Santa Barbara International Film Festival Expands 2026 Lineup With Breakout Performers and Awards-Season Heavyweights
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival continues to cement its role as a key stop on the awards circuit, unveiling new programming and honorees for its 41st edition, running February 4–14, 2026. The latest announcements sharpen the festival’s focus on performance-driven storytelling, highlighting both breakout talent and established industry figures whose work has defined the past year in film.
At the center of the update is the expanded Virtuosos Award lineup. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Wunmi Mosaku will join the previously announced honorees Jacob Elordi, Chase Infiniti, Amy Madigan, Wagner Moura, Sydney Sweeney, and Teyana Taylor for an evening celebrating a select group of performers whose recent work has placed them firmly in the awards conversation. The event will be moderated by TCM’s Dave Karger.
Breakout Performances Take the Spotlight
Lilleaas has emerged as one of the year’s most notable international breakthrough performers for her work in Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier’s intimate drama exploring memory, family, and the weight of personal history. Starring alongside Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning, Lilleaas delivers a restrained and emotionally precise performance that has earned her her first Academy Award nomination. Her awards-season momentum includes nominations from BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Gotham Awards, as well as a Best Supporting Actress win from the National Board of Review.
Mosaku’s inclusion reflects the continued dominance of Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s genre-defying film that set an Academy Awards record with 16 nominations. Appearing opposite Michael B. Jordan, Mosaku delivers a powerful and emotionally layered performance that has earned her her first Academy Award nomination and a SAG Award nomination. Already a BAFTA winner for earlier work, she continues to build a career defined by complex, resonant roles across film and television.
Celebrating Enduring Talent
The festival will also welcome Delroy Lindo following a February 12 screening of Sinners at the Arlington Theatre. In the film, Lindo’s portrayal of veteran blues musician Delta Slim has earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a milestone that underscores a decades-long career marked by formidable performances in films such as Malcolm X, Da 5 Bloods, and The Harder They Fall.
Adding further industry depth, producer Jerry Bruckheimer will appear on February 5 following a screening of F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski. The high-speed drama stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem, and continues the legacy of one of Hollywood’s most influential producers, whose body of work has shaped blockbuster cinema for more than four decades.
A Festival at the Center of the Conversation
These additions join an already robust slate of previously announced tributes, including Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler, Stellan Skarsgård, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Kate Hudson, and Ethan Hawke. Together, the lineup reflects a festival equally committed to honoring cinematic legacy and elevating the voices shaping its future.
With screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and industry panels taking place across Santa Barbara — including at the historic Arlington Theatre and the new McHurley Film Center — the 2026 festival builds on the momentum of last year’s expansive program, which featured more than 200 films from 60 countries. As awards season intensifies, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival once again positions itself not just as a showcase, but as a defining meeting point for the year’s most significant performances and creative achievements.
