The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has announced the official selection of the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature’s most recent film “Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place.”
The short documentary film, produced as a companion piece to the museum’s juried exhibition Celebrating the National Lands of California, is on display in the Wildling’s main gallery through Jan. 19. “Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” will screen at the 2020 SBIFF at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St.
“It’s very exciting to have a film produced by the museum featured at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and to share the story of Carrizo Plain National Monument with a wider audience,” said Stacy Otte-Demangate, Wildling Museum executive director.
“The Santa Barbara International Film Festival sets a high bar for inclusion and I’m very honored to have ‘Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place’ make the cut for the 2020 SBIFF,” said filmmaker Jeff McLoughlin, of Goodeye Films, who produced the 32-minute documentary for the Wildling Museum.
“Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” profiles San Luis Obispo County’s Carrizo Plain National Monument. This pristine corner of Central Coasta is home to the highest concentration of endangered species in the state.
The film reveals the unique qualities of the Carrizo Plain through the eyes of three artists — Chris Chapman, Bill Dewey and John Iwerks. All three artists have significant bodies of work drawn from their individual artistic interpretations of the Carrizo Plain produced over three decades.
Iwerks created key portions of the interpretive displays within the Goodwin Education Center at the National Monument, including a dramatic 18-foot mural that is the centerpiece of the monument’s visitor center.
The three artists are also members of Santa Barbara’s Oak Group, a collective of artists dedicated to the preservation of natural places.
“The work of these artists, as profiled in the film, along with the cinematic experience the film provides is incredibly engaging,” said Otte-Demangate. “Using art to foster appreciation for natural landscapes like the Carrizo Plain is at the core of the Wildling Museum’s mission.”
The film’s stunningly photographed visuals are the work of wildlife cinematographer Elliot Lowndes, whose work has appeared in natural history productions worldwide, including projects for BBC and National Geographic.
In addition to its premier status as an internationally recognized venue for Academy Award-qualifying films, the SBIFF is also a good outlet for independent filmmakers and the South Coast community, utilizing cinema to tell important stories.
For a nonprofit such as the Wildling Museum, producing a short film like “Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” is a means for sharing the museum’s mission and drive community engagement.
“It’s a fantastic documentary. I am very impressed and was totally engaged. I am looking forward to visiting Carrizo Plain this spring,” said Michael Albright, SBIFF programming director.
Film festival passes can be purchased online at www.sbiff.org. A trailer and more information about “Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” can be viewed on the film’s website www.carrizoplainfilm.com and the Wildling Museum website, www.wildlingmuseum.org/films.
McLoughlin is a Santa Barbara-based documentary filmmaker producing films that focus on the natural world, environmental issues, and art. His films have been official selections at natural history, wildlife, and conservation film festivals and have screened in museums and educational institutions nationwide.
“Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” is his third official selection for the SBIFF. His 2013 SBIFF official selection “The Condor’s Shadow” went on to air on PBS and international broadcast television. More about McLoughlin can be found on his production company website www.goodeyefilms.com.
“Carrizo Plain – A Sense of Place” was produced by the Wildling Museum with the support of the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.
For more about the Wildling Museum, and to volunteer and/or join as a member, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org.
— Lauren Sharp for Wildling Museum.