HE approves of Roger Durling‘s Virtuoso choices for the 2023 Santa Barbara Film Festival (2.8 thru 2.18).

Elvis‘s Austin Butler! Banshee’s of Inisherin‘s Kerry Condon! Armageddon Time‘s Jeremy Strong! Tar‘s Nina Hoss! Till‘s Danielle Deadwyler!

Durling has also invited The Inspection‘s Jeremy Pope to share the limelight.

During has also tapped Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan from Everything Everywhere All at Once. I can’t fathom how Durling, a true Renaissance man, could possibly love Everything Everywhere as much as he seems to. I’m figuring it’s a token salute to the film’s popularity among Zellennials plus the Asian-American DEI factor. I refuse to believe that Roger actually likes and admires this punishing, wafer-thin film about the multiverse…no!

The Virtuoso evening will be moderated, as usual, by TCM host and Entertainment Weekly awards correspondent Dave Karger. It’ll happen on Wednesday, 2.15.23.

HE has been faithfully attending and reporting on the SBIFF since…oh, ’04 or thereabouts. Will I be able to attend three months hence? I’d love to but we’ll see.