Santa Barbara International Film Festival Announces Dates for 2025 – Film News in Brief

Jazz Tangcay, Selena Kuznikov, Jack Dunn and Lexi Carson
·8 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced that its 40th festival is scheduled for Feb. 4-15, expanding to 12 days for next year’s edition.

SBIFF showcases the best in independent and international media. It’s one of the leading film festivals in the United States as it attracts 100,000 attendees of over 200 films, tributes and symposiums.

More from Variety

“As we embark on our 40th year, we are proud of what we’ve accomplished and exhilarated for what is ahead of us. We will be announcing a few surprises in the next few months. Onward and upwards” says Roger Durling, SBIFF’s Executive Director.

Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including the Arlington Theatre.

Earlier this year, the 39th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival celebrated an ensemble of talent including Robert Downey Jr., Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Ludwig Göransson, Emma Thomas, Cord Jefferson, Arthur Harari, Jennifer Lame, Holly Waddington, Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo and more.

The American Film Institute Announces Date for 2024 Awards

The American Film Institute has announced the 2024 AFI Awards will take place on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills with the honorees to be revealed in December.

The AFI awards is a yearly celebration of the collaborative nature of film and television, honoring those who work both in front of and behind the camera. AFI award honorees are selected through a jury process where AFI trustees, artists, critics and scholars determine the year’s most outstanding achievements and provide artistic and cultural context for each selection.

Those honored at last year’s AFI Awards include films like “American Fiction,” “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and television series such as “The Bear,” “Abbot Elementary” and “Beef.”

PEAK Honors Pasifika Women in Hollywood With Auli’i Cravalho, Sasha Colby and Naomi Scott Panel

The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti announced their PEAK Conversations panel will take place in Los Angeles on May 1. Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios, the panel will feature “Moana” and “Mean Girls” actress Auli’i Cravalho, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Sasha Colby and Great Scott Productions founder Naomi Scott. “Moana 2” and “Thai Cave Rescue” Screenwriter and PEAK Co-Founder Dana Ledoux Miller will moderate the panel.

“May is AAPI Heritage Month yet you’ll find Pasifika (or Pacific Islander) people are rarely prioritized and often erased in celebrations despite us being named in them,” said Kristian Fanene Schmidt, co-founder and executive director of PEAK. “Most AAPI organizations have no Pasifika staff or even board members so it’s why PEAK exists. We’re the only Pasifika-led organization doing this work who will advocate for us the way we do. We’re all about uplifting our most marginalized voices so for this event, it made perfect sense to highlight our women who are the backbone of our communities, yet they experience the most disparity when it comes to opportunities and pay.”

The talanoa, or discussion, will focus on issues specific to Pasifika women and their journeys in the entertainment industry. It will also highlight the achievements Cravalho who starred as the first Disney Pacific Islander princess, Colby who was the first Pacific Islander to win “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, Scott, who is the only Chamorro woman producer in Hollywood and Ledoux Miller, who was the first Samoan showrunner in Hollywood with “Thai Cave Rescue”.

Focus Features to Award Best Film Award and $10,000 Prize at USC School of Cinematic Arts’ 2024 First Look Film Showcase

Focus Features will award the Best Film Award and a $10,000 cash prize to the winning short film at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts’ First Look Film Showcase. The event will be held April 11.

The First Look Showcase is a culmination of production work from current students and recently graduated alumni that has been completed in the past year. The 64 films submitted cover stories about identity, motherhood, immigration, love, childhood, self-reflection, and more.

Panavision will sponsor the First Look Pitch & Panel session where 5 finalists will be chosen to pitch live to an industry panel. The winner will receive a Panavision New Filmmaker Program equipment grant for a camera and optics rental package valued at $15,000.

“We are so grateful to Focus Features and Panavision for their inspiring support of our emerging filmmakers,” said O’Shea” Myles, senior career services advisor for the SCA Office of Industry Relations. “They are helping to bridge the gap between student and professional life, and encouraging our students to put their best work forward in taking the next steps in their careers.”

