‘Babysplitters’ and ‘In Love and War’ Among Santa Barbara International Film Festival Winners

The winners for the 34th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival were announced Saturday, with Sam Friedlander’s Babysplitters and Kasper Torsting’s In Love and War picking up awards.

The winners were revealed during a breakfast held in their honor at Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara. The jury that selected the winners included Anthony and Arnette Zerbe, David and Sandy Wasco, Joe Medjuck, Katharine O’Brien, Leslie Zemeckis, Margaret Lazarus, Olivia Hamilton, Paul Brickman, Roger Avary, and Tamara Asseyev.

“We’re so grateful to all of our honorees, filmmakers, attendees, sponsors, press and volunteers for making the 34th edition our best yet, SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling said in a press release.

Next year’s festival will shift earlier in the year to accommodate the Academy Awards, with the 35th edition of SBIFF running from January 15 – 25, 2020.

Below is the list of 2019 winners.

Audience Choice Award sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent:
Kasper Torsting’s In Love and War (I krig & kærlighed)

Best Documentary Short Film Award:
Leslie Iwerks’s Selling Lies

Bruce Corwin Award – Best Live Action Short Film:
Christopher Wollebekk’s My Brother Amal (Min bror Amal)

Bruce Corwin Award – Best Animated Short Film:
Rachel Johnson’s Henrietta Bulkowski

Best Documentary Award sponsored by SEE International:
Johnny Sweet’s Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story

Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film:
Bettina Oberli’s With the Wind (Le vent tourne)

Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema:
Sam Friedlander’s Babysplitters

Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema:
Celia Rico Clavellino’s Journey to a Mother’s Room (Viaje al cuarto de una madre)

Valhalla Award for Best Nordic Film:
Kasper Torsting’s In Love and War (I krig & kærlighed)

ADL Stand Up Award:
Javier Fesser’s Champions (Campeones)

Social Justice Award for Documentary Film:
Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei’s Laila at the Bridge

The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film:
Christopher Wollebekk’s My Brother Amal (Min bror Amal)

The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animated Short Film:
Rachel Johnson’s Henrietta Bulkowski

Best Documentary Short Film:
Leslie Iwerks’s Selling Lies