Talk with Roger Durling

Reviewed by Johanna Carlsson at Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2014

Once upon a time there was a boy named Roger Durling. He was born and raised in Panama, a country in Central America. He went to school and studied. He got a job direct after school and started to work there. Roger was very interested in film and saw two films each day. A women on his work noticed this and told Roger about a Film Festival. Roger had never been to one before but he decided to go. He was stuck! He loved it!

He continued go to Film Festivals. He also wrote dramas and things did went well for him. So well that people in Los Angeles were interested in his script. He went to Los Angeles but he did not like it. He thought of what he would do now, would he have to stay in LA although he did not like it?

After some deliberation, he decided to move to a beautiful city called Santa Barbara. Roger started a restaurant. On his free time he went to Film Festivals. He was and has always been thankful to the women who told him about Film Festivals the first time. There was also a Film Festival in Santa Barbara. Roger went to it nut he did not found it good. He started to think of what he could do to make it better. He came up with an idea! He started to help them on a free basis. He did this for a couple of years and then, after a while, he became the director of the whole festival. Roger was happy since this was something he always wanted!

Roger has always been a smart boy. He realized that he had to do something about the Festival to attract people to come there. But what could he do? Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, he had the solution. He moved the whole Festival to the end of January and beginning of February. And now you may wonder why he did this? There is a huge gala called the Oscars Gala. This is a gala that is very prestigious and every movie wants to be nominated to this. Just a few weeks before the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Oscar nominations are presented. This was something Roger came to the conclusion that he and the Festival could benefit from. The movies which are nominated to the Oscar are not allowed to do promotion but they are allowed to do campaign. This is exactly what they do when they attend with their movie on a Film Festival. And this is something that makes many people want to come to Santa Barbara. They can see movies that are nominated and the filmmakers can show it to the masses. A win-win situation for all involved, Roger included.

So the boy who started his life in Panama, moved to LA and later on opened a restaurant in Santa Barbara have now been running the festival for 12 years. The Festival has become more and more popular and this is something you can give Roger credit for!