August 12, 2021 – Santa Barbara, CA. – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced today the appointment of Claudia Puig as Programming Director. In her role, Puig will lead the curation of the film slate for the 2022 edition of the Festival. The program will include a broad array of over 200 international and independent films with a commitment to diversity and inclusion, with most films being World or U.S. Premieres. Puig will lead insightful Q&As and seminar discussions with hundreds of attending filmmakers, and she will report to Roger Durling, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Puig is currently serving as president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is a longtime critic on NPR’s Film Week.
“Claudia has tremendous film festival programming expertise, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the team. We have the utmost faith in her ability to bring forward a program of unmatched quality to share with our community; and with both Claudia and I being Latino, this marks a first for any major Film Festival’s artistic leads,” said Roger Durling, SBIFF’s Executive Director.
Prior to joining SBIFF, she handled programming for AFI Fest, the Mendocino Film Festival, and the Napa Valley Film Festival. She has been a speechwriter for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition, Claudia has a film consulting business specializing in cultural consulting and teaches a college class on Diversity in the Media. Previously, she was USA Today’s film critic for 15 years. During that time, she also hosted The Screening Room video series and wrote film reviews and analytical articles about the film industry. Before that, she was a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for 11 years covering city government, courts, and the entertainment industry.
The 37th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG®, will take place LIVE on March 2 through March 12, 2022. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. This year’s lineup will be announced February 2022.
Over the past 36 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the world attracting 100,000+ attendees throughout the week. Funds raised through the festival directly support SBIFF’s year-round free programs that serve over 18,000 people. Passes for the 2022 Festival will be on sale for 25% off starting next Monday, August 16th. For additional information or to buy passes, visit sbiff.org.
About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 35 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000+ attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.
In 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s new state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.
