Details regarding the 30th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) are officially being released. The 2015 installment of the fest will kick off on Tuesday, January 27 with the U.S. premiere of Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer, starring Freida Pinto, Reece Ritchie, Nazanin Boniadi, and Tom Cullen. The film tells the story of a self-taught dancer who risks everything to start a company in his home country of Iran, where political unrest has led to a national ban on dancing.
In addition, next year’s fest will honor the Costeau family with its Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking for their long legacy of cinematic and conservation work.
The 2015 SBIFF takes place January 27-February 7, 2015 at venues throughout the greater downtown Santa Barbara area. For information, visit sbfilmfestival.org.