Q&A With Roger Durling

Reviewed by Veronica Vanglin. Viewed at Santa Barbara Hotel.

My film studies class and I had the privilege to sit down with Roger Durling, who is the head of the film festival, to ask him a few questions. Durling started of by telling us that he is a very introvert man and the only place where he is not always nervous and anxious is at his home. He said that the “film-festival-roger-durling” was an act, a character he built to be able to stand on stage with great stars like Mickey Rourke and Helen Mirren. But to me Durling seemed like a very outgoing, smart and funny person which are all qualities that a film festival director should have. He had a tough childhood crowing up in Panama. He applied for “prep-schools” in America and got in. Film has always been a big interest for Durling and ever since he was a little kid he could predict what films and actor were going to get Oscar nominated. In present time he picks out who to honor in The Santa Barbara International Film Festival as early as in June and he claims it to be share luck. While running a café in Summerland Durling told “everyone who would listen” that he was going to work with the film festival and one day he ended up talking with a man who would change his life.

Durling had a lot of ideas on how to make The Santa Barbara International Film Festival a greater success. He especially emphasized the importance of TIMING for a festival to take place. SBIFF has been called “the golden way to the Oscar.” This is because of two reasons: 1. It occurs right before the Oscar’s and is a great place for actors and film makers to market themselves one last time. 2. Roger Durling has year after year been able to preciously pick out the actors and directors who win. So it is not a coincidence that Durling has been the head of the festival for 9 years now.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a non profit event with only 7 full-time employees, Durling being one of them. So it is very much relaying on the cooperation they have with hotels, restaurants and especially sponsors. The budget for 2011 was 3 million dollars where all of it goes to salaries, renting of theaters, free screenings and education. Applebox was launched by SBIFF for families who can’t afford taking their kids to the festival so every morning there is a free screening with family orientated films. Every free screening costs the festival about $10.000 dollars.

There is about 3000 film applications to the festival and only 200 gets selected. Durling state that to him a good film is a film with good story telling. It is a film that is well told visually. And he should know since he watches all 3000 films that submits every year. He also do a lot of research before his big interviews. Saturday 5th he is the moderator for Nicole Kidman’s tribute and he spent months watching her films and studying her life history. Nicole Kidman is one of Durlings rare “mistakes” because she didn’t get nominated for Rabbit Hole as he had though but Kidman is a personal favorite of Durling’s and he is more than happy to tribute her long and comprehensive career.

Lets hope that Roger Durling keeps up his excellent work and maintains Santa Barbara as The Golden Way To The Oscar.