Outstanding Directors Award (SBIFF 2018)

Reviewed by Keyu Zhu. Viewed at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, 2018

The Outstanding Directors Award was set on February 6, 2018 in Santa Barbara, which include Directors Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson and Guillermo del Toro speak onstage during The 33rd Santa Barbara International Film Festival at Arlington Theatre on February 6, 2018 in Santa Barbara, California. This might be the most popular and attractive award that the seats were mostly full right in the Arlington Theatre. These five director with their latest film were all on the stage and talked about their story and experience. It takes some moment to wait every director went to the seat from the red carpet. They were all well-dressed and very professional about this.

The director Guillermo del Toro came with his new movie “the shape of water”, he talked about a lot of details by making this film. While being asking what the original inspiring from making a monster to be the actor in this film. He talked about a funny joke when he was young, he used to see this monster in his bathtub in his childhood, which made a lot of audience laugh including himself. He was pretty casual dressing the purple suit and smiled all the times. It seems to be true that everybody likes to cooperate with him. All the ideas in “the shape of water” was from him. It was his dream to make film about monsters as he said “ it was part of my childhood.” I think seeing how much passion that the director Guillermo del Toro had, from himself I can see the quality that a director needs to have is the approach how to work with coworkers and filmmakers. Also, the passion within himself about film and dream, which is very unique and important for the master like the director Guillermo del Toro. I personally really like his new movie “The shape of water”

Then the director Jordan Peele shared us his experience while making the film “Get Out”, it was the turning point and milestone film especially for this unique film about race, class and black community. The film “Get out” is really thoughtful and horror movie, talking about politics and black identity, so it is really innovative for the topic and very deep emotion for the potential black identity and anger toward the white rage and community. The director Jordan Peele talked about why he wanted to make this film because he was obsessed with race. He said it is important to have some voice that loud enough to mention “African American identity” so that people will realize what is the situation is especially for the African Americans who need to “get out” and show their inner voice.

At last, all the film sat on the stage and talked together about the impression about each other’s film and what’s their goal next. They all praise about each other’s film and talked about the relationship with each other. Later, they all attended the award ceremony and got each award for their own, which was very honored and appreciated.