Debuting its slate of local and international films, and welcoming filmmakers and stars to town, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival opened over the weekend to enthusiastic audiences.

Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, and director George Hickenlooper were lauded by a packed house at the Arlington Theatre on Thursday as “Factory Girl,” a film about 1960s “It Girl” Edie Sedgwick, who was born and tragically died in Santa Barbara. Also in attendance were Edie’s brother Jonathan Sedgwick and her former husband Mike Post. Musician Jack Johnson, Dennis Franz, and Alan Thicke joined Fest-goers at the Opening Night gala, sponsored by Studio 7 at the Paseo Nuevo. The outdoor space was transformed into an Italian Cinema-themed party produced by Santa Barbara-based Premiere Events &Locations.

On Friday fans of “Borat” and “Ali G” actor Sacha Baron Cohen crowded the Lobero Theatre for a special screening of “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” followed by a lively and entertaining “Conversation With” Cohen, screenwriters Peter Baynham and Ant Hines, and producer Jay Roach.

Later on Friday evening the star of a more serious film, “The Queen,” Helen Mirren graced the stage of the Arlington Theatre for the Outstanding Performance of the Year Award tribute. Peter Morgan, the Golden Globe winning screenwriter of “The Queen” and William H. Macy were both on-hand to support Mirren, who was nominated on Tuesday for an Oscar for her performance as Elizabeth II.

Saturday kicked off with back-to-back panels, “Directors on Directing” and “It Starts with a Script,” two of the mainstays of the Festival’s popular panel series. Moderated by producer and co-host of AMC’s “Sunday Morning Shootout” Peter Bart, the director’s panel included Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel), Todd Field (Little Children), Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (Little Miss Sunshine), Gil Kenan (Monster House) and John Lasseter (Cars). Moderated by Hollywood Reporter columnist Anne Thompson, participants in the screenwriter’s panel included Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), Guillermo Arriaga (Babel), Todd Field (Little Children), Aline Brosh McKenna (Devil Wears Prada), Peter Morgan (The Queen / Last King of
Scotland), and Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking).

Co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton also participated in a “Conversation With” following a special screening of their popular film “Little Miss Sunshine.”
On Saturday night for Will Smith’s Modern Master Award tribute fans who remember when he was “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and how to get “Jiggy Wit It” packed the house to support his award and his latest Oscar-nominated performance in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Also at the event was Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Chris Gardner, the real-life millionaire whose motivating rags-to-riches story inspired the film. Tom Cruise gave a heartfelt speech when he presented his friend with the award. The newly renovated Four
Seasons Biltmore hosted the exclusive after party, which coincided with their 80th anniversary.
Producers of some of 2006’s best films turned out to talk shop at the “Movers & Shakers” panel on Sunday morning. Moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein, the panel included Judd Apatow (Talladega Nights), Albert Berger (Little Miss Sunshine, Little Children), Robert Lorenz (Letters From Iwo Jima), Graham King (The Departed), Jay Roach (Borat), John Kilik (Babel), and Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine, Little Children).
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which welcomes Chrysler, The New Yorker Magazine, Salvatore Ferragamo, UGG Australia, and The Four Seasons Biltmore as new sponsors this year, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form. The SBIFF presents quality American and world independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars as well as documentary cinema within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a premier tourist destination.
The SBIFF is also committed to education through its Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected audience of over 60,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, SBIFF attracts an affluent local and national consumer base, while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles.