Michael B. Jordan at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, a key stop on the road to the Oscars, has announced the dates for its 2027 edition, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively report: Feb. 3-13.
Held shortly after the Oscar nominations announcement and shortly before the final round of voting, a mere 90 miles from Los Angeles in a coastal city that is home (or second-home) to many Academy members, the fest annually attracts a sizable number of top contenders.
In 2026, those who stopped by the fest to pick up honors included eventual Oscar winners Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley, Sean Penn, Amy Madigan and Ryan Coogler, as well as Adam Sandler, Stellan Skarsgard, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Kate Hudson, Ethan Hawke, Jacob Elordi, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Chase Infiniti, Wunmi Mosaku, Wagner Moura, Sydney Sweeney and Teyana Taylor.
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The 2026 edition also attracted 80,000 attendees, showcased over 200 films from 50 countries (including 46 world premieres, 80 U.S. premieres and 50 Oscar nominees) and featured more than 180 filmmaker Q&As.
“Another magical edition of our festival took place in February [2026], where the love of film was the order of the day,” SBIFF’s longtime executive director Roger Durling tells THR. “Let us do it again in 2027, for we’re having too much fun.”
Passes to the next edition of the festival — the marquee venues of which include the historic Arlington Theatre and the new McHurley Film Center — will go on sale in August at sbiff.org, and the full lineup will be announced in January 2027.
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