Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award

On the night when SBIFF Executive Director ROGER DURLING officially changed the name of the tribute to honor moderator for 23 years PETE HAMMOND, the honorees were ADRIAN BRODY and GUY PEARCE. They were being recognized for their work together on the film "The Brutalist", and veteran Teen Press reporters STELLA & WYNNE were ready when the call came down that they would have to make do with only one question per honoree.  And of course, ready to interview a bevy of filmmakers!

As the evening’s tribute got underway inside the Arlington Theater, Cinema Vanguard honorees ADRIEN BRODY & GUY PEARCE started the conversation with comments about and praise for the assembled press line of student reporters with whom they had interacted. The TEEN PRESS has been at Santa Barbara International Film Festival and on the red carpet for 18 years—(happily not the same STUDENTS, they’ve moved on 😎.) (And please note that the TEEN PRESS would never show up with no idea about an honoree’s history, as evidently one school’s team did.) 

When WYNNE asked GUY PEARCE to compare what he'd learned from being involved in both the film and music industries, two of his insights were "I love the combination of music and film together...they can really elevate each other..." and "I just wish I could make more music...hopefully I will someday."

The friendly and funny team behind the short narrative film "4th Dementia”, Director IAN WEXLER and Writer/Producers ALLY CONDRATH & KYLE MILLER, had an animated exchange with red carpet reporters WYNNE & STELLA from Team 53. “It’s a movie about Alzheimer’s that’s silly and fun, and like a wild adventure, which is something we’ve never seen before!” If the film is anywhere near as fun as this conversation, it will be a hoot!

When Team 53 reporters STELLA & WYNNE spoke with Barbareño Chumash elder ERNESTINE YGNACIO DE SOTO about the documentary of which she is a part, “quwa’”, they found out a little about her film (quwa’ was an island that existed within the Goleta Slough where the airport is now, where Chumash once lived), and more about a homework assignment she made for herself, along the lines of “Back to the Future”…except to the Past!

Speaking with Team 53 reporters STELLA & WYNNE, Santa Ynez filmmaker REI talked about how his film “Shutter Bird” sprang from his own experience, and the value of story, community, and filmmaking. “Cinema, more than any other medium, is a medium of remixing the past.”

Subjects from the documentary "In the Red: Changing Lives to Save Lives”, ERIC, SAMANTHA, JOSEPH, DEXTER talked with Teen Press reporters WYNNE & STELLA about their experiences. The film documents at-risk people who are trained as firefighters. “Self care, self care…you  have to take care of yourself to be able to take care of others” was the homework assignment.

Co-Directors of the documentary “Incandescence”, VELCRO RIPPER, NOVA AMI, talked with Teen Press reporters STELLA & WYNNE on the red carpet about the effects of wildfires on people and animals. VELCRO also pointed out that they explored the practices of Indigenous Peoples in controlling fires, and how modern fire management has incorporated the traditional practices.

Talking about the process of  making their animated short film “Snow Day!”, Creator/Director/Editor/Compositor/Sound Designer/Producer KIARA LIN and Animator LIV enthused about the creative opportunities generated by working with a team. Teen Press Team 53 members STELLA & WYNNE could identify!