Santa Barbara-based artist Mary Heebner designed the poster for this year’s festival. (Courtesy of Mary Heebner)

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival revealed the original poster and programming for the upcoming 40th annual festival, which is set to take place Feb. 4-15.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), and will feature 33 world premieres and 74 U.S. premieres, along with representing 60 countries from across the world. Additionally, 52% of films at the festival are directed by female directors, a percentage surpassing previous years.

The unveiling took place during a small press conference located in the Sullivan Goss Art Gallery in downtown Santa Barbara on Jan. 17. The unveiling was originally scheduled for Jan. 14, but was postponed due to the Los Angeles fires. 

SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling began the event by addressing the fires in his opening remarks, and explained the decision to continue with the festival as planned. “Art has always been a beacon, and the role of film festivals is about creating community, about bringing people [together],” Durling said.

“The role of the film festival is to bring people together, not just to entertain and to distract, but to actually create community,” he said. “In a time like this, our role is even strengthened. And thus it was necessary for us to move forward.” Durling continued to say that the 2025 festival is dedicated to “our sister city of Los Angeles” in partnership with nonprofit humanitarian organization Direct Relief and that all funds raised during the film festival will be going to Direct Relief for fire aid.

After acknowledging the fires, Durling moved on to discuss the festival. 2025 marks the first year that SBIFF will use the recently-acquired Santa Barbara Film Center (formerly known as the Fiesta 5 Theatre) in downtown Santa Barbara State Street. The majority of the films will be screened at the film center, while tribute and panel events will continue to take place at downtown’s Arlington Theatre. 

Programming will also take place at the Riviera Theatre, a SBIFF-owned theater located in the Riviera part of Santa Barbara, for the first time in the festival’s history. 

The festival will kick off with the U.S. premiere of the French film “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” on Feb. 4, a romantic comedy written and directed by Laura Piani. The U.S. premiere of French film “A Missing Part,” written and directed by Guillaume Senez, will close the festival. Free filmmaking seminars and family film screenings will also take place throughout the festival.

Durling introduced Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, who spoke about the festival’s role in re-energizing the downtown Santa Barbara area. “It really is [an] injection of vitality, energy and financial well-being downtown. So it’s a great thing,” Rowse said.

After Rowse spoke, Santa Barbara-based artist Mary Heebner, who created the poster, joined Durling at the front of the room for the official unveiling. Together, the pair lifted the sheet off an enlarged canvas to reveal the poster for the 40th annual festival. Heebner shared a few words about her creative process and inspiration behind her work, explaining that the poster is derived from a collage and depicts a Bird Woman from Predynastic Egypt flying over a California osprey bird. The poster is flush with hues of rosy, light pink, which is meant to represent resurrection.

Heebner and Durling revealing the poster at the Jan. 17 press conference. (Lauren Chiou / Daily Nexus)

“It’s sort of a revitalization, and it just seemed a perfect way to celebrate women in the film industry, and also the sense of regeneration,” Heebner said, speaking to the festival’s commitment to uplifting female voices this year.

Heebner also expressed gratitude for her involvement in the festival. “I was very honored to have Roger select me to represent the 40th anniversary of the film festival, which I love, and all of you I’m sure love,” the artist said. “Many of you gather friends from all over the country to come to Santa Barbara to celebrate and to be in the film festival. So it’s an honor to be a part of it.”

The 40th annual film festival will take place from Feb. 4-15. This year’s tributes include Angelina Jolie, Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Saldaña, Timothée Chalamet, Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, Colman Domingo and more. Further programming information about featured guests will come following Academy Award nominations. 

More information about the festival can be found here.

This appeared in the Jan. 23 print edition of the Daily Nexus.

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