Santa Barbara has continuously had a rich history in the film and TV industry for over a century. This began with the American Film Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1910 and produced nearly a thousand silent films on the Riviera.
Since then, Santa Barbara has continually had a deep appreciation for film and the arts. This appreciation is displayed annually at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. In the forty years that this event has been occurring in Santa Barbara, the International Film Festival has managed to become one the top ten film festivals in the United States, and attracts approximately 100,000 attendees annually.
Opening on February 4th, 2025 and continuing until the 15th, this year’s international film festival will be presenting 32 world premieres from a combined 60 countries, as well as 74 U.S. premieres in order to showcase globally relevant themes that highlight current social and environmental issues. Additionally, this year the international film festival announced that it is presenting a record breaking 52% of films directed by women. This year’s festival will be presenting Timothee Chalamet as the Arlington Artist of the Year, Angelina Jolie as the Maltin Modern Master, and will be feting numerous other film industry workers with honors. Also, for the first time in history, this year’s film festival has been able to gather all five winners of the Oscars Best Director Nominees to convene for a panel, including Emilia Pérez’s Jacques Audiard, Anora’s Sean Baker, The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet, The Substance’s Coralie Fargeat, and A Complete Unknown’s James Mangold. Together they will be sharing their unique perspectives on the craft of filmmaking.
Furthermore, in response to the unprecedented disaster in Los Angeles owed to wildfires, the S.B.I.F.F. directors have debated continuing the festival. Ultimately, however, they have clearly decided it would be best to foster a sense of community in these trying times. In light of the tragedy, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has partnered with Direct Relief to do a $100,000 matching grant to support those displaced by the fires.
San Marcos’s head of the French department, Sean Durkin, who had his immediate family displaced by the fires states that, “As someone born and raised in Los Angeles, it’s so inspiring to me and just gives me hope that we can rise from this. There’s a lot that needs to be done, but it’s really fun and inspiring to see our community come together, so bless the film festival and all institutes associated with it.”
Overall, in the 11 days of the festival there will be over 200 screenings that will spread culture, as well as engage and connect our community in a way transcendent of any other form. If you are interested in attending any of these events check the Santa Barbara International Film Festival website for ticket availability.
