(L-R) Nicole Sperling, Alex Coco, Alex Heineman, Brian Young, Coralie Fargea and Cale Boyter attend the producers panel at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 10, 2025 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival) Courtesy of SBIFF

This high caliber panel brought together a very impressive lineup of industry heavyweight producers attached to the key Oscars contender films: Cale Boyter (Dune: Part Two), Alex Coco (Anora), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), Alex Heineman (A Complete Unknown), and Brian Young (The Brutalist), offering festival-attendees a rare behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaking process from the producer’s perspective led by moderator Nicole Sperling.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

Sponsors of the 40th SBIFF include: Lexus, Manitou Fund, FIJI Water, DAOU Vineyards, Sonos, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Panavision, Santa Barbara City, US Bank, Yardi, Montecito Bank & Trust, Kaleidoscope Productions, Fujifilm, The Fund for Santa Barbara, ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties, National Endowment for the Arts, Black Market Spirits, American Society of Cinematographers, John C. Mithun Foundation, Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, The Veraison Fund, Northern Trust, Netflix, UCSB, Bentson Foundation, Volentine Family Foundation, Toad&Co, Topa Topa Brewing Company, and many more generous supporters.

SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to highschool and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.

More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for the creation of a state-of-the-art Film Center — a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.