FILM STUDIES PROGRAM

The SBIFF Film Studies Program brings undergraduate students from all around the U.S. to town during the Film Festival, to take part in a packed curriculum that turns the festival into an interactive classroom. Participants get priority access to any of the films, SBIFF’s acclaimed Panel Series, filmmaker seminars, Tributes, as well as intimate Q&As with filmmakers, talent, and other professionals.

In honor of the 40th SBIFF, we will be increasing this year’s number of students from 30 to 40!

We prioritize students from areas or colleges that don’t have access to in-person movies, or they don’t have a film studies program in their schools or haven’t been to a film festival before.

Application deadline date: Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

STUDENTS FROM OUTSIDE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY:
To Apply, you must submit the following:
– Application
– Statement of Intent
– Unofficial Transcript

Thank you for those that applied to SBIFF’s Film Studies Program. Applicants will hear back by end of November / early December. 

2024 Participants
Abby Wilkins - Middlebury College
Alan Zhou - Washington University in St. Louis
Anisa Pouriet - Bowdoin College
Aryaman Jaiswal – Washington University in St. Louis
Ashley Hale - University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Aylin Atzin – Middlebury College
Clarimond Braun - University of Miami
Charisma Ganye – University of Oklahoma
Elizangi Araujo - Boston University
Inaijah-Iman Irvin-Conyers – Middlebury College
Jake Watts – Montana State University
James Ninneman – Boston University
Jessi Calidonio – Dartmouth College
Jillian Nelson – University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
John Torpey – Middlebury College (Vermont)
Jonah Slaghekke – Boston University
Jose Pereira – University of Rochester
Kathleen Valent – University of Miami
Kaylani Riley – UC Irvine
Kristina Thomas - CSU Long Beach
Maya Nakamura Belt – Cal State University Long Beach
Maxwell Pociask - Boston University
Naomi Ohman – Montana State University
Natasha Paago - UCLA
Nicky Gonzalez - University of Miami
Pat Wang – Washington University in St. Louis
Rafeeat Bishi - Boston University
Riley Nelson - University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Wil McGee – California State Long Beach
Yazan Mohammad - Rutgers University
2023 Participants

Daniel Jackson – University of Oklahoma
Seth Householder – University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Riley Card – Washington University in St. Louis
Maeren Quirke – Northwestern University
Leo Witzke – University of Texas at Austin
Megan Jerabek – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Hannah Stevens – Washington University in St. Louis
Jules Crosby – University of Miami
Arlette Rosas – CSU Long Beach
Abbie Szewczyk – University of Miami
Sheri Tarrer – University of Illinois at Chicago 
Ana Mendoza Torres – CSU Long Beach
Victoria De Santiago – University Of Colorado Boulder
Anandi Bien-Aimé – University of Miami
Miranda Comstock – University of California, Davis
Dylan Rosenthal – Washington University in St. Louis
Mayrav Estrin – Brown University
Rehana Morita – University of California, Irvine
Martin Gonzalez – UCLA
Jayla Coleman – Washington University in St. Louis
Fiona Donhiser – Eastern Washington University
Trevor Koski – University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
Isabella Espinoza Palomares – CSU Long Beach
Ben Choi – Clarkson University
Carson Lommers – University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Shaun Rousso – Washington University in St Louis
Jude Sampson – CSU Long Beach 
Wyatt Frantz – University of Texas at San Antonio
Daniel Garcia – Cal Poly Humboldt
Devon Boyer – University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

