Santa Barbara Film Festival To Open With Abigail Breslin Drama ‘Miranda’s Victim’ As Full Lineup Set

The Santa Barbara Film Festival has today unveiled the lineup for its 38th edition, taking place in-person from February 8-18.

The festival will open with the world premiere of the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, from director Michelle Danner. Pic tells the true story of Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos, Andy Garcia and more also star.

Closing out SBIFF 2023 is the Chandler Levack-directed I Like Movies, which makes its U.S. premiere. The film starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White follows the socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence (Lehtinen) as he gets a job at a video store, there forming a complicated friendship with his older female manager.

This year’s festival will feature a total of 52 world premieres and 78 U.S. premieres from 43 countries. The 2023 awards contenders set to participate in the festival’s flagship tribute events, taking place at the Arlington Theatre, include Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Danielle Deadwyler, Nina Hoss, Stephanie Hsu, Jeremy Pope, Ke Huy Quan, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, among others.

“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” said SBIFF’s Executive Director, Roger Durling. “At SBIFF, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear, to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”

For the full 2023 Santa Barbara Film Festival lineup, read on.

WORLD PREMIERES

21 Miles in Malibu (U.S.)
Directed by Nic Davis

American Outlaws (U.S.)
Directed by Sean McEwen

Bringing Back Our Wetland (U.S.)
Directed by Michael Love

Bullets (Sweden)
Directed by Peter Pontikis

Call Me Dancer (U.S.)
Directed by Leslie Shampaine, Pip Gilmour

Commitment to Life (U.S.)
Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz

Dancing with Mom (Canada)
Directed by Trish Neufeld

The Dirty Divide (U.S.)
Directed by Paul Freedman

Dr. Tony Fauci (U.S.)
Directed by Mark Mannucci

Full Circle (U.S.)
Directed by Josh Berman

Go On, Be Brave (U.S.)
Directed by Miriam McSpadden, Brian Beckman

Grace Point (U.S.)
Directed by Rory Karpf

The Harvest (U.S.)
Directed by Caylee So

HELEN|BELIEVE (U.S.)
Directed by Dylan Mulick

The House Band (U.S.)
Directed by Laura Brownson

Ibiza Blue (La corriente) (Spain)
Directed by Jesús Lloveras

Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection (U.S.)
Directed by Randy Martin

Killing Me Softly With His Songs (U.S.)
Directed by Danny Gold

The Legend of MexMan (U.S.)
Directed by Josh Polon

Miranda’s Victim (U.S.)
Directed by Michelle Danner

Rachel Hendrix (U.S.)
Directed by Victor Nuñez

Rachel’s Farm (Australia)
Directed by Rachel Ward

The Right to Read (U.S.)
Directed by Jenny Mackenzie

Samichay, in Search of Happiness (Samichay, en busca de la felicidad) (Peru)
Directed by Mauricio Franco Tosso

The Team (El equipo) (U.S.)
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz

Tove’s Room (Toves værelse) (Denmark)
Directed by Martin Zandvliet

Vishniac (U.S.)
Directed by Laura Bialis

Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever
Directed by Bernardo Ruiz

Wade in the Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture (U.S.)
Directed by David Mesfin

U.S. PREMIERES

Alam (Palestine)
Directed by Firas Khoury

Autobiography (Indonesia)
Directed by Makbul Mubarak

Baby Ruby (U.S.)
Directed by Bess Wohl

A Bit of Light (UK)
Directed by Stephen Moyer

Black Mambas (Germany)
Directed by Lena Karbe

Bones of Crows (Canada)
Directed by Marie Clements

Bread and Salt (Chleb i sól) (Poland)
Directed by Damian Kocur

A Bunch of Amateurs (UK)
Directed by Kim Hopkins

The Chambermaid (Sluzka) (Slovakia)
Directed by Mariana Čengel Solčanská

Coyote (Le coyote) (Canada)
Directed by Katherine Jerkovic

Daughter of Rage (La hija de todas las rabias) (Nicaragua)
Directed by Laura Baumeister

Dear Memories (Germany)
Directed by Nahuel Lopez

Everybody Wants to Be Loved (Alle wollen geliebt werden) (Germany)
Directed by Katharina Woll

