Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 8-18

2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 8 – 18, 2023 All Film info and Schedule is on the SBIFF App. A printed program guide will be available February 6th.

For more information and tickets, go to SBIFF.org Opening Night will take place on Wednesday, February 8 with the world premiere of MIRANDA’S VICTIM directed by Michelle Danner and starring Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos and Andy Garcia. It’s 1963 when eighteen-year-old Patricia “Trish” Weir is kidnapped and brutally raped at knife-point. Committed to putting Ernesto Miranda in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy Award frontrunners, many of whom have arrived as nominees and gone on to win the Oscar. This year the festival welcomes Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Danielle Deadwyler, Nina Hoss, Stephanie Hsu, Jeremy Pope, Ke Huy Quan, and Jeremy Strong. The festival also features smart, insightful panels of leaders from every aspect of filmmaking, including many Oscar contenders. Returning will be the annual Producers Panel, Writers Panel, and Women’s Panel and introducing the new International Directors Panel. Educational opportunities abound with the ongoing offerings to local students and aspiring filmmakers nationwide. Mike's Field Trip to the Movies will continue to delight 4,000 local students from low-income schools. This year will feature an in-person Q&A with writer/director Guillermo del Toro following a screening of GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO from Netflix. The Film Studies Program will invite 30 undergraduate film students from across the country to the Film Festival where they'll take part in a packed curriculum that turns the festival into an interactive classroom. Participants receive priority access to the films, panels, filmmaker seminars, tributes, as well as intimate Q&As with filmmakers. The 10-10-10 Program is made up of 20 area high school and college screenwriters and filmmakers. This year’s program includes filmmaking workshops, individual mentorship, and access to casting, visual effects, producing and sound mentors. The student screenwriters and directors are paired together and guided through the process of taking a film from script to screen. Additionally there are free filmmaker seminars that will take place on each weekday during the Festival at Tamsen Gallery. SBIFF 2023 will close on Saturday, February 18 with the US Premiere of I LIKE MOVIES directed by Chandler Levack and starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges, Percy Hynes White. Lawrence, a socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile, gets a job at a video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older female manager. The full list of films can be viewed here and more information about the festival can be found at sfiff.org

Wellness & Fitness Party Downtown Santa Barbara, Thursday, January 19

On Thursday, January 19 from 5-8 pm, the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street in downtown Santa Barbara will be transformed into a fitness and e-bike expo block party! The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a variety of fitness activities, including group workout classes, dance demonstrations, and more. In addition to the fitness festivities, the event will also include an e-bike safety expo, where attendees can learn about the benefits of e-bikes and get tips on safe riding practices. There will be e-bike demonstrations and test rides available, as well as information on local e-bike rental and sales options. This will be a great opportunity to ring in the new year, get some exercise, and learn about e-bikes – all while supporting local businesses and having a great time! Don‘t miss this first Downtown Santa Barbara block party of the year as part of the ongoing downtown “Rock the Block” series featuring themed seasonal block party events, diverse downtown businesses, live music, face painting, games and fun for the whole family.