Jacob Elordi, Amy Madigan, & 46 World Premieres Set For 41st Santa Barbara Film Festival

Sundance may be right around the corner, but the 41st Santa Barbara Film Festival is dropping the week after. This year’s slate includes 46 world premieres and 80 U.S. premieres from 50 countries. Notably, 50% of films are directed by women. As always, Santa Barbara will also feature some notable panels with likely Oscar nominees hunting for votes.

This year also features the grand opening of SBIFF’s McHurley Film Center at 916 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Over 5,000 screenings will occur year-round at the facility, and it will act as an arthouse venue alongside the Riviera Theatre.

Talent expected to be fetted this year include Jacob Elordi, Chase Infiniti, Amy Madigan, Wagner Moura, Renate Reinsve, Sydney Sweeney, Teyana Taylor, Jeremy Allen White, Adam Sandler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Stellan Skarsgard, Michael B. Jordan, and Kate Hudson, among others.

In a statement, Claudia Puig, Programming Director, noted, “We have a standout slate this year, and we’re especially proud to continue SBIFF’s legacy of showcasing fascinating movies from local filmmakers to international voices in our state-of-the-art theatrical setting.”

Nicola Rinciari’s “A Mosquito in the Ear” will open the festival on Wednesday, February 4. The festival will close on Saturday, February 14, with Zamo Mkhwanazi’s “Laundry (Uhlanjululo).”

The 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival will run from Feb 4 – 14.

Here is a complete list of this year’s feature and short films screening at the festival:

VIRAL (#拡散)
Directed by King Bai
US Premiere
Japan

Ablaze (Les Braises)
Directed by Thomas Kruithof
US Premiere
France

Abril
Directed by Hernan Jimenez
US Premiere
Costa Rica

Adam’s Sake (L’intérêt d’Adam)
Directed by Laura Wandel
US Premiere
Belgium, France

Aki
Directed by Darlene Naponse
US Premiere
Canada

All of the Above
Directed by Allison Walsh
World Premiere
United States

American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
Directed by David Alvarado
United States

The Art of Adventure
Directed by Alison Reid
US Premiere
Canada

Artists in Residence
Directed by Katie Jacobs
United States

ASCO: Without Permission
Directed by Travis Gutiérrez Senger
United States

The Big Cheese
Directed by Sara Joe Wolansky
United States

Blood Lines
Directed by Gail Maurice
US Premiere
Canada

Bookends
Directed by Mike Doyle
World Premiere
United States

Broken Voices (Sbormistr)
Directed by Ondřej Provazník
Czech Republic, Slovakia

California Scenario
Directed by James Takata
World Premiere
United States

The Cost of Heaven
Directed by Mathieu Denis
US Premiere
Canada

A Cowboy in London
Directed by Jared L. Christopher
World Premiere
United States

Cuba & Alaska
Directed by Yegor Troyanovsky
US Premiere
Ukraine, France, Belgium

Dear Lara
Directed by Lara St. John
World Premiere
Canada, United States

Death and Life Madalena (Morte e Vida Madalena)
Directed by Guto Parente
US Premiere
Brazil, Portugal

Diya
Directed by Achille Ronaimou
Chad

Don’t Call Me Mama (Se meg)
Directed by Nina Knag
US Premiere
Norway

Eternal Stoke
Directed by Joshua Pomer
World Premiere
United States

The Eyes of Ghana
Directed by Ben Proudfoot
United States

Father’s Day (La Fête des Pères)
Directed by Ayana O’Shun
US Premiere
Canada

The Fisherman
Directed by Zoey Martinson
Ghana

The Gas Station Attendant
Directed by Karla Murthy
United States

Gaslit
Directed by Katie Camosy
World Premiere
United States

The Heart is a Muscle
Directed by Imran Hamdulay
US Premiere
South Africa, Saudi Arabia

Holy Days
Directed by Nathalie Boltt
World Premiere
Canada, New Zealand

I Swear
Directed by Kirk Jones
United Kingdom

If These Walls Could Rock
Directed by Tyler Measom, Craig A. Williams
United States

Imbalance
Directed by Dale Griffiths Stamos
World Premiere
United States

In The Hand of Dante
Directed by Julian Schnabel
US Premiere
United States, Italy

In the Land of Arto (Le Pays d’Arto)
Directed by Tamara Stepanyan
US Premiere
France, Armenia

