News

A curmudgeonly elderly farmer is the star of this so-so Finnish comedy drama

This so-so Finnish comedy drama stars Antti Litja as a curmudgeonly elderly farmer, never named in the dialogue, who is forced by an injury to spend time in Helsinki with his milquetoast son Hessu (Iikka Forss) and career-minded daughter-in-law Liisa (Mari Perankoski). Naturally, his Alf Garnett-like sniping about modern ways, uppity women and the inadvisability of letting black people work in restaurants tests Liisa’s bourgeois capacity for politeness to the limit, especially when his irascible ways threaten a business deal with some Russian clients. With such an overworked set-up, the main intrigue lies in seeing exactly how dislikable writer-director Dome Karukoski is willing to make the characters before everything goes soft for the intergenerational rapprochement in the last act. Some might feel the satire is too lacking in edge, while the drama is a too flaccid...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...