The Santa Barbara International Film Festival starts Wednesday, and will host 11 days of film premieres, celebrity tributes, industry panels, and free screenings.
The festival lineup of films includes 46 world premieres and 80 U.S. premieres from 50 countries, with half the films directed by women, programming director Claudia Puig said.
That includes some feature films and shorts by local filmmakers, such as “Relatively Normal,” “Imbalance,” “Fil-Am” and “Committee Animal.”
This year’s opening night film, hosted at the Arlington Theatre on Wednesday, is the United States premiere of “A Mosquito in the Ear.” The film follows a family that travels to India to bring home their adopted 4-year-old daughter.
How to Attend SBIFF Film Screenings and Events
SBIFF sells several levels of passes, which grant priority admission to events and film screenings. Individual tickets are also available for the awards events and industry panels at the Arlington Theatre.
Some events are already sold out – including tributes for Adam Sandler, Michael B. Jordan and the always popular Virtuosos Awards – but the festival will have a standby/rush line.
For filmgoers who don’t want to commit to a pass, they can buy a four-film minipak or individually rush movie tickets at showtime, available as space permits.
There are free screenings and Q&As open to the public and free filmmaker seminars scheduled throughout the festival, with details on the website and app.
This year’s venues include SBIFF’s newly-renovated McHurley Film Center, the former Fiesta Five, at 916 State St. It had a ribbon-cutting this week and opens just in time to host film festival screenings.
Films and events will also be hosted at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre at 2044 Alameda Padre Serra and the Arlington Theatre at 1317 State St.
The will call office is at SBIFF’s Education Center, 1330 State St. Suite 101, across the street from the Arlington Theatre. It’s open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day through Feb. 14.
The SBIFF website has a program guide and information about buying passes and event tickets for the festival.
A city parking pass offers unlimited parking for $50 for film festival attendees, for the duration of the festival, in downtown garages and surface lots.