On the third day of the 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Variety Artisans Award ceremony honored the creative forces behind some of 2025’s most acclaimed films at the Arlington Theatre. Ten artisans – including composers, editors, designers and visual effects artists – were recognized for shaping the year’s biggest cinematic projects.
The evening’s ten honorees took to the carpet representing films including “Frankenstein,” “KPop Demon Hunters,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “F1,” “Train Dreams,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Sinners.” Many spoke about the collaborative labor and creative trust required to bring their films to life.
In a red carpet interview with the Nexus, Academy Award-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat, honored for his original score for “Frankenstein,” described the emotional intimacy of scoring the film. Desplat was one of three “Frankenstein” honorees, alongside costume designer Kate Hawley and makeup artist Mike Hill.
Alexandre Desplat speaking to journalists about his score for “Frankenstein.” (Derek Peng / Daily Nexus)
“We knew that the movie was full of gory moments, brutal moments … the music should not [be] full of that,” Desplat explained. “All these characters are searching for love. All of them … they are all trying to understand what love is … And that’s a good question today: how do you teach empathy to people?”
Moments later on the carpet, “Marty Supreme” Academy Award-nominated production designer Jack Fisk discussed building the film’s visual environments.
“In real life, nothing matches … So I purposefully would try to recreate the confusion of real life,” Fisk said.
Jack Fisk, set designer for the film “Marty Supreme,” on the red carpet. (Derek Peng / Daily Nexus)
Fisk also described his experience working with the “Marty Supreme” lead actor, Timothée Chalamet.
“Working with Timothée was great because he was so into the character. He just wanted Marty to be real – that put more pressure on me to make the sets real. His enthusiasm drove us all,” Fisk said.
While Fisk focused on constructing the physical world of his film, editor Andy Jurgensen, a 2004 UC Santa Barbara alumnus and editor of “One Battle After Another,” reflected on how his time at UCSB prepared him for a career in the film industry.
“Especially for the Film Studies program … every two weeks we had to write a 10-page paper about a movie. When you do that over and over and over again, you get really good practice at figuring out how to form your ideas,” Jurgensen said.
Andy Jurgensen, who is up for Best Editing at the 98th Academy Awards for “One Battle After Another,” is a 2004 UC Santa Barbara alumus. (Derek Peng / Daily Nexus)
Learning how to use editing software such as Final Cut Pro in Kerr Hall, Jurgensen added that he remains in close contact with friends he made at UCSB — some of whom he continues to collaborate with today.
Finally, KPop Demon Hunters voice actress EJAE spoke about the importance of representation in the film. This comes after her historical Grammy win for her song “Golden,” the first-ever KPop song to win a Grammy.
EJAE, singer and songwriter of the song “GOLDEN” from “KPOP DEMON HUNTERS,” talking to reporters on the red carpet. (Derek Peng / Daily Nexus)
“I think growing up, people didn’t really know about Korea. And I was always so desperate to show how beautiful Korea can be,” EJAE said.
Once the red carpet concluded, attendees gathered inside the Arlington Theatre for what Variety Senior Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay described as a “speed dating” session with the honorees. Short clips from each film were screened, followed by five-minute conversations between Tangcay and each artisan, before the night transitioned into a panel discussion with all artisans.
Visual effects honoree Eric Saindon spoke about maintaining artistic authenticity in “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” emphasizing the importance of protecting creative labor in an evolving industry.
“We don’t want to use AI that replaces artists,” Saindon said. “That’s not why we’re here.”
“Frankenstein” makeup artist Mike Hill reflected on the extensive preparation required to transform Jacob Elordi for his role as the Creature, which involved 56 separate makeup sessions – each lasting up to 10 hours.
“Jacob Elordi has the patience of a saint,” Hill said. “He never complained once in those 56 times.”
The evening concluded with “Sinners” sound mixing honoree Chris Welcker, who reflected on working closely with director Ryan Coogler to capture one of the film’s most memorable scenes — Sammy playing his guitar on an open road.
“He was trying to size me up and see if I would be able to do this job for him,” Welcker said. “[Coogler said] it’s a Model T vehicle, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh gosh, the engine noise is going to be loud.’ I asked if we could roll the windows up, and he said he wanted the windows and the convertible top down. I was like, ‘Okay, so now there’s wind and gravel.’”
After the individual conversations with Tangcay, all honorees returned to the stage for a panel dedicated to offering advice to their younger selves — and, as Tangcay put it, “the SB students in the house.”
Saindon encouraged aspiring filmmakers to “learn the artistry.”
EJAE used a metaphor comparing creative growth to water rather than ice.
“When you’re narrow-minded, like ice, it breaks,” EJAE said. “To be like water, you have to have no ego. Especially in film — it’s very collaborative. You can’t have ego; it’s about creating the best product for the movie, for the song.”
The Class of 2026 Artisans received their awards from Academy Award-–winning production designers David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco, who praised the honorees for their “combined mastery of pacing, imagery, color and sound.”
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, where Desplat is nominated for Best Original Score in “Frankenstein,” Fisk is nominated for Best Production Design in “Marty Supreme,” EJAE’s song “Golden” is nominated for Best Original Song, Hill is nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for “Frankenstein,” Jurgensen is nominated for Best Film Editing for “One Battle After Another” and Weckler is nominated for Best Sound for “Sinners”