2022 Participants
Payton Soehn – University Of Central Florida
Kat Morgan – Colorado Film School – Community College of Aurora
Braden Wells – Middle Tennessee State University
Yunkyo Moon-Kim – Northwestern University
Desmond Loh – Cal State Northridge
Helen Aharonian – Cal State Northridge
Erika Martinez – Cal State Northridge
Felipe Pimentel Carneiro – Cal State Northridge
Joan Merise – Ohio State University
Jocelyn Gomez – Cal State Northridge
Christine La – University of Minnesota
William Turner – Middle Tennessee State University
Savannah Whisenhunt – University of Minnesota
Benjamin Lee – Cal State Northridge
Patience Cox – Ohio State University
Rene Marcelle – University of Arizona
Cheyenne Knapp – Colorado Film School
Kazuhiro – Salvador University of Hawaii at Manoa
Jack Nelson – Bowdoin College
2021 Participants
Alexandria Hale – Alabama State University
Alexandra Hayden – Belmont University
Benjamin Lee – Cal State Northridge
Braden Wells – Middle Tennessee State University
Brenna White – University of California, Irvine
Cole Marvin, Belmont University
Christine La – University of Minnesota
Claudia Sepulveda – Cal State Northridge
Cheyenne Knapp – Colorado Film School
Desmond Loh – Cal State Northridge
Emiliano Silva – University of Minnesota
Erika Martinez – Cal State Northridge
Felipe Pimentel Carneiro – Cal State Northridge
Helen Aharonian – Cal State Northridge
Jack Nelson – Bowdoin College
Jiaxu Jin – University of Tulsa
Joan Merise – Ohio State University
Jocelyn Gomez – Cal State Northridge
Kaiti Barta – Carnegie Mellon University
Kazuhiro Salvador – University of Hawaii at Manoa
Lucas Anotado – University of California, Irvine
Patience Cox – Ohio State University
Payton Soehn – University Of Central Florida
Rene Marcelle – University of Arizona
Savannah Whisenhunt – University of Minnesota
Shelly Sampon – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Valentina Disacco – University of California, Irvine
William Turner – Middle Tennessee State University
Yunkyo Moon-Kim – Northwestern University
2020 Participants
Ana Mathews – University of Colorado – Boulder
Anna Robinson – Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Beatrice Endler – Scripps College
Chunyang Wang – Swarthmore College
Diana Alanis – Chapman University
Emily Staten – Bowdoin College
Frances Grace Mortel – Eastern Washington University
Helia Gagnon – Yale University
Isabella Chirico – University of Kentucky
Javin Lu – Princeton University
Joshua Contreras – University of Colorado – Boulder
Julianne Kalec – University of Dayton
Kelsey Hodge – Southern Methodist University
Kevin McGee – University of New Mexico
Kyriessa Lane – University of Wyoming
Laura Anderson – University of New Mexico
Liam Parker – University of Alabama
Maram Elnagheeb – Duke University
Michelle Herrera – Western Michigan University
Mina Dibonge – Carnegie Mellon University
Natalie Mosso – University of California, Irvine
Nicholas Lipari – Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Parker Stenseth – University of North Dakota
Preston Blaney – University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Roberto Soto – The University of Texas at Austin
Roxanna Stevens Ibarra – University of Arizona
Sarah Hass – Loyola University Chicago
Sebastian Alfonzo – University of Minnesota
Will Hella – Washington University in St. Louis
Xenia Matthews – The University of the Arts
2019 Participants
Alyssa Harden – Drexel University
Ana Zambrana – Univ. of Central Florida
Chukwuma Egbuzie – Clark University
Courtney Green – Yale University
Emma Fuchs – Smith College
Eric Barragan – University of Alaska
Grace Wood – University of Kansas
Grace Zhang – Pratt Institute
Janie Luper – University of Tulsa
Jessie Smith – Wheaton College
John Castro – University of Minnesota
John Gosselin – Middlebury College
Katie Hopkins – Saint Norbert College
Kharrington DeBose – Kansas City Art Institute
Kira Findling – Oberlin College
Lonnae Hickman – DePaul University
Makena Duffy – University of Hawaii
Maricielo Ampudia Gutierrez – George Mason University
Mayra Cruz – University of North Texas
Molly Marcy – Castleton University
Olivia Ek – Emerson
Rachel Ledesma – Chