Edhat Staff
(Photos: Fritz Olenberger)
By edhat staff
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) educational program, Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies, showed local school kids a special screening of ” Spider Man : Into the Spider-Verse.”
On Thursday afternoon approximately 2,000 students from 14 schools, most designated as Title 1 schools, filled the Arlington Theater for the highly anticipated animated film.
Named for late nature cinematographer and local activist Mike deGruy, Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies uses filmmaking to stimulate creative, confident, and culturally aware thinkers. The program is offered to 4,000 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from throughout Santa Barbara County, and SBIFF provides free transportation to students from Title I schools.
The screening of “Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was followed by a Q&A with two of the film’s directors, Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey, and one of the biggest questions that came up during the discussion was whether or not fans could expect a sequel. Both directors hinted at the possibility, telling the crowd “we think so!”
The event is sponsored by Montecito Bank & Trust, Patagonia, Union Bank, Bentson Foundation and Volentine Family Foundation.
