Plans for renovations to the former Fiesta Five movie theater have gone through the first round of reviews by the Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission, and the verdict is more elegance, more drama.

Representatives from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday appeared before the commission to receive feedback on their proposed changes to the building at 916 State St., which they have renamed the Film Center.

Roger Durling, executive director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the architectural firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative gave the presentation.

“We want to thank you all for taking on this very, very tough design challenge and doing a really good job so far at it and sort of wrestling with it,” commission chair Anthony Grumbine said. “So, we thank you and we thank your team for bringing forward a project that we know will be a wonderful addition to the city.”

The commission appeared supportive of the project and the operator’s goal of improving the site.

Some feedback from the commission asked the architects to incorporate a greater sense of elegance into the design, which representatives from the firm said is meant to capture a red carpet feel.

The major theme of the critiques from the commission centered on making the lobby feel more open. The commission asked architects for the project to explore the possibility of changing the pillars in the entryway, either by removing, reducing or adding new ones.

Another issue raised by the commission was the new wheelchair ramp in the plans. The current plans show the handrails attached to a solid piece of metal that extends to the floor. The commission asked whether the ramp could incorporate a more transparent railing that did not close off the area.  

The ramp is included to make the Film Center ADA-compliant. The current building has a lift, which will be removed as part of the renovations.

The SBIFF is hoping to make changes to the light fixtures, finishes and the underside of the archway, and add new poster cases along the wall.

The renovations also would make color changes to the theater’s tiles, add a wall for donors to the theater, and change the lettering in the foyer to read “SBIFF Film Center.”

The SBIFF took over the Film Center location in late 2024 after the former theater, Fiesta Five, closed down. The Fiesta Five was closed after its owners, Metropolitan Theatres Corp., declared bankruptcy in September 2024.

The SBIFF then leased the property with the intention of turning it into an arthouse-type theater. The organization had already purchased the Riviera Theatre but hoped to expand its showings by buying the former Fiesta Five.

After receiving the report and completing its review, the commission approved an indefinite continuance for the project. The commission did not set a date for the SBIFF to return to give staff time to consider all the recommendations.