In the Room
Directed by Brishkay Ahmed
US Premiere
Canada

The Incredible Snow Woman (L’ Incroyable femme des neiges)
Directed by Sébastien Betbeder
US Premiere
France

Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream (Irkalla Hulm Jijiljamish)
Directed by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji
US Premiere
Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, France, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia

Kim Novak’s Vertigo
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe
United States

The Last Picture Shows
Directed by Rustin Thompson
World Premiere
United States

Laundry (Uhlanjululo)
Directed by Zamo Mkhwanazi
US Premiere
South Africa

Let Me Paint My World for You (Ich male dir meine Welt)
Directed by Andrea Christina Furrer
World Premiere
Germany, Switzerland

Life After Siham (La Vie après Siham)
Directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh
US Premiere
France, Egypt

A Life Illuminated
Directed by Tasha Van Zandt
United States

Little Lorraine
Directed by Andy Hines
US Premiere
Canada

Los Tigres
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
US Premiere
Spain

Lost Land (Harà Watan)
Directed by Akio Fujimoto
US Premiere
Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany

Lovely Day (Mille secrets mille dangers)
Directed by Philippe Falardeau
Canada

The Luminous Life (A Vida Luminosa)
Directed by João Rosas
US Premiere
Portugal, France

Maturity (L’Âge mûr)
Directed by Jean-Benoît Ugeux
US Premiere
Belgium

Maysoon
Directed by Nancy Biniadaki
US Premiere
Germany, Greece

Mockbuster
Directed by Anthony Frith
US Premiere
Australia, United States

Mortician
Directed by Abdolreza Kahani
US Premiere
Canada

A Mosquito in the Ear
Directed by Nicola Rinciari
World Premiere
India, Italy, United States

No Mercy
Directed by Isa Willinger
Germany, Austria

No Ordinary Heist
Directed by Colin McIvor
World Premiere
Ireland

Nomad Shadow (Thal Badaoui)
Directed by Eimi Imanishi
US Premiere
United States, Spain, France

Not Made for Politics (Süsteemist väljas)
Directed by Volia Chajkouskaya
US Premiere
Estonia

Notes of a True Criminal (Zapiski nastoyashego prestupnika)
Directed by Alexander Rodnyansky, Andriy Alferov
US Premiere
Ukraine, United States

Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers
Directed by John H. Cunningham
World Premiere
United States

On The End
Directed by Ari Selinger
United States

The Ozu Diaries
Directed by Daniel Raim
United States

A Pale View of Hills (遠い山なみの光)
Directed by Kei Ishikawa
US Premiere
Japan, United Kingdom, Poland

Perla
Directed by Alexandra Makarová
US Premiere
Austria, Slovakia

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
Directed by Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller
United States

Relatively Normal
Directed by Amy Wendel
World Premiere
United States

Rising Through the Fray
Directed by Courtney Montour
US Premiere
Canada

Saipan
Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa, Glenn Leyburn
Ireland

Sanatorium
Directed by Gar O’Rourke
US Premiere
Ireland, Ukraine

Saving Etting Street
Directed by Dena Fisher, Amy Scott
United States

Sell Your House
Directed by Eric Foss, Brandon Pickering
World Premiere
United States

Shakti
Directed by Nani Sahra Walker
United States, Nepal

Silent Rebellion (À bras-le-corps)
Directed by Marie-Elsa Sgualdo
Switzerland, Belgium, France

Silent Struggle (En silencio. La resiliencia de Isco Alarcón)
Directed by Sara Sálamo
US Premiere
Spain

Sophia
Directed by Dhafer L’Abidine
US Premiere
Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Space Cadet
Directed by Kid Koala
US Premiere
Canada

Stand By, Mother
Directed by Kerrilee Gore
World Premiere
United States

Steal Away
Directed by Clement Virgo
US Premiere
Canada, Belgium

Steal This Story, Please!
Directed by Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
United States

Sunshine Express
Directed by Amirali Navaee
US Premiere
Iran, Sweden

Sweet Störy
Directed by Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude
Sweden, United States

Tenor – My Name is Pati
Directed by Rebecca Tansley
World Premiere
New Zealand

The Six Billion Dollar Man
Directed by Eugene Jarecki
United States

There Are no Words
Directed by Min Sook Lee
US Premiere
Canada

This Is Not a Drill
Directed by Oren Jacoby
United States

Toitū: Visual Sovereignty
Directed by Chelsea Winstanley
US Premiere
New Zealand

Tough Old Broads
Directed by Stacey Tenenbaum
World Premiere
Canada

Tow
Directed by Stephanie Laing
United States

Tropical Paradise (Paraíso Tropical)
Directed by Abner Benaim
World Premiere
Panama

Two Ugly People
Directed by Peter Skinner
US Premiere
Australia

Untethered: A Wildly Different Normal
Directed by Aymie Majerski
World Premiere
United States

The Vanished Girl (Sauvage)
Directed by Camille Ponsin
US Premiere
France

Vanishing Goats (Élise sous emprise)
Directed by Marie Rémond
US Premiere
France

Versailles
Directed by Andrés Clariond Rangel
US Premiere
Mexico

Wasteman
Directed by Cal McMau
US Premiere
United Kingdom

What We Carry
Directed by Jessie Anthony
US Premiere
Canada

A Woman’s Work
Directed by A.R. Ephraim
World Premiere
United States

Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara)
Directed by Zacharias Kunuk
US Premiere
Canada

The Yellow Tie
Directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi
US Premiere
Romania

You Had to Be There
Directed by Nick Davis
US Premiere
United States

2026 SBIFF SHORT FILMS
24 WORLD PREMIERES AND 29 US PREMIERES

Abel
Directed by Brian Zahm
US Premiere
United States

Agnes
Directed by Leah Vlemmiks
United Kingdom

Agnès
Directed by Nora Arnezeder
World Premiere
France

Ali’s Story
Directed by Benito Sinclair
US Premiere
United States

All Heart
Directed by Michael Govier, Will McCormack
United States

Amazeze (Fleas)
Directed by Jordy Sank
US Premiere
South Africa

Astronauta
Directed by Giorgio Giampà
US Premiere
Italy, Mexico, Guatemala, France

At Night
Directed by Pooya Afzali
Iran

The Baddest Speechwriter of All
Directed by Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry
United States

Barbara
Directed by Jillian Moray
World Premiere
United States

The Bear Beneath
Directed by Olivia Hille
World Premiere
United States

Behind the Mask
Directed by Catherine Andre
World Premiere
United States

Beyond Silence
Directed by Marnie Blok
Netherlands

Bimo
Directed by Oumnia Hanader
US Premiere
France

California is Burning
Directed by Bennett Curran
World Premiere
United States

Candy Bar
Directed by Nash Edgerton
Australia

Change Makers
Directed by Casey Beck
United States, Greece

Committee Animal
Directed by Robert Redfield
United States

Coyotes
Directed by Said Zagha
France, Palestine, UK, Jordan

The Crash Out
Directed by Emelie Claxton
World Premiere
United States

Daddy’s Little Meatball
Directed by Yael Grunseit
US Premiere
Australia, United States

Dark Skin Bruises Differently
Directed by Susan Wokoma
United Kingdom

The Divine Feminine
Directed by Ivana Todorovic
US Premiere
Serbia

Dongmei (冬梅)
Directed by Rubing Zhang
World Premiere
China

Earworm
Directed by Patrik Eklund
Sweden

Egg Timer
Directed by Rosie May Bird Smith
United Kingdom

Fil-Am
Directed by Ralph Torrefranca
World Premiere
United States

The Finger Wife
Directed by Taryn Stickrath-Hutt, Dan Lund
United States

Fly on the Wall (La Mosca en la Pared)
Directed by Mar Novo
Mexico

Get Her Back
Directed by Leah Winkler
US Premiere
United States

The Gift of Darkness (El Regalo de Oscuridad)
Directed by Lauren David
World Premiere
United States

The Green Truck
Directed by Nicole Noren
World Premiere
United States

Habbal et al.
Directed by Sean Paulsen, Brad Wickham
United States

Habibi
Directed by Alexey Evstigneev
US Premiere
France

The Halfway Between All This
Directed by Heather Greer, Alison Cornyn
United States

Halifax Pier
Directed by Matthew Daniel Herst
World Premiere
Canada

A Hand to Hold
Directed by Philip Clyde-Smith
United Kingdom

His House, Home
Directed by Aisling O’Regan Sargent
US Premiere
Ireland

I am Li Yangqiao (我叫李杨桥)
Directed by 林千爱Qianai Lin,马艺芊Yiqian Ma,殷熙涵Xihan Yin,陈祉彦Zhiyan Chen,龙骏骐Junqi Long,潘睿喆Ruizhe Pan
World Premiere
China

