Transforming SBIFF’s Downtown Film Center into a ‘Movie Palace’

When Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Executive Director Roger Durling took over the former Fiesta 5 movie theater, giving it a new life as the SBIFF Film Center, he had a vision to transform the aging bones of the building into a gem of an art-house theater in the heart of downtown — a “movie palace” that could be a fitting complement to the city’s great venues like the Arlington, Granada, Lobero, or Marjorie Luke Theatre.

Durling wanted to open the Film Center to the public right away, and since last November, the theater has been attracting cinephiles with its extensive list of cult classics, retrospectives, indie films, and foreign flicks that go far beyond what moviegoers can find elsewhere in town. But the building itself, Durling admits, is in dire need of a makeover to fulfill its full potential. This week, SBIFF released the first renderings of the planned renovations to the theater’s marquee and entryway as the project undergoes a concept review with the Historic Landmarks Commission on May 7.

“The former space was actually depressing,” Durling told the Independent ahead of the May 7 hearing. “I felt like I was going down to a morgue instead of somewhere that was supposed to be inviting and glamorous.”

Durling said he wanted the Film Center to be welcoming and reminiscent of classic movie theater lobbies but with a bright, unmistakably Santa Barbara feel. He hoped to recapture his memories of falling in love with film, back in Panama, where the theater itself was a major part of the moviegoing experience. 

“I remember growing up with movie palaces — there was a magic to it,” he said. “If you look at the Arlington [Theatre], the entryway is dramatic and exciting, and you feel like you’re almost going into a temple of cinema. It sets the tone, the expectation, and the anticipation.”

The entire entryway of the Film Center will be remodeled, replacing the “dungeon-like” entrance with a sparkling-white-walled foyer with red and gold accents, complete with a “red carpet” of Spanish tiles. The whimsical design, Durling said, is full of nods to Spanish architectural aesthetics and Hollywood film culture.

“It was important to have a sense of wonder and whimsy into the design, and that’s what I told the architects,” Durling said. 

Along with creating a “memorable experience and a welcoming environment,” Durling said it was important that the Film Center was refitted with state-of-the-art elements across the board. The $15 million renovation project includes updates to the layout, new seats, projectors, heating and air-conditioning, and Dolby Atmos sound systems similar to the speakers that were installed at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre.

The poster cases outside the theater will be upgraded, and new lighting and lettering will be added to the marquee. Inside the lobby, an art gallery will house a rotating exhibit featuring the works of cinematic artists such as David and Sandy Wasco, a pair of production designers whose work in films such as La La Land and Pulp Fiction will be part of the gallery’s opening show.

If plans are approved by the city, the Film Center will temporarily close for an estimated six months to complete the renovations. Durling said he is hoping the project will be finished by the end of the year and ready for a new slate of programming in time for the 2026 Film Festival.

When the renovations are complete, SBIFF will continue showing a variety of films and special events at the Film Center, keeping up the same type of programming that cinephiles have been enjoying at both the Riviera and downtown Film Center. At the Film Center, on any given week the five screens will be showing five different genres of art-house films, usually dipping into documentaries, foreign cinema, independent films, family-friendly movies, or retrospectives (prior to its closing, the Film Center is playing films by French director Claude Lelouch through May 8, and a 35th Anniversary 4K Restoration of Total Recall May 9-10).

It’s a formula that has worked well in the first few months of the Film Center, Durling says, and it helps with creating an environment of discovery, where curious moviegoers can feel comfortable checking out a diverse collection of films curated by the experts at SBIFF. In turn, this fosters in the community a love for cinema that only grows over time.

“The environment is a key to the success of a theater,” Durling said. “You hear stories that in-person movie distribution is dying, but we’ve been thriving.”

SBIFF Film Center will be showing films through May 11. For a full list of films and showtimes, visit sbifftheatres.com.