Q & A With Roger Durling

Reviewed by Emma Karlsson. At Santa Barbara Film Festival 2013.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has always been lucky when it comes to having the important ingredients necessary to make a great tasting film festival soup. Even so, 11 years ago the film festival suffered and the idea of shutting down was not far away. “America’s riviera” and its film festival lacked something. Direction. Identity. Passion. And then along came Roger Durling, a cafe owner back then, who loved films, to talk about films, and to visit film festivals – but never imagined himself working with film. Durling joined the SBIFF’s team, and stirred the soup counter clockwise while keeping all the ingredients. Much thanks to him, the festival is here today, better than ever.

One of the most important changes Durling did was moving the date of the festival. By having it earlier in the year, right before the Oscars, the festival found it easier to book talents since everyone during that time period are out promoting their work. “We’re now known as the Oscar film festival” says Durling. This year at the festival there are over 13 Oscar nominees attending the festival according to SBIFF’s website. Bear in mind, booking of talents to SBIFF is done before the Oscars announcements which proves that Durling and his staff know what they are doing.

The film festival is not only a great treat to the local film buffs in Santa Barbara, but it helps the local businesses and the city’s economy overall  by contributing to tourism. Restaurants,  retail stores and  hotels all benefit from the festival’s growing success. Durling emphasizes the importance of via SBIFF representing Santa Barbara and the town’s identity as well. The festival has different sidebars that in some way reflects the city. For example, Santa Barbara has a 35% latino population, therefore one of the sidebars at the festival is Spanish/Latin America Cinema. Other sidebars are To The Maxxx (water sports films), Reel Nature Films (this year the sidebar celebrates the lifework of Mike Degruy), Social Justice Films, Screen Cuisine, Harmonic Converge (music documentaries) and many more, all connected in a way to Santa Barbara’s local culture and people.

The festival celebrates Santa Barbara’s local film talents, and also invites Santa Barbara county’s families to join them for free screenings of popular animation movies at the Arlington. Another popular segment to the festival is the Field Trip to the Movies where 5th and 6th grade students in Santa Barbara County are invited, for free, to go on a field trip dedicated to Santa Barbara’s history of film making. The third weekend of the festival, SBIFF also invite the locals for free screenings of the highlights at the festival. Durling talks about how it is important to represent Santa Barbara, but to also do it on an universal level in order to attract audience from all over the world. The festival should be community oriented, but at the same time keep an international standard. Durling reminds us that 10 years ago the festival’s audience were 80% local visitors while now the festival only have 50% locals and 50% out-of-town-ers – a great mix.

Another change Durling made was the transition from private donors to corporate donors, which made it easier to get the “big money”. The budget of the festival is still $3 million, and it is still non-profit. If Durling had more money he would spend it on making the festival better – he is not in it to make money. One of his major purposes with the film festival is to educate – something Durling loves. He is a film teacher here at City College and he explains that if he HAD to choose between teaching and running the film festival – he would pick teaching. Hopefully he will never have to make that choice. How long is he planning to run the festival? “As long as they want me”, Durling says. “I have long term goals and short term goals”. Some of those goals include having more continuity with staff so people can be hired full time.

With so much going on during the film festival – does Durling ever sleep? “I do” he says, “but this is my main job. I’m on an adrenaline kick – this is the thing I love the most. I’m in heaven with people who love film, who loves talking about film.” You can tell that Durling is extremely passionated about his work, and care for it. He quotes the popular Aerosmith song “I don’t wanna close my eyes, I don’t wanna fall asleep” and explains how he is the happiest at a film festival. Durling has a 2 weeks break after the filmfestival before they start planning the next’s years film festival.