Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s newest venue opens Friday

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – On Friday, the former Fiesta Five Theatre at 916 State Street will make its debut as the renamed Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Film Center and its triumphant return to showing films in downtown Santa Barbara.

The newly-renovated theatre's lease acquisition won unanimous approval from the Santa Barbara City Council in early October and now joins the Riviera Theatre, acquired in June of 2016, as a year-round film and community events venue operated by the non-profit arts and educational organization.

"This is one of the most important chapters in the history of SBIFF and just as we're celebrating forty years of its existence. This is a huge leap forward for the organization while simultaneously helping with the revitalization of the downtown corridor of Santa Barbara," explained SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. "We've successfully run a year-round art house, the Riviera Theatre, for the past eight years. Now we will have five more screens to mindfully curate, and we will redefine people's idea of what a sophisticated movie going experience is all about."

The SBIFF Film Center will remain open through the 40th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival which runs from Feb. 4 through Feb. 15 before a temporary closure for full renovations that are expected to take about six months shared the film festival with Your News Channel back in early October.

Ready to catch a show?

Click here for show times and tickets at the SBIFF Film Center or visit here to catch films that will be showcased during the full film festival in February of 2025 at both SBIFF venues.