A FÊTE FOR FILM

Among the glitz and (pre-Oscar) gold, scenes of shared humanity framed the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival

By Nicole Johnson

The paparazzi and fans have faded from their posts around the 93-year-old Arlington Theatre—as has the flimsy metal barricade separating them from Hollywood’s elite. Yet the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), whose grand finale unfolded Saturday, endures as a pivotal connector of resonant narratives and a crucial stop for contenders en route to the Oscars. 

As the Arlington’s crimson letters illuminated its marquee from February 4 to 15, SBIFF’s momentous anniversary created a haven for cinephiles and creatives alike, brought together by SBIFF Director Roger Durling. Honorees like Angelina Jolie (Maria) and Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) lauded the intimacy of the festival, which offered two-hour career retrospectives, screenings, and panels as an enclave for reflection from campaign circuits. At a cultural inflection point, it affirmed cinema’s role as a conduit for empathy—where art injects a powerful antidote to indifference. 

SBIFF’s magnetism for A-list talent attests to its growing influence on the awards trail. At nightly tributes, stars donned the haute couture of Hollywood red carpets: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) stunned in a sequined, midnight blue Thom Browne ensemble, while Ariana Grande (Wicked) floated, Glinda-style, in a bubblegum pink Armani Privé gown adorned in floral appliqué, rhinestones, and tulle. Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) charmed in a cropped geometric Marni jacket and wide-leg trousers.

Beyond the glamour, another spectacle emerged: the industry’s evolving push to amplify diverse voices, global narratives and independent filmmaking. Universal themes of resilience and belonging coursed through films from 60 countries, including 32 global and 74 U.S. premieres. Notably, a record 52 percent of the festival’s 185 features were directed by women. 

Brady Corbet, director of the ten-time Oscar nominated epic The Brutalist, recognized this momentum while accepting his Outstanding Director of the Year Award. That evening, on February 10, The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg moderated a tribute to all five of this year’s first-time Best Director nominees.  

“It’s impossible not to acknowledge this is one of the more interesting selections of contenders in a long time,” Corbet said. “It’s predominantly independent movies made by very radical filmmakers, and that’s exciting.”

SBIFF’s defining line, "Film Unites," echoed in its partnership with Direct Relief, aiding those affected by the Los Angeles fires. Angela Jolie, receiving the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award for her vivid contributions to cinema on February 5, spoke movingly of the tragedy. After an elegant conversation woven with scenes from her dramatic repertoire, she addressed a 2,000-person crowd, setting the tone for ten impactful days. 

“Tonight I am thinking of those in our state who have suffered so much [from the fires], and those who have given so much, particularly firefighters,” Angelina shared. “I think too, of the people around the world who have lost solidarity and support. I hope we can all agree that we can’t seek to improve systems at the cost of our humanity.” 

Presenting Angelina’s award, director Ava DuVernay hailed her friend as an embodiment of transformative storytelling. “Angelina Jolie’s career is a testament to the power of cinema that centers risk, reinvention, and reflection,” said the surprise guest. “She’s a storyteller in the fullest sense, someone who understands that film and life are not just about performance, but about purpose.” 

Angelina laid that purpose bare, recounting how her late mother penned letters to each of her characters. “Dear Gia, dear Lisa Rowe, dear Lara Croft,” she smiled through tears. “Those of us who are able to question and to feel deeply with audiences who feel with us, like I did tonight, are very fortunate.”

Zoe Saldaña, during her own American Riviera Award tribute on February 12, shared a similar vignette: she has written diary entries, in-character, for each of her roles spanning blockbuster sci-fi features to smaller indies. “I need to feel their history in me,” she shared. 

Following her tribute, I slipped into the Filmmakers’ Happy Hour and VIP reception—hosted by SBIFF wine partner DAOU—to further immerse myself in these moments. Admittedly, I hoped to rub elbows with the actress or Rob Lowe, who had sung her praises onstage. He was among a plethora of surprise guests to SBIFF’s revelries, joined by Demi Moore (The Substance), Oprah Winfrey, and Jane Lynch, among others. 

But by 10 p.m., Zoe had likely gone to tuck her young sons into bed, and her Montecito neighbors, Rob and Sheryl Lowe, seemingly followed suit. Surrounded by cascading velvet curtains doused in golden light, I sipped a glass of DAOU’s premier Soul of a Lion—a worthy consolation.  

The Virtuosos Award a few nights earlier delivered star power aplenty, featuring supernovas Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez) and Ariana Gomez (Wicked), veterans Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) and John Magaro (September 5), and breakout stars Mikey Madison (Anora) and Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing). Entertainment journalist Dave Karger interviewed each actor on their radiant work—touring the Yellow Brick Road to a New York prison—then brought the collective out for musings on their dream Olympic sports and favorite films of late. 

SBIFF’s pageant of talent continued on February 11, this time honoring Arlington Artist of the Year Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown). Sporting a cheeky chartreuse button-down, he shared a boyish camaraderie with Dune costar, mentor, and Montecito local Josh Brolin, who endearingly dubbed him an “adolescent basset hound,” a “little brat,” and the artist of his generation. 

“Today, we celebrate this 29-year-old anomalous actor, who has already shown us through his work what historical monuments are made of: people, places, and things that move us again and again and somehow, find themselves in our cellular makeup and don’t ever want to let us go,” Brolin said of Chalamet.

In another ode to storytelling, I attended a masterclass at El Encanto’s Cinematic Speaker Series on the morning of February 7. Nestled in the hotel’s quaint fireside room with a select group of cinephiles, I listened as filmmaker Stephen Cornwell discussed adapting the literary legacy of his father, exalted British spy novelist John Le Carré, for the screen. 

“To affect change as a writer, you have to do it subversively so the message is within your storytelling,” Cornwell said of both his and his father’s penmanship. “Fiction is a vessel for truth in a world that has lost fact.” 

SBIFF underscored art’s framework for understanding—and celebrated the vivid creative hub we call home. For those nostalgic for its starry nights, the Arlington will host a free screening of the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, where the luminaries who graced our coastal stage will ascend to the Dolby Theatre.