Santa Barbara Festival Honors Films and Their Stars

Even a weekend of perfect weather couldn’t distract film fans from packing screenings, seminars and other decidedly indoor events at the 13th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The festival, which kicked off last weekend and continues through Sunday, displayed a keen sense of renewal this year with the arrival of a new artistic director, Renee Missell. And opening night’s screening of the loopy Coen brothers farce “The Big Lebowski,” on the eve of its general release last Friday, set a nice tone of irreverence.

One of the weekend’s most popular screenings was the world premiere of the romantic farce “Confessions of a Sexist Pig,” which is more conventional than its quirky name suggests. “Allie and Me,” directed by Michael Rymer, has a refreshingly offbeat, rambling comic charm, balancing improvisational touches and mockumentary asides with a taste of absurdity.

Missell wanted to emphasize Spanish-language films and on the first weekend showcased the sparkling and iconoclastic documentary “Who the Hell Is Juliette?” as well as the father-son drama “Martin”; the touching Spanish melodrama “La Buena Estrella”; and “Men With Guns,” John Sayles’ moving Spanish-language film set in the conflicted terrain of a fictional Central American country.

A strong documentary contingent included the world premiere of “The Human Race,” about a challenging boat race undertaken by an HIV-positive crew; “Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog,” the festival’s token jazz film--and a good one--and “Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember, Yes, I Remember,” the long but inviting portrait of the artist.

Saturday night at the Arlington Theater, Jodie Foster got the red carpet treatment, as the recipient of the festival’s Modern Master Award. An onstage interview found Foster gracious but guarded. “Your problems in your craft,” she said at one point, “are your own problems. It has always been a big hurdle to be vulnerable. My first instinct is to be strong.”

James Woods was the master of ceremonies for the event. He joked with Foster about her recently announced pregnancy, noting that, for the baby-in-progress, “the genes could not be finer.”

Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown,” shown as the centerpiece of a tribute to screenwriter Robert Towne, looks increasingly like one of a handful of great American films, of whatever vintage. Afterward, Towne spoke of the film noir genre’s innate “war between behavior and plot. The challenge is to deliver both.”

Highlights of the festival’s closing weekend include a salute to John Schlesinger on Friday night, with a screening of “Midnight Cowboy.” On Saturday, there will be a tribute to the Oscar-nominated Julie Christie, with a screening of “McCabe and Mrs. Miller.” Sunday’s closing event will be the world premiere of Towne’s latest film, “Without Limits.”

BE THERE

13th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, today through Sunday. For information, call (805) 689-INFO; or (805) 963-0023.