SBIFF Salutes Oscars, Screens Theater

As often happens, select Oscar-winning movies head back to theaters in the wake of the awards, but now a number of them will be playing in SBIFF’s own McHurley Film Center downtown. Re-opening on the big screen on Friday, March 20, are One Battle After Another, whose five award-winners (six Oscars) were all part of the festival in February; Sinners, which nabbed two statues for SBIFF attendees; Sentimental Value, whose director Joachim Trier charmed us on stage; and surprise feature documentary winner Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which did not play at SBIFF’s February fest. 

SBIFF has announced that the organization will be showing filmed live performances from the Royal National Theatre in London that are part of the National Theatre Live series. The monthly screenings will take place at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre starting April 25 with All My Sons, starring Bryan Cranston and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. What this means for the Ensemble Theatre, which has screened a couple of the National Theatre Live shows this season, is up in the air. Visit www.sbiff.org. 

Elsewhere, the Alcazar Theatre is hosting a preview event for A War on Childhood, which is both a feature documentary still in production and a community impact campaign led by Santa Barbara County firefighter-paramedic and filmmaker Martin Papazian. The film examines the up-to-the-minute hot button topic of the rapid transformation of childhood due to the influence of smartphones, social media and artificial intelligence, and the likely linked historic rise in youth anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide. Driven by his sense of civic duty, first responder Papazian tries his hand at documentary filmmaking to awaken and inspire parents, joining forces with pediatricians, child psychologists, researchers, educators and families working to reclaim and protect the next generation. The free preview event is being underwritten by the Natalie Orfalea Foundation, takes place on March 21, and includes a panel discussion with Papazian and others.