Nearly 2,000 elementary school students from across Santa Barbara County filled the historic Arlington Theatre on Thursday morning for a special screening hosted by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students were bused in from schools throughout Santa Barbara County as part of Mikes Field Trip to the Movies, a program that serves more than 4,000 underserved and low-income students each year from nearly 30 elementary schools.
The students arrived buzzing with excitement as they took their seats for a screening of Elio, followed by a question-and-answer session with the films producer and the voice actor behind the title character.
Rick Closson, who has volunteered with the program for 21 years, said the annual event remains one of his favorite experiences. I like working with the people, Closson said. Sometimes the people are little people like today, other times theyre adults, but its always so much fun. Organizers say the goal of the program is to expose students to storytelling and careers in the film industry while providing access to cultural experiences they might not otherwise have.
Kelsey Wellard, a teacher at Los Berros Visual and Performing Arts School in Lompoc, said opportunities like Thursdays event can help broaden students horizons. Seeing this movie and having this question-and-answer session with them, it shows them theres jobs out there for them that they could go to in the future, Wellard said. Ahead of the screening, both the films producer and the actor were in the green room sharing in the students enthusiasm.
They were so excited about being here, one participant said. The annual field trip continues to be a cornerstone of the festivals community outreach efforts, connecting young audiences with the magic of filmmaking and the professionals behind it.
For more on the film festival, which runs through Feb. 14, click here.
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