Exodus (Sweden)
Directed by Abbe Hassan

Fathers & Mothers (Fædre og mødre) (Denmark)
Directed by Paprika Steen

Filip (Poland)
Directed by Michał Kwiecinski

The Hotel (Lu guan) (Chinese Hong Kong)
Directed by Wáng Xiăoshuài

How is Katia? (Yak Tam Katia?) (Ukraine)
Directed by Christina Tynkevych

I Like Movies (U.S.)
Directed by Chandler Levack

Into My Name (Nel mio nome) (Italy)
Directed by Nicolò Bassetti

Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman (Jane Campion, la femme cinéma) (France)
Directed by Julie Bertuccelli

La jauría (Colombia)
Directed by Andrés Ramírez Pulido

Lakelands (Ireland)
Directed by Robert Higgins, Patrick McGivney

Leila’s Brothers (Iran)
Directed by Saeed Roustaee

A Letter from Helga (Svar við bréfi Helgu) (Iceland)
Directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir

Lyra (Ireland)
Directed by Alison Millar

Maestro(s) (France)
Directed by Bruno Chiche

A Man (Aru otoko) (Japan)
Directed by Kei Ishikawa

Manuela (U.S.)
Directed by Clara Cullen

My Name is Happy (UK)
Directed by Nick Read, Ayse Toprak

The Nannies (Les femmes du square) (France)
Directed by Julien Rambaldi

Narcosis (Netherlands)
Directed by Martijn de Jong

North Circular (Ireland)
Directed by Luke McManus

The Other Widow (Pilegesh) (Israel)
Directed by Ma’ayan Rypp

Pinto (Iran)
Directed by Narges Abyar

Red Shoes (Zapatos rojos) (Mexico)
Directed by Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser

Retreat (Réduit) (Switzerland)
Directed by Leon Schwitter

Sanaa (India)
Directed by Sudhanshu Saria

Savoy (Israel)
Directed by Zohar Wagner

Second Act (Andra akten) (Sweden)
Directed by Mårten Klingberg

Semret (Switzerland)
Directed by Caterina Mona

The Sixth Child (Le sixième enfant) (France)
Directed by Léopold Legrand

Stay With Us (Reste un peu) (France)
Directed by Gad Elmaleh

Stellar (Ananghoonska) (Canada)
Directed by Darlene Naponse

Summerlight And Then Comes The Night (Sumarljós og svo kemur nóttin) (Iceland)
Directed by Elfar Aðalsteins

T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets (UK)
Directed by Sophie Fiennes

The Taste of Apples is Red (Ta’am al tufah, ahmar) (Israel)
Directed by Ehab Tarabieh

Three Nights A Week (Trois nuits par semaine) (France)
Directed by Florent Gouëlou

Traces (Tragovi) (Croatia)
Directed by Dubravka Turić

Valeria is Getting Married (Valeria mithatenet) (Israel)
Directed by Michal Vinik

The Volunteer (La voluntaria) (Spain)
Directed by Nely Reguera

Wild Flowers (Girasoles silvestres) (Spain)
Directed by Jaime Rosales

Woman at Sea (Grand marin) (Iceland)
Directed by Dinara Drukarova

The Young Arsonists (Canada)
Directed by Sheila Pye

NON PREMIERS

26.2 to Life (U.S.)
Directed by Christine Yoo

The 50 (U.S.)
Directed by Brenton Gieser

American Dreamer (U.S.)
Directed by Paul Dektor

Anxious Nation (U.S.)
Directed by Vanessa Roth, Laura Morton

The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher (U.S.)
Directed by Gregory Mark Bezat

The Baby Daddy (ארי והזרע הקדוש) (Israel)
Directed by Adi Rabinovici, Yair Cymerman

Butterfly in the Sky (U.S.)
Directed by Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb

Category: Woman (Canada)
Directed by Phyllis Ellis

Chile ’76 (Chile)
Directed by Manuela Martelli

Cinema Sabaya (Israel)
Directed by Orit Fouks Rotem

Corner Office (Canada)
Directed by Joachim Back

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy (U.S.)
Directed by Nancy Buirski

The Grab (U.S.)
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Gumbo Coalition (U.S.)
Directed by Barbara Kopple