Impact
Directed by Aidan Largey
United Kingdom

Invisible Dragons
Directed by Victoria Boult
New Zealand

Jeanne & Jean Jean
Directed by Thanys Martin
US Premiere
France

Keelhaul
Directed by Edgar Cortés Campoy
US Premiere
United States

The Last Puestero (El último puestero)
Directed by Belle Casares
US Premiere
Argentina, United States

The Lifeline (La ligne de vie)
Directed by Hugo Becker
France

Like Other People
Directed by Luisa Nöllke, Leo Dzhyshyashvili
US Premiere
Germany

Listen, Then Repeat
Directed by Jasper Martin
US Premiere
Australia

Living with a Visionary
Directed by Stephen P. Neary
United States

The Lonely Life of Lint
Directed by Sarah Sklar
United States

The Long Spring
Directed by Olly Ginelli
US Premiere
United Kingdom

Mandatory Call (Toque Reglamentario)
Directed by Ana Cecilia Sandoval
US Premiere
Mexico

Mary Is Missing
Directed by Aisling Byrne
US Premiere
Ireland

Memory Experiment
Directed by Kerrilee Gore
United States

Moths
Directed by Pema Baldwin
World Premiere
United States

My Boyfriend Follows You on Instagram
Directed by Caroline Falls
World Premiere
United States

My Type
Directed by Daniela Ruah
World Premiere
United States

Night Whispers
Directed by Adrián Ramírez León
United Kingdom

Not Dead (Morto Não)
Directed by Alex Reis
Brazil

Nuns with Guns
Directed by Rhys Zemeckis
US Premiere
United States

Olive
Directed by Tom Koch
United States

The Other Roe
Directed by Wendy Eley Jackson
World Premiere
United States

Papillon
Directed by Florence Miailhe
France

Pick-Me-Up (Nattmat)
Directed by Guro Ekornholmen
US Premiere
Norway

Poster Boy
Directed by India Opzoomer
Canada, United States

Purebred
Directed by Caleb J. Roberts
Ireland, United Kingdom

Rag Dolls
Directed by Amy Adler
World Premiere
United States

Rusty
Directed by Desirae Moore
World Premiere
United States

Sauna Sickness
Directed by Malin Barr
Sweden

Sea Star
Directed by Tyler Mckenzie Evans
US Premiere
Canada

Selection (Zhu Ri)
Directed by Yaoyuan Zhang
US Premiere
China, Japan

Sense of Emergency
Directed by Madeline Down
United States

She Chose War (ВОНА ОБРАЛА ВІЙНУ)
Directed by Sarah Moshman
World Premiere
United States, Ukraine

Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil, A
Directed by Daniel Straub
World Premiere
United States

A Sisyphean Task
Directed by Gus Flind-Henry, George Malcher
United Kingdom

Skin
Directed by Urvashi Pathania
United States

Small Kindness
Directed by Matthew Palmer
World Premiere
United States

The Sound of Things Ablaze
Directed by Hayat Najm
Canada

The Spectacle
Directed by Bálint Kenyeres
US Premiere
Hungary, France

Spray Me
Directed by Christopher Chuky
US Premiere
United Kingdom

A Sunday on the Moon
Directed by Trevor Silverstein
US Premiere
United States

Sweetwater
Directed by Michael Keaton Douglas
World Premiere
United States

That Night
Directed by Hoda Sobhani
United States, Iran

The Rise and Fall of Zara Zilverstein
Directed by Brian Kazez
Argentina, France, Spain, United States

To My 14 Year Old Self
Directed by Cody Westheimer
World Premiere
United States

Tormenta
Directed by Ethan Maniquis
US Premiere
Puerto Rico, US

Two Lie Together
Directed by Adam Byrnes
World Premiere
United States

Una Notte
Directed by Rob Harris
US Premiere
United Kingdom

Under the Wave off Little Dragon
Directed by Luo Jian
US Premiere
United Kingdom

Watching Walter
Directed by Mitch Yapko
United States

When the Walls Came Down
Directed by Ondi Timoner
United States

Who Is Charlie?
Directed by Gabriel Bravo
US Premiere
Mexico

Wonders of the Wolf
Directed by Angie Ruiz
United States

Xolo
Directed by Matthew Serrano
United States

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