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Santa Barbara Film Festival Sets Robust World Premiere Program, Pledges to Aid in L.A. Fire Relief

The Santa Barbara Film Festival sets robust world premiere program and pledges to help with Los Angeles wildfire relief.

The SBIFF director sees the need for a celebration of art as Los Angeles, 90 minutes or so to the south of Santa Barbara, begins to recover from devastating wildfires that destroyed large areas of the county. This year the festival will add an extra day to celebrate its milestone anniversary and will screen 33 world premieres — with 52% of the films directed by women — as well as a robust selection of shorts. “You would imagine that after 20 years [at the festival], I would start getting tired, but it’s the opposite; I am so fired up,” Durling says, enthusing about the organization’s theaters – especially the Film Center space — and many education programs.

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