The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has announced the appointment of Claudia Puig as programming director. In her role, Puig will lead the curation of the film slate for the festival’s 2022 edition.
The program will include more than 200 international and independent films with a commitment to diversity and inclusion, with most films being world or U.S. premieres. Puig will lead Q&As and seminar discussions with hundreds of attending filmmakers, She will report to Roger Durling, the film festival’s executive director.
Puig is currently serving as president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is a longtime critic on NPR’s Film Week.
“Claudia has tremendous film festival programming expertise, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the team,” Durling said. “We have the utmost faith in her ability to bring forward a program of unmatched quality to share with our community; and with both Claudia and I being Latino, this marks a first for any major film festival’s artistic leads.”
Before joining SBIFF, Puig handled programming for AFI Fest, the Mendocino Film Festival, and Napa Valley Film Festival. She has been a speechwriter for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She also has a film consulting business specializing in cultural consulting and teaches a college class on diversity in the media.
Previously, Puig was USA Today’s film critic for 15 years. During that time, she hosted “The Screening Room” video series and wrote film reviews and analytical articles about the film industry. She has also been a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, covering city government, courts, and the entertainment industry.
The 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG, will take place live March 2-12. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city. The 2022 lineup will be announced in February.
Passes for the 2022 festival will be on sale for 25% off starting Monday, Aug. 16. For more information or to buy passes, visit sbiff.org.