The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California in February annually, since 1986. The festival screens over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. SBIFF also includes celebrity tributes, industry panels and education programs.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown in the Broadway production of Ghost (2012), for which she received a nomination at the Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Randolph went on to appear in the films The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) and Office Christmas Party (2016) prior to receiving praise for her roles in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2020). She received critical acclaim for her performance as a grieving mother in the film The Holdovers (2023), which earned her several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The Capri Hollywood International Film Festival is an annual international film festival held every late December or early January in Capri, Italy. Established in 1995, the competition section is open to international films, animation, documentaries and fiction.
Maestro is a 2023 American biographical romantic drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer. It was produced by Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner and Amy Durning. The film stars Carey Mulligan as Montealegre alongside Cooper as Bernstein; Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman appear in supporting roles.
Rustin is a 2023 American biographical drama film directed by George C. Wolfe, from a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, and a story by Breece about the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground, the film stars Colman Domingo in the title role, alongside Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald. It is based on the true story of Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington.
May December is a 2023 American drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. Loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, it stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to meet and study the life of Gracie, the controversial woman she is set to play in a film—a woman infamous for the 23-year-long relationship with her husband Joe, which began when he was 13 years old and she was 36.
Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, it follows two childhood friends over the course of 24 years while they contemplate the nature of their relationship as they grow apart, living different lives. The plot is semi-autobiographical and inspired by real events from Song's life.
"I'm Just Ken" is a song performed by Canadian actor Ryan Gosling for the 2023 film Barbie. It was written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt and appears on the soundtrack album Barbie the Album. As of August 2023, the song had over 100 million streams on Spotify and over 3 million views on YouTube. It won Best Song at the 29th Critics' Choice Awards and was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards.
Chosen Family is a 2024 American comedy-drama film, written and directed by Heather Graham. It stars Graham, Julia Stiles, Thomas Lennon, Michael Gross, Andrea Savage and John Brotherton.
The 58th National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 6 January 2024, honored the best in film for 2023. American film May December and British historical drama film The Zone of Interest won the most awards with two wins each, while Celine Song's feature directorial debut, Past Lives, won Best Picture.
