SBIFF Brad Pitt event prompted online ticket resales
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Tickets to see Brad Pitt receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Wednesday night were sold out.
The line to get into the coveted event wrapped around the block, fans waited over five hours to get the perfect spot behind the barricades and some were hoping to work some movie magic at a markup.
The road to Oscar is making a “Pitt” stop in Santa Barbara.
“I just want to get a good spot today and see Brad Pitt,” said Tyler Castor of Santa Barbara.
Autograph collectors were lined up outside the Arlington as early as 1:00 p.m. to stake out a prime spot for Brad Pitt’s walk down the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Red Carpet.
“This is probably the most unique one of this year. I mean people do it for someone at least every year, as far as this year, this is the one to do it for,” said Castor.
Tickets to see the Hollywood heavyweight receive the Maltin Modern Master Award were $75 and $125 dollars but quickly sold out.
“He’s in Santa Barbara. I have to go see him,” said Thuy Jammet, a local festival-goer.
However, that’s not stopping scalpers on Craigslist from trying to cash in on the demand.
“I’m a big fan of him but spend $500 dollar[s] to see Brad Pitt? I gotta think about that,” said Jammet.
Some are charging up to $500 bucks for festival passes or tickets to get up close and personal with the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Star.”
“I mean if you love him you love him, do what you gotta do,” said Castor.
To quote the man of the hour “welcome to fight club” - trying to score a ticket at face value.
“It’s definitely not worth paying $500 for,” said filmmaker Jesse Turk.
Some filmmakers say the markup goes against the spirit of the festival.
“This is an event for people to appreciate an artist doing what he does, not to just see a celebrity,” said Turk.
While other festival-goers say when in Rome or in this case, the American Riveria.
“If you were an insane Brad Pitt fan, I could understand paying that much,” said Santa Barbara native, Yvette Keller. “It surprises me they’re scalping tickets for that much but I do think that the price is probably worth it?” she adds.
We reached out to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival about the unauthorized ticket sales and were told “no comment.”
