Free Films at SBIFF

A lot of people don’t know this, but in addition to the more than 200 independent and world premiere international films presented by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, there is also a nice slate of FREE — mostly Academy Award–nominated films — presented at the Arlington during SBIFF, often with the filmmakers on hand afterward for Q&As. 

This year’s FREE films include:

Thursday, February 5, 11 a.m., Oscar nominee for Best Animated Film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family’s housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family’s idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan.

Directed by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han

Written by Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade, Eddine Noël

Starring Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grobois, Yumi Fujimori, Cathy Cerda, Marc Arnaud, Laetitia Coryn

Run Time: 1h 17m

Thursday, February 5, 2 p.m., four-time Oscar nominee, including Best Picture F1 plus a Q&A with producer Jerry Bruckheimer

Racing Legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed into leading a struggling Formula 1 team  — and mentoring a young hotshot driver — while chasing one last shot at redemption. 

Directed by Joseph Kosinski

Written by Ehren Kruger, Joseph Kosinski

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer

Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem

Run Time: 2h 35m

Friday, February 6, 2 p.m., four-time Oscar nominee, including Best Picture The Secret Agent 

In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho

Written by Kleber Mendonça Filho

Starring Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, Udo Kier

Run Time: 2h 40m

Monday, February 9, 10:30 a.m., 13-time Oscar nominee One Battle After Another

When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Written by Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti

Run Time: 2h 41m

Monday, February 9, 2 p.m., two-time Oscar nominee KPop Demon Hunters, followed by a conversation with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans 

When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira, and Zoey aren’t selling out stadiums or topping the Billboard charts, they’re moonlighting as demon hunters to protect their fans from ever-present supernatural danger.

Directed by Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans

Written by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans

Starring Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun

Run Time: 1h 35m

Tuesday, February 10, 10:30 a.m., nine-time Oscar nominee Marty Supreme

Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.

Directed by Josh Safdie

Written by Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher

Run Time: 2h 29m

Tuesday, February 10, 2 p.m., nine-time Oscar nominee Sentimental Value

An intimate exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art.

Directed by Joachim Trier

Written Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt

Starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning

Run Time: 2h 13m

Wednesday, February 11, 11 a.m., four-time Oscar nominee Bugonia

Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Written by Will Tracy

Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone

Run Time: 1h 58m

Wednesday, February 11, 2 p.m., eight-time Oscar nominee Hamnet

After losing their son Hamnet to plague, Agnes and William Shakespeare grapple with grief in 16th-century England. A healer, Agnes must find strength to care for her surviving children while processing her devastating loss.

Directed by Chloé Zhao

Written Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell

Starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn

Run Time: 2h 6m

Thursday, February 12, 2 p.m., 16-time Oscar nominee Sinners, followed by a conversation with Delroy Lindo

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Written by Ryan Coogler

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo

Run Time: 2h 17m

Friday, February 13, 10:30 a.m., nine-time Oscar nominee Frankenstein

A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Written by Guillermo del Toro

Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer 

Run Time: 2h 29m

Friday, February 13, 2 p.m., four-time Oscar nominee Train Dreams

Based on Denis Johnson’s beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th century.

Directed by Clint Bentley

Written by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

Starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, William H. Macy 

Run Time: 1h 42m

All of the FREE film screenings take place at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State Street. Seating is first-come, first-served following passholders.