When: Wednesday, March 31- Saturday, April 10, 2021

Deets: The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), presented by UGG®, announced today the highly anticipated lineup for the 36th edition, which will run March 31 to April 10, 2021. The festival will feature 47 world premieres and 37 U.S. premieres from 45 countries, along with tributes featuring the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs.

The festival will take on an entirely new look this year, as well, with the build-out of two state-of-the-art, beachside drive-in theaters sponsored by Toyota Mirai, where every film screening will be offered to the community for free, alongside a ticketed online component that will feature the entire film program in addition to SBIFF’s notable celebrity tributes, industry panels, and filmmaker Q&As. 

For the first festival doing side-by-side beachfront drive-ins that will be offered for free to the general public, with a hybrid ticketing model for online attendees. All films will be available after the opening night and available for viewing immediately so you can spend your days binging top content from around the world (Netflix-style). Links to passes: are available on sbiff.org.

OPENING NIGHT
SBIFF 2021 will start with the Opening Night Film, presented by UGG®, on Wednesday, March 31, online and at both Drive-in theatres with the WORLD Premiere of INVISIBLE VALLEY directed by Aaron Maurer.

INVISIBLE VALLEY skillfully weaves together the seemingly disparate stories of undocumented farmworkers, wealthy snowbirds, and music festival-goers over the course of a year in California's Coachella Valley. The intimate, on-the-ground profiles drive home the incongruity of the lifestyles that coexist in an affluent community. In exploring the history of the region as well as its future, the film uncovers an undercurrent of a looming ecological crisis threatening it all.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-1uqMpM9s

CLOSING NIGHT
For our Closing Night Film on Saturday, April 10, we put the spotlight on Santa Barbara to highlight a series of short documentaries by local filmmakers. This distinctive selection of films covers a range of iconic people and places in the Santa Barbara area including the Chumash people’s annual trip to their historical village site, one woman’s journey to restore ecosystems with her flock of sheep, a local musician who received care and support from Hospice of Santa Barbara, the story of a community surviving 2020 through outdoor dancing, an artist who specializes in miniature diorama art, and a celebrated local roller-skating icon who sparked a community group known as the SB Rollers. 

THE TRIBUTES
SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy Award frontrunners, many of whom have arrived as nominees and gone on to win the Oscar. The 36th SBIFF proudly celebrates some of the year’s finest work in film. All tributes will be online live-streamed.

• Bill Murray will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award on Friday, April 2 at 6:00pm, moderated by Leonard Maltin.

• The Virtuosos Award, presented by UGG®, will be awarded to Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Sidney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman), Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian), and Zendaya (Malcolm & Marie) on Saturday, April 3 at 6:00pm, moderated by Dave Karger.

• Carey Mulligan will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award on Monday, April 5 at 2:00pm.

• The Variety Artisans Awards, sponsored by Variety, will take place on Monday, April 5 at 6:00pm. Honorees to be announced.

• The Outstanding Directors of the Year Award, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter, will be Tuesday, April 6 at 6:00pm. Honorees to be announced.

• Sacha Baron Cohen will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on Wednesday, April 7 at 6:00pm.

• Delroy Lindo will receive the American Riviera Award on Thursday, April 8 at 6:00pm.

• Amanda Seyfried will receive the Montecito Award on Friday, April 8 at 6:00pm.

Check out the list of world and US film premieres!

About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 35 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000+ attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

In 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s new state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.

Who You May Spot: Actors, actresses, film directions and more

Hint For The Average Socialite: FREE drive-in screenings will be offered as well starting 8AM the day before showtime.

Can’t make it in person? Check out other virtual events from the safety of your home!

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