2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival to spotlight female directors, raise funds for L.A. wildfire relief
The 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 40th anniversary event, with 52 percent of the films directed by women. The 12-day extravaganza will raise funds for Los Angeles wildfire relief to help the community that has been devastated by the deadly infernos.
SBIFF will run from Feb. 4 to Feb. 15 — that’s one day longer than usual in honor of its four-decade mark. The festival will showcase movies from 60 different countries, including 33 world premieres and 74 United States premieres, and a majority come from female directors. In addition, there will be tributes to talented artisans, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs.
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“As the tragic events in our sister city of Los Angeles were unfolding, we debated about moving forward with SBIFF,” said Roger Durling, SBIFF executive director. “Film has always been a conduit for comfort and renewal, and film festivals play a vital role in fostering a sense of connection. Festivals build community, and create an outlet for the process of feelings. In light of this, it became clear that we must move forward with our 40th edition. The 12 days of the festival will be dedicated to the City of Angels, and we will put in place an initiative during it to raise funds for L.A. in partnership with Direct Relief.”
All donations to the fire relief effort will be doubled up to a $100,000 matching grant, according to the organization.
“This year’s lineup, featuring films from Peru to Kazakhstan, showcases a diverse range of globally relevant themes, from thought-provoking explorations of social justice to pressing environmental challenges,” said Claudia Puig, SBIFF programming director. “We are confident that these films — a record number of which were made by women — will be loved by audiences as much as they are by our programming team.”
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Opening night on Feb. 4 with feature the United States premiere of the French rom-com Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, written and directed by Laura Piani (pictured above), and starring Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson, and Annabelle Lengronne. Closing night on Feb. 15 with showcase the U.S. Premiere of the Belgian-French dramedy A Missing Part, written and directed by Guillaume Senez, and starring Romain Duris, Judith Chemla, Mei Cirne-Masuki, Tsuyu, and Shungiku Uchida.
This year’s SBIFF jury members who will be celebrating the contenders include Estrella Araiza (Guadalajara International Film Festival Managing Director), Max Barbakow (filmmaker, Palm Springs), Moses Bwayo (filmmaker, Bobi’s Wine: The People’s President), Andres Castillo (Miami International Film Festival Managing Director and Senior Programmer), Jeff Christian (filmmaker, Echo Chamber), Jimmy Jean-Louis (actor), Margaret Lazarus (director, Defending Our Lives), Jena Malone (actor), Gregory Nava (director), and Shawn Patterson (composer).
Several top Oscar contenders will receive special tributes at the festival, including Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Harris Dickinson (Babygirl), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez), Ariana Grande (Wicked), Angelina Jolie (Maria), Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing), Mikey Madison (Anora), John Magaro (September 5), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), and Zoe Salda?a (Emilia Pérez).
Below is the list of feature films that will be shown the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Visit the official SBIFF website for more info.
Across the Sea (La mer au loin)
Directed by Sa?d Hamich Benlarbi
U.S. Premiere
France, Morocco, Belgium
Ai Weiwei’s Turandot
Directed by Maxim Derevianko
World Premiere
Italy
All God’s Children
Directed by Ondi Timoner
United States
Among Neighbors
Directed by Yoav Potash
U.S. Premiere
United States
Aontas
Directed by Damian McCann
U.S. Premiere
Ireland
An Arrangement
Directed by Noree Victoria
World Premiere
United States
At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking (Ko ?e pokucati na vrata mog doma)
Directed by Maja Novakovi?
U.S. Premiere
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Balomanía
Directed by Sissel Morell Dargis
Denmark, Spain
Bauryna Salu
Directed by Askhat Kuchinchirekov
U.S. Premiere
Kazakhstan
Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue
Directed by Jill Campbell
United States
Beyond the Horizon
Directed by Mark Gillard
United States
The Bitter Pill
Directed by Clay Tweel
United States
Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story
Directed by Sinéad O’Shea
Ireland, United Kingdom
Bustin’ Down the Door
Directed by Jeremy Gosch
United States
Can I Get a Witness?
Directed by Ann Marie Fleming
U.S. Premiere
Canada
Carissa
Directed by Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar
U.S. Premiere
South Africa
Coastal
Directed by Daryl Hannah
United States
Color Book
Directed by David Fortune
United States
Coup 53
Directed by Taghi Amirani
United Kingdom, United States, Iran
Crocodile Tears (Air mata buaya)
Directed by Tumpal Tampubolon
U.S. Premiere
Indonesia
Democracy Under Siege
Directed by Laura Nix
U.S. Premiere
Belgium, Luxembourg, USA
Desert Angel
Directed by Vincent DeLuca
United States
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Directed by Embeth Davidtz
South Africa
Drowning Dry (Ses?s)
Directed by Laurynas Barei?a
Lithuania
Enchanted Matter: The Art of Robert Powell
Directed by Tom Piozet
World Premiere
United States
Fine Young Men (Hombres íntegros)
Directed by Alejandro Andrade Pease
U.S. Premiere
Mexico, Spain, France
Following Harry
Directed by Susanne Rostock
United States
Froggie
Directed by Luke Morgan
U.S. Premiere
Ireland
Glimmers (Los destellos)
Directed by Pilar Palomero
U.S. Premiere
Spain
The Good Teacher (Pas de vagues)
Directed by Teddy Lussi-Modeste
U.S. Premiere
France
Hakk?
Directed by Hikmet Kerem ?zcan
U.S. Premiere
Turkey
Her Name Was Moviola
Directed by Howard Berry
United Kingdom
Home Court
Directed by Erica Tanamachi
United States
Honeydew
Directed by Michael Petrolini, Marco Bergonzi
U.S. Premiere
Italy, Sweden
Housewife of the Year
Directed by Ciarán Cassidy
Ireland
How Kids Roll
Directed by Loris Lai
U.S. Premiere
Italy
I Hate Myself and Want to Die
Directed by J. Davis
United States
I’m Your Venus
Directed by Kimberly Reed
United States
In the Red
Directed by Mimi Chakarova
World Premiere
United States
Incandescence
Directed by Nova Ami, Velcrow Ripper
U.S. Premiere
Canada
I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol
Directed by Nick Mead, Andre Relis
World Premiere
United States
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (Jane Austen a gaché ma vie)
Directed by Laura Piani
U.S. Premiere
France
The Knife
Directed by Nnamdi Asomugha
United States
Last Swim
Directed by Sasha Nathwani
U.S. Premiere
United Kingdom
Lilly
Directed by Rachel Feldman
United States
Linda
Directed by Mariana Wainstein
U.S. Premiere
Argentina, Spain
Lucky Star
Directed by Gillian McKercher
U.S. Premiere
Canada
Magic Hour
Directed by Jacqueline Christy
World Premiere
United States
Marching in the Dark (??????????? ?????)
Directed by Kinshuk Surjan
U.S. Premiere
Belgium, Netherlands, India
Maya and the Wave
Directed by Stephanie Johnes
United States
Maydegol
Directed by Sarvnaz Alambeigi
U.S. Premiere
Iran,Germany,France
Men of War
Directed by Billy Corben, Jen Gatien
United States
Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself
Directed by Fran?ois Nemeta
U.S. Premiere
France
A Missing Part (Une part manquante)
Directed by Guillaume Senez
U.S. Premiere
Belgium, France
Mistress Dispeller
Directed by Elizabeth Lo
China, United States
Mistura
Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil
Peru
Mollie’s Pack
Directed by Thomas Winston
United States
Mothers of Chibok
Directed by Joel ‘Kachi Benson
United States, Nigeria
Mr. K
Directed by Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab
U.S. Premiere
Netherlands, Norway, Belgium
Mrs. Robinson
Directed by Aoife Kelleher
U.S. Premiere
Ireland
My Dead Friend Zoe
Directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
United States
My Eternal Summer (Min evige sommer)
Directed by Sylvia Le Fanu
U.S. Premiere
Denmark
My Father’s Daughter (Biru Unjárga)
Directed by Egil Pedersen
U.S. Premiere
Norway, Sweden, Finland
My Stolen Planet (Sayyareye dozdide shodeye man)
Directed by Farahnaz Sharifi
Germany, Iran
O Horizon
Directed by Madeleine Rotzler
World Premiere
United States
Olivia & the Clouds (Olivia & las nubes)
Directed by Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
U.S. Premiere
Dominican Republic
The Origin of the World (L’Origine del mondo)
Directed by Rossella Inglese
U.S. Premiere
Italy
Our Lovely Pig Slaughter (Mord)
Directed by Adam Martinec
U.S. Premiere
Czech Republic
Out of Plain Sight
Directed by Daniel Straub, Rosanna Xia
United States
Paddle Out
Directed by Sebi Lee, Melissa Pappageorgas
World Premiere
United States
Park Avenue
Directed by Gaby Dellal
U.S. Premiere
United States
Parrot Kindergarten
Directed by Amy Herdy
World Premiere
United States
The Penguin Lessons
Directed by Peter Cattaneo
Spain, United Kingdom
Quasi a Casa
Directed by Carolina Pavone
U.S. Premiere
Italy
The Quiet Ones (De lydl?se)
Directed by Frederik Louis Hviid
Denmark
The Righteous (Todos somos justos)
Directed by Carlos Leiva Barahona
U.S. Premiere
Chile
Roads of Fire
Directed by Nathaniel Lezra
World Premiere
United States
Rocco & Sjuul
Directed by Anna van der Heide
U.S. Premiere
Netherlands
Row of Life
Directed by Soraya Simi
World Premiere
United States
Seeking a Haven for Mr. Rambo (Al bahs an manfaz i khoroug al sayed Rambo)
Directed by Khaled Mansour
U.S. Premiere
Egypt
Separated
Directed by Errol Morris
United States, Mexico
The Shepherd and the Bear
Directed by Max Keegan
United States, United Kingdom, France
Shepherds (Bergers)
Directed by Sophie Deraspe
U.S. Premiere
Canada, France
Shook
Directed by Amar Wala
U.S. Premiere
Canada
Shot the Voice of Freedom
Directed by Zainab Entezar
U.S. Premiere
Afghanistan
Skin in Spring (La piel en primavera)
Directed by Yennifer Uribe Alzate
U.S. Premiere
Colombia
Soda
Directed by Erez Tadmor
U.S. Premiere
Israel
The Song Cycle
Directed by Nick Kelly
U.S. Premiere
Ireland
Sons (Vogter)
Directed by Gustav M?ller
Denmark
Space Cowboy
Directed by Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt
United States
Speak.
Directed by Jennifer Tiexiera
United States
Spider & Jessie
Directed by Dan Kay
World Premiere
United States
Spring of the Vanishing
Directed by Andrew Glazer
World Premiere
United States
The Summer Book
Directed by Charlie McDowell
United States, Finland
The Swedish Torpedo (Den svenska torpeden)
Directed by Frida Kempff
U.S. Premiere
Sweden
They Will Be Dust (Polvo serán)
Directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet
U.S. Premiere
Spain, Italy, Switzerland
Third Act
Directed by
Tadashi Nakamura
United States
Tiny Lights (Svetylka)
Directed by Beata Parkanova?
U.S. Premiere
Czech Republic, Slovakia
To Close Your Eyes and See Fire
Directed by Nicola von Leffern, Jakob Carl Sauer
U.S. Premiere
Austria
To Kill a Mongolian Horse
Directed by Xiaoxuan Jiang
Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United States
To Kill a Wolf
Directed by Kelsey Taylor
United States
Top 10 Must (Topp 10 M?st)
Directed by ól?f Birna Torfadóttir
U.S. Premiere
Iceland
Trifole
Directed by Gabriele Fabbro
Italy, South Africa, USA
Triumph
Directed by Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov
U.S. Premiere
Bulgaria, Greece
Undercover (La infiltrada)
Directed by Arantxa Echevarria
U.S. Premiere
Spain
Village Keeper
Directed by Karen Chapman
U.S. Premiere
Canada
The Village Next to Paradise
Directed by Mo Harawe
Somalia, Austria, France, Germany
Viva Verdi!
Directed by Yvonne Russo
United States
Walk With Me
Directed by Heidi Levitt
United States
Waves (Vlny)
Directed by Ji?í Mádl
Czech Republic
Way Home (Vejen hjem)
Directed by Charlotte Sieling
Denmark
When We Were Sisters
Directed by Lisa Brühlmann
U.S. Premiere
Switzerland, Greece
The White House Effect
Directed by Bonni Cohen
United States
Wild Gleaming Space (Luminoso espacio salvaje)
Directed by Mauro Colombo
U.S. Premiere
Panama, Spain
The Wolves Always Come at Night (Чоно ??р ш?н??р ирдэг)
Directed by Gabrielle Brady
U.S. Premiere
Mongolia, Australia, Germany
Yen and Ai-Lee (Xiao Yan Yu Wu Ai-Lee)
Directed by Tom Shu-yu Lin
U.S. Premiere
Taiwan
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