Editor’s Note: As tempting as it is to want to simply escape into the magical, entertaining world of the movies as a way to take a breather from the harsh realities of the world right now, at last night’s opening Santa Barbara International Film Festival shindig, SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling seized the opportunity to make a powerful statement about the importance of the freedom of artistic expression. It was also such a potent, eloquent, and timely statement about the importance of freedom in light of what is going on in our world right now, that I asked if we could share his speech with a broader audience and he agreed. — Leslie Dinaberg, Arts, Culture & Community Editor
Opening Night Speech by Roger Durling
41st Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival
February 4, 2026
One of my favorite directors is Bob Fosse. And when I was only 9 years old my mom took me to see his film Cabaret. The film won him an Oscar for Best Director and of course you all know that Liza Minelli won the Oscar for Best Actress. The movie plays out against the rise of the Nazi party and the collapse of the Weimar Republic in Germany in the 1930s.
I have seen this film countless times. I teach it almost every semester in my class at Santa Barbara City College — yesterday evening I was teaching it to my students. Cabaret shows the gradual permeation of Nazi ideology into everyday life, transforming the happy-go-lucky atmosphere of Berlin into a dark, authoritarian reality. Sally Bowles and the other main characters do not rail against what is happening around them. Their inaction — their passivity — is what makes the film so tragic. Their inaction allows the political, social, and economic turmoil to escalate, and the film serves as a warning against being “passive — it is a warning against the waiting until conditions improve attitude.” It beckons us to do something. And to Do It now.
I’ve been such a fan of the film — having studied it for so long — I would have never ever imagined that it would become so prescient to the current situation we find ourselves in. Beware of the dangers of apathy, the movie warns. Beware of the dangers of apathy.
I am very proud of this year’s poster done by the wonderful artist Baret Boisson. In the bottom of the poster, she placed a quote from John F Kennedy which says “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”
What I love about that quote and about this year’s poster is that it is a plea to protect the freedom of the arts at a time when it is under attack. President Kennedy had a steadfast belief that the arts is essential to democracy. I beseech you, as we all gather here tonight to celebrate cinema for the next few days, to remember that we have to protect the arts. We also have to protect human rights, we have to protect everything that is good about the United States. We need to protect decency. We need to protect kindness. We need to protect the right to speak our minds. We have to protect the right to read whatever book we would like to read. We have to protect the right to love anyone we choose to. We need to protect the rights of women to choose. We have to protect that the right history is taught in our schools. We have to protect immigrants, for we (us immigrants — I am one), we are and have always been the foundation on which this country was built. We have to protect and celebrate the freedom of the arts — the freedom of cinema.
I know some of you have been feeling overwhelmed and saddened with what is happening across the world these past few years. And I understand the need to want to be alone or tune out what is happening around you.
This is why we need the arts now more than ever. This is why we need film festivals like this one.This is why we need film. At minimum for the next 10 days, the film festival will be a welcome distraction. But I urge you to take advantage of being surrounded by people — and gain different perspectives — listen to different viewpoints. You will be seeing films from 50 countries and 50 percent of our films are directed by women. Some of the stories you will see will deliver history lessons to you. Others will challenge the way you view things. Others will imagine ideal worlds. Other stories will underline the important things that are worth fighting for. You will be inspired by stories of courage and resilience. You see, a film festival provides a foundation for communication. A film festival is the “solid ground” you can stand on together to build connection, even amidst differences. The arts unite — it brings us together. Maybe that is why some governments want to tear down the arts. Look at the symbolism right now that we — two thousand of us are together in this room — under the same roof — breathing the same air. We strangers are together. We are celebrating together the exceptional experience of being in a community — and that is something that the arts do so well. Please support the theatrical experience. Please support the newly minted McHurley Film Center, the brand new home of the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
And this leads me to the tradition in which we open the Santa Barbara Film Festival every year. I am going to ask for the house lights to be raised. And I want you to look around you. And look for someone you don’t know — please smile at this person and then I will give you one minute to introduce yourselves to one another and say something nice. Remember that you must be kind. Are we set? Let’s go.
For the complete schedule of events, see sbiff.org.
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