The Happiest Man in the World (Najsreќniot čovek na svetot) (North Macedonia)
Directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska

I Like it Here (U.S.)
Directed by Ralph Arlyck

It Ain’t Over (U.S.)
Directed by Sean Mullin

Kerr (Turkey)
Directed by Tayfun Pirselimoğlu

Know Your Place (U.S.)
Directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi

A Little Prayer (U.S.)
Directed by Angus MacLachlan

Luxembourg, Luxembourg (Ukraine)
Directed by Antonio Lukich

No Ordinary Campaign (U.S.)
Directed by Christopher Burke

Other People’s Children (Les enfants des autres) (France)
Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski

Our Father, the Devil (Mon père, le diable) (U.S.)
Directed by Ellie Foumbi

Patrick and the Whale (Austria)
Directed by Mark Fletcher

The Prank (U.S.)
Directed by Maureen Bharoocha

Pray for Our Sinners (Ireland)
Directed by Sinéad O’Shea

The Quiet Girl (An cailín ciúin) (Ireland)
Directed by Colm Bairéad

Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul) (Cambodia)
Directed by Davy Chou

Safe Place (Sígurno mj́esto) (Croatia)
Directed by Juraj Lerotić

Shot in the Arm (U.S.)
Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy

Snow and the Bear (Kar ve ayı) (Turkey)
Directed by Selcen Ergun

The Soldier’s Opinion (Daato shel hahayal) (Israel)
Directed by Assaf Banitt

Soul of the Ocean (U.S.)
Directed by Howard Hall

Starring Jerry As Himself (U.S.)
Directed by Law Chen

Susie Searches (U.S.)
Directed by Sophie Kargman

Viking (Canada)
Directed by Stéphane Lafleur

We Are Still Here (Australia)
Directed by Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer (Germany)
Directed by Thomas von Steinaecker

Who Are the Marcuses? (Israel)
Directed by Matthew Mishory

SBIFF SHORT FILMS 

À la vie à l’amor (Canada)
Directed by Emilie Mannering
US Premiere

All-inclusive (Todo incluido) (Colombia)
Directed by Duván Duque Vargas
US Premiere

Apayauq (U.S.)
Directed by Zeppelin Zeerip
World Premiere

Are You Awake? (U.S.)
Directed by Gabriel Caste
World Premiere

Barefoot Empress (India)
Directed by Vikas Khanna

Becoming Yamazushi (U.S.)
Directed by G Yamazawa

Big Water Summer: A Creation Story (U.S.)
Directed by Sophie Harris

Bourn Kind (U.S.)
Directed by Rachel Myers

Broken (Iran)
Directed by Farzaneh Omidvarnia
World Premiere

Cara Romero: Following the Light (U.S.)
Directed by Kaela Waldstein

Christopher at Sea (France)
Directed by Tom CJ Brown

Daisy (Sweden)
Directed by Torbjörn Edwall
US Premiere

Earthbound: Nzambi Matee (Japan)
Directed by Farhoud Meybodi
World Premiere

Echo (U.S.)
Directed by Ben Wolin, Michael Minahan
World Premiere

Epicenter (소문의 진원지) (South Korea)
Directed by Heeyoon Hahm
US Premiere

Everything At Once (Alt på en gang) (Norway)
Directed by Henrik Dyb Zwart
US Premiere

Falling Forward into an Unknown and Dangerous Future (U.S.)
Directed by Mike Ambs
World Premiere

The Fear Cycle (U.S.)
Directed by Dexter Brierley, Matt Seger
World Premiere

Followers (U.S.)
Directed by Julia Bales
World Premiere

The Golden Cage (U.S.)
Directed by Francisco Lopez, Mitchka Saberi
World Premiere

