‘TransMexico,’ ‘Edge of Everything,’ ‘Andragogy’ Among Santa Barbara Film Festival Winners

Diego Ramos Bechara
·2 min read

“TransMexico,” “Edge of Everything” and Andragogy” are among the winners of the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The SBIFF, whose mission is to discover and showcase the “best in independent and international cinema,” has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting roughly 100,000 attendees for a packed week slatted with screenings of over 200+ films.

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A panel of jury members selected the winners, which included Lesley Chilcott, Alex Keledjian, Chris Landon, Lael Loewenstein, Jacqueline Lyanga, David Magdael, Gail Mancuso, Greg Nava, Pituka Ortega Heilbron, Carla Renata, Gil Robertson, Ondi Timoner, Clay Tweel and Ali Wolfe.

“We are so grateful to our dedicated group of jurors for their fine selections,” Claudia Puig, SBIFF’s programming director, said in a statement. “The winning films tell stories that span the globe, from the magic of movie palaces in the Atacama Desert to the stunning mystery of ice caves in Antarctica to the social hazards of cancel culture in Indonesia. All are riveting tales told with verve and originality. We at SBIFF are thrilled to congratulate this year’s jury award winners.”

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival took place from Feb. 7-17, with official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, held throughout the city.

The winners were announced Saturday at a ceremony at the El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara.

See the full winners list here:

Audience Choice Award

“TransMexico” Directed by Claudia Sanchez

Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema

“Edge of Everything” Directed by Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman

Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film

“Andragogy” Directed by Wregas Bhanuteja

Best Documentary Award

“Diving Into the Darkness” Directed by Nays Baghai

Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema

“The Blue Star” (“La Estrella Azul”) Directed by Javier Macipe

Best Nordic Film Award

“Before It Ends” (“Når Befrielsen Kommer”) Directed by Anders Walter

Social Justice Award for Documentary Film

“The Last Daughter” Directed by Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt

The ASC Award for Cinematography

“The Movie Teller” Directed by Lone Scherfig

ADL Stand Up Award

“The Last Daughter” Directed by Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt

Best Documentary Short Film Award

“A Man’s Man” Directed by Myles Desenberg

Bruce Corwin Award – Best Live-Action Short Film

“Area Boy” Directed by Iggy London

Bruce Corwin Award – Best Animated Short Film

“On the 8th Day” (“Au 8ème Jour”) Directed by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin and Théo Duhautois

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