26 More Oscar Nominees Headed To Santa Barbara As Festival Sets Its Panel Participants

If you are nominated for an Oscar this year, you are probably making your travel plans to head to Santa Barbara. That is because the Santa Barbara Film Festival is taking place from February 7-17, and quite frankly if you aren’t there at some point between those dates you likely aren’t also going to the Academy Awards on March 10.

Bradley Cooper, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeffrey Wright are all receiving various festival awards and tribute evenings at this year’s SBIFF, while nominees Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo and America Ferrera will also be onstage receiving Virtuoso Awards. The Artisan awards will be handed out to several crafts nominees as well.

All have been previously announced, with only participants in the Director of the Year evening still TBA. On Friday, the festival released names of nominees who will be taking part in the various Producer, Writers, Women’s and International panels that will occur at the fest’s Arlington Theatre over the two weekends. A whopping additional 26 Academy Award nominees have been set for those, bringing the overall number of nominees headed to Santa Barbara this year to more than 50.

With Oscar voting beginning just five days after SBIFF ends, it looks like timing is right for the fest to continue its reputation as a must-stop at the end of the long campaign trail.

See the panel lineup below.

Saturday, February 10

Producers Panel, 11 a.m.

Jermaine Johnson, American Fiction
David Thion, Anatomy of a Fall
David Heyman, Barbie
Daniel Lupi, Killers of the Flower Moon
Fred Berner, Maestro
Emma Thomas, Oppenheimer
Christine Vachon, Past Lives
Andrew Lowe, Poor Things
Mark Johnson, The Holdovers
James Wilson, The Zone of Interest

Moderator: Nicole Sperling

International Panel, 2 p.m.

Matteo Garrone, Io Capitano (Director/Producer/Writer)
Wim Wenders, Perfect Days (Director/Producer/Writer)
IIker Çatak, The Teachers’ Lounge (Director/Writer)
Johnnie Burn, The Zone of Interest (Sound Designer)

Moderator: Roger Durling

Tuesday, February 13

Writers Panel, 8 p.m.

Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall
Samy Burch, May December
Josh Singer, Maestro
Celine Song, Past Lives
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Dave Hemingson, The Holdovers

Moderator: Anne Thompson

Saturday, February 17

Women’s Panel, 11 a.m.

Laura Karpman, American Fiction (Composer)
Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot (Songwriter)
Karen Hartley-Thomas, Golda (Hair and Make-up)
Julie Zachary, Nimona (Head of Production at Annapurna Animation)
Maite Alberdi, The Eternal Memory (Director/Producer)

Moderator: Madelyn Hammond