against crazed northern rebels. Whitaker comes to the Arlington Theatre on Saturday, February 3 at 8 p.m. to accept SBIFF’s Riviera Award. We spoke a couple weeks ago about his role, Ugandan politics, and Santa Barbara.

Cinematic Self-Love

Film-about-film themes and in-jokes somehow just go down easier when you’re mentally lost in the thicket of a film festival.