The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has set Jan. 27 through Feb. 6, 2011, as the dates for the 26th edition of the festival, SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling announced Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the SBIFF celebrated its silver anniversary, and thousands of people descended on Santa Barbara to toast 25 years of cinematic wonders as well as the bountiful attendance of Oscar-nominated actors. The city of Santa Barbara reported that it saw an increase in hotel tax revenue for the first time in 16 months.

“We are proud of the work we do, the films we feature, the guests we welcome and getting notice that we also helped boost the economy in our sweet town, all the better,” Durling said. “Santa Barbara is the place to be.”

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is dedicated to the art of filmmaking, which seeks out and offers a broad array of international and independent films, with a commitment to diversity. The SBIFF, which attracts more than 70,000 visitors each year, endeavors to enrich the community culturally and economically by presenting 11 days of films, tributes and symposiums.

— Carol Marshall is a publicist.