Here to Stay (U.S.)
Directed by Jared Peraglia

I have no tears, and I must cry (Sin lágrimas para llorar) (U.S.)
Directed by Luis Fernando Puente

ifine (U.S.)
Directed by Adisa Septuri, Ebony Gilbert
World Premiere

III (Canada)
Directed by Salomé Villeneuve
US Premiere

It’s Nice in Here (Netherlands)
Directed by Robert-Jonathan Koeyers
US Premiere

Ivalu (Denmark)
Directed by Anders Walter
US Premiere

John Leguizamo Live at Rikers (U.S.)
Directed by Elena Francesca Engel

Junglefowl (Canada)
Directed by Kalainithan Kalaichelvan
World Premiere

Lamara (Uganda)
Directed by Bo Yoon Ha

Lamb (Ireland)
Directed by Sinéad O’Loughlin

Last Weekend with Jenny and John (Sista helgen med Jenny och John) (Sweden)
Directed by Jimmy Olsson
US Premiere

Locals Only: The Big Little Pub (U.S.)
Directed by Gareth Kelly
World Premiere

The Moisture (Rutubet) (Turkey)
Directed by Turan Haste
US Premiere

Money and Happiness (Serbia)
Directed by Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak
US Premiere

More Than Hair (Plus que des cheveux) (Canada)
Directed by Fitch Jean

Mud Crab (Australia)
Directed by David Robinson-Smith
US Premiere

Night Cafe (U.S.)
Directed by Joshua Nowak
World Premiere

Nowhere to go but everywhere (行き止まりのむこう側) (Japan)
Directed by Masako Tsumura, Erik Shirai
US Premiere

Oskar (Canada)
Directed by Max Vannienschoot
US Premiere

Pillow Fortress (U.S.)
Directed by Zander Coté
US Premiere

Please Hold the Line (Qing bie gua duan) (Malaysia)
Directed by Tan Ce Ding
US Premiere

Range Rider (U.S.)
Directed by Colin Arisman
World Premiere

The Red Suitcase (La valise rouge) (Luxembourg)
Directed by Cyrus Neshvad

Regular Rabbit (Ireland)
Directed by Eoin Duffy

Rejoice in the Lamb (U.S.)
Directed by Courtney Bush, Will Carington, and Jake Goicoechea
World Premiere

Requiem for a Whale (מותו של לוויתן) (Israel)
Directed by Ido Weisman

Run (U.S.)
Directed by Alex Prager
World Premiere

See You In My Dreams (Rencontres nocturnes silencieuses) (Canada)
Directed by Ariane Louis-Seize
US Premiere

Shirampari: Legacies of the River (Shirampari, herencias del río) (Peru)
Directed by Lucía Flórez

Snow in September (France)
Directed by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

The Soft Skinned (Australia)
Directed by Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe
US Premiere

Starving (U.S.)
Directed by Bobby Louise, Brig
World Premiere

The Tadpole Trilogy (La trilogie des têtards) (Canada)
Directed by Léonard Giovenazzo
US Premiere

Take Me Home (U.S.)
Directed by Liz Sargent

Telos (U.S.)
Directed by Jesse Hovey
World Premiere

This is Not a House (U.S.)
Directed by Morgan Neville
World Premiere

This Will Not Be a Festival Film (To nie będzie film festiwalowy) (Poland)
Directed by Julia Orlik
US Premiere

Three Grains of Salt (Trois grains de gros sel) (France)
Directed by Ingrid Chikhaoui
US Premiere

Thursday (Czwartek) (Poland)
Directed by Bren Cukier
World Premiere

Tommies (UK)
Directed by Brian Fairbairn, Karl Eccleston
US Premiere

Troy (U.S.)
Directed by Mike Donahue

Trundle and the Lost Borscht of Atlantis (U.S.)
Directed by Laura Lee
World Premiere

Two Chairs, Not One (U.S.)
Directed by Austin Kolodney

The Vacation (U.S.)
Directed by Jarreau Carrillo

Voces de Old Town Carpinteria (U.S.)
Directed by Brent Winebrenner, Leslie A. Westbrook, Suzanne Requejo
World Premiere

Waves Apart (U.S.)
Directed by Josh Greene
World Premiere

Whale-Roads (U.S.)
Directed by Michael Lee, Ethan Takekawa, Meg Kievman, Emma Holm-Olsen
World Premiere

Whiteness at Work (U.S.)
Directed by Peter Bonde Becker Nelson
World Premiere

Will You Look At Me (Dang wo wang xiang ni de shi hou) (China)                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Directed by Shuli Huang

You’ll Be Happier (U.S.)
Directed by Daniel Lombroso