2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The 41st edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival returns February 4–14, 2026, marking a pivotal year in the festival’s evolution. Spanning eleven days, SBIFF 2026 brings together global premieres, major industry tributes, and an expanded slate of panels and educational programs—while simultaneously inaugurating a new permanent home for cinema in downtown Santa Barbara.

The Festival opened on Wednesday, February 4, with the U.S. Premiere of A Mosquito in the Ear, a character-driven international drama that sets the tone for a program deeply invested in intimate storytelling and global perspectives. Opening Night also signals the debut of the McHurley Film Center, SBIFF’s newly renovated, state-of-the-art venue on State Street, which will host hundreds of screenings and filmmaker Q&As during the Festival and operate year-round as an arthouse cinema. (SCROLL DOWN BELOW THE DROPS TO READ THE REST).