The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is taking over the vacant Fiesta Five Theatre

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is reviving the just-closed Fiesta Five Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara with a $15-million renovation.

The agreement won a unanimous approval at the Santa Barbara City Council meeting Tuesday.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival Executive Director Roger Durling said in a nearly ten-minute presentation, "we felt deeply inspired to do something not talk about it but actually do something about it."

Councilmember Eric Friedman said, " I am convinced with us taking this action this partnership with the film festival today, downtown is going back up." He noted the upcoming opening of the Library Plaza project on November 3 was also a sign of developments that could bring more people to the area.

A councilmember who has seen many film festival movies and appreciated the rnage of films brought to the area, Kristen Sneddon said the films can be very connecting with the community. "All members of our community can see themselves in beauty, in acceptance,  in art  in the theatre."

Durling says the project will elevate Santa Barbara's commitment to the arts which he noted was a solid component to the economics of the city. "We're doing this is not just to help the festival, but to revitalize State Street, so I felt the mission is even bigger than even myself or the film festival.  This is to create a state of the art film center that will compare to New York City and other big cities like Chicago."

Durling says the auditoriums will have American films, International films, Spanish language films, Social Justice films, children films and animation.

Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez said, "Latinos feel so part of the film festival every year and you guys have done such a great job representing the community," she said to the SBIFF staff.

The agreement is a five-year lease with a 25-year renewal term.

The five-screen theatre is on city property at 916 State Street.

Metropolitan Theatres was in the location until the end of September and discontinued its operation at that site. Many pieces to the theatre's inside infrastructure have been removed. A dumpster was out front recently full of chairs.

A city report says, "SBIFF’s proposal entails a capital fundraising campaign that will support an
extensive renovation of the theatre to a state-of-the-art theatre complex."

The city says SBIFF brings significant income to the local economy annually with the acclaimed film festival generally held in late January and early February prior to the Oscar awards.

It also has an ongoing commitment to children with several programs, educational opportunities, film camps, and overall teaching of the craft involved in making movies.

With this agreement, the SBIFF would play a key role in the revitalization of the downtown in the State Street corridor.

The plan includes a $15,000,000 fundraising campaign, of which the entire amount will be used for renovation and long-term property maintenance.

That includes state-of-the-art sound and projection equipment, new seating, a new HVAC system, an art gallery, new restroom facilities, an updated lobby, and a refurbished marquee. The new name for now will be the Santa Barbara Film Center.

The city says a theatre in the same site is the best choice. Other options could take a much longer time to do a turn around. The parking structure where the theatre is located serves State St., and the Lobero Theatre which is on the back side.

A fast turnaround using temporary equipment will be in place by November 15. Then, after the 2025 Film Festival around mid February the theatre will be closed for a full scale upgrade. That will take about six months.

The rent will have some deferred payments in the start-up period according to the city documents on this agreement below:

 Base Rent:
 Year 1: (deferment period as stated above) $16,500
 Years 2 and 3: $18,500
 Years 4 and 5: $20,500
 Years 6 through and including 10: $25,000
 Years 11 through and including 15: $30,000
 Years 16 through and including 20: $35,000
 Years 21 through and including 25: $40,000
 Years 26 through and including 30: $45,000
 Base Rent Increases: CPI adjustment upwards only every three years on
January 1 as needed to reflect changes in the CPI.
 Percentage Rent: Beginning in the renewal period, 5% of concession receipts
after the $800,000 revenue mark is hit in the calendar year.
 Monthly Utilities: Tenant’s full responsibility.

Lease terms contain a unique provision of SBIFF offering free or low-charge community benefit programming and adding new entertainment and educational programs that highlight local artists and filmmakers. This impact on the community goes beyond the dollars and cents that a traditional lease offers.


A full copy of the Lease Agreement and the Revocable License Agreement may be requested from the City Attorney’s Office for public review. Contact: JDoimas@SantaBarbaraCa.gov.

(More details, video and photos will be added here later today.)