Santa Barbara International Film Festival Presents Denis Villeneuve Film Retrospective October 18 – October 24 at the SBIFF Riviera Theatre In-Person Q&A on Sunday, October 20
(SANTA BARBARA, CA) August 21, 2024 – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is proud to present a career retrospective on one of contemporary cinema’s most esteemed filmmakers, Denis Villeneuve. An internationally revered and celebrated auteur and major dramatist, Villeneuve’s distinct artistic vision is unmistakable, characterized by legendary moments brilliantly punctuated with minutiae, expertly culminating to plunge audiences into an exhilarating cinematic experience. From his early independent works like INCENDIES, which delves into the horrors of war and the complexity of family ties, to his more recent epics like BLADE RUNNER 2049 and six-time Academy Award®-winning film DUNE, Villeneuve has consistently redefined the boundaries of storytelling.
“Denis has become an unquestionable modern master of cinema, and all of his films demand to be seen on the big screen because they’re visceral spectacles. We are so enthusiastic about being able to show the films again together at the state of the art Riviera and to host Denis as well” stated Roger Durling, Executive Director of SBIFF.
Denis Villeneuve is an Academy Award®-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker whose astute attention to detail and unique visuals have established him as one of the premier filmmakers working today.
His most recent film, DUNE: PART TWO, revered and monumental continuation of DUNE: PART ONE, was released to critical acclaim earlier this year. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, with Stellan Skarsgård, with Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem, the film achieved massive box office success, surpassing the $700 million mark less than two months after its release. It has been named the “best sci-fi epic of the century.”
DUNE: PART ONE, the highly acclaimed film that begins Viilleneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel, Dune, was released in October 2021. It went on to receive six Academy Awards®, three Critics’ Choice Awards and Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, and BAFTA nominations. Additionally, it was recognized by AFI, NBR, and critics circles across the globe for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, with Charlotte Rampling, with Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.
Villeneuve’s additional directing credits include ARRIVAL, SICARIO, PRISONERS and ENEMY.
For tickets and retrospective schedule, please visit here.
About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to highschool and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
In 2016, SBIFF acquired the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.