Other awards presented will include 20 faculty awards, chosen to celebrate outstanding work in disciplines such as screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, editing, sound and production design. 18 industry awards that recognize achievement in animation, comedy, drama, documentary, social change and genre will be also presented.

Julian Levi Appointed to Executive Vice President of Ghost VFX

Ghost VFX today announced the appointment of Julian Levi as executive vice president, North America.

Levi will play a pivotal role in the strategic direction and growth for Ghost VFX on a global scale. Based in Los Angeles, he will oversee the sophisticated talent, technology, and services offered by Ghost VFX, while also working closely with other members of the executive team, including for collaborations with Ingenuity Studios.

“Julian’s mastery of every aspect of the visual effects business is impressive, and he knows what discerning filmmakers require of their VFX teams,” said David Lebensfeld, president at Ghost VFX and Ingenuity Studios. “We’re happy to welcome him to the team, and look forward to the positive impact his leadership will bring.”

“I’m excited to join Ghost VFX, playing an integral part in the future of this highly regarded studio,” said Julian Levi, executive vice president, Ghost VFX North America. “At Ghost VFX, there’s a real dedication to artistry at the highest level and to sterling client relationships. I’m here to champion that and more.”

Cinema Audio Society Reveals Date and Timeline for 61st Annual CAS Awards

The Cinema Audio Society has laid out its timeline for the 61st annual CAS Awards, which will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.

The annual award ceremony celebrates outstanding sound mixing in film and television from both industry professionals and student filmmakers. Winners of the CAS Career Achievement Award and CAS Filmmaker Award will be announced later in 2025.

“Sound plays an integral and often under-recognized part in the way we view and consume today’s media,” Peter Kurland said, president of the Cinema Audio Society. “We take great pride in celebrating outstanding sound and look forward to honoring the mixers involved with the exceptional projects of 2024 at the 61st CAS Awards. See you all next year!”

See the full timeline for the 61st annual CAS Awards below:

Entry submission forms available: 5 p.m. PT, Oct. 17

Nomination ballot voting begins online: Dec. 17

Nomination ballot voting ends online: 5 p.m. PT, Jan. 2, 2025

Final nominees in each category announced: Jan. 7, 2025

Nominee listing error and omission deadline: Jan. 17, 2025

Final voting begins online: Jan. 30, 2025

Final voting ends online: 5 p.m. PT, Feb. 11, 2025

61st annual CAS Awards: Feb. 22, 2025

Paley Center for Media to Host Premiere of ‘Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion’

The Paley Center for Media will host a premiere of the documentary “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion,” following the life and impact costume and fashion designer Bob Mackie, at the Director’s Guild of America in Los Angeles.

This premiere event will include a screening of film, directed by Matthew Miele, and will be followed by a conversation with Mackie and his friends and collaborators including Carol Burnett, RuPaul Charles and Cher.

“I got to do exactly what I always dreamed of doing as a young child, going to the movies,” Mackie said in a press release. “How lucky am I that I got to do that and work with these amazing talents.”

The event will support the Paley Center’s educational programs and ongoing preservation of the Paley Archive.

Mackie is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, Tony Award winner, Television Academy Hall of Fame and Met Gala honoree, and three-time Academy Award nominated designer. The documentary features contributions from Burnett, Cher and RuPaul along with Bernadette Peters, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Tom Ford, Zac Posen and more.

Tickets for the premiere go on sale to the general public April 21 at 12 p.m.

Second Annual “La La Land In Concert” Returns to Downtown Los Angeles.

The second annual “La La Land in Concert” returns to Downtown Los Angeles at the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Saturday, Sept. 14 and Sunday, Sept. 15. Composer Justin Hurwitz returns to conduct his Oscar-winning score, performed live-to-film by a 53-piece symphony orchestra and jazz band which will accompany the film’s original vocal recordings.

“Damien made a beautiful tribute to Los Angeles with ‘La La Land,’ and conducting an orchestra last year along with the movie and the downtown LA skyline in the background was really a surreal and beautiful experience,” said Hurwitz. “I’m so excited to do it again this year, bigger and better, and hopefully turn this into an LA tradition.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.