The Santa Barbara International Film Festival — a fest on the American riviera that has become an important stop on the road to the Oscars — has joined the growing list of film festivals that have announced plans to return to in-person gatherings.
The 37th edition of SBIFF will take place in-person from March 2-12, 2022, the fest announced Friday.
“After more than a year of staring at screens from home, SBIFF is chomping at the bit to welcome everyone back to Santa Barbara for collective experiences and engaging face to face interactions about cinema,” Roger Durling, the fest’s executive director, said in a statement.
Due to the pandemic, the 2021 edition was reconceived. Screenings took place at a beachside drive-in theater constructed for the festival, while tributes and panels took place online. Participants included Sacha Baron Cohen, Bill Murray, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Andra Day, Sidney Flanigan, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Zendaya, Delroy Lindo, David Fincher, Chloe Zhao, Lee Isaac Chung and Thomas Vinterberg.
The 2022 edition’s schedule will be announced in February.
