SBIFF Opening Night

The 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival kicked off last night at the Arlington Theater with the world premiere of Lawrence Kasdan’s “My Darling Companion,” a film about a woman and her husband who seem to be in their own world until Beth Winter, Diane Keaton, finds an abandoned dog on the side of the road, and her life will never be the same. A witty and charming film set in the backdrop of the Colorado mountains, “Darling Companion,” pits two Hollywood giants on the big screen. Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline both hold their own in this film and deliver a powerful performance and impeccable comedic timing.

Outside the Arlington Theater, fans lined up the railings around the Red Carpet to catch a glimpse of the arriving stars. Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline were among those that attended the opening night. Ayelet Zurer, Jay Ali, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were also in attendance.

Inside the famed theater, Roger Durling, the Film Festival’s Executive Director, gave a brief speech in which he talked about two personal things dear to him, one which included childhood talks with his now ailing father about Roger becoming an astronaut, something he said, he has become. Simply put by Durling, “Movies take us to the moon. Movies take us to many locations.”

Preceding “Darling Companion,” was a short animated film by Pixar titled “La Luna,” a film that plays to the imagination and to the notion that anything is possible if you dream it. A grandfather, a young boy and his father all go out to sea on a panga boat they call La Luna (The Moon), and it’s their job each night to wait until the moon raises, tie an anchor to it, and climb up a big, tall ladder from their boat to the moon so that they can clean it from all of the shooting stars that land on it. The film’s write and director, Enrico Casarosa, was also in attendance.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has solidified itself as a destination for celebrities to be after the Oscar’s are announced, especially if they are nominated for the Academy Award. For the past nine years, Roger Durling has been at the helm of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and this year there are a lot more great films, panels, and awards that Durling and his staff, and volunteers, have put together that will surely attract more locals, visitors, and many more Hollywood stars. The Word will be out in front of many of the Film Festival’s events and screenings so stay tuned.

To check out the schedule of events go to: http://sbiff.festivalgenius.com/2012/schedule/week

And for more pictures of the Opening Night visit our online photo album at: http://redpacificmedia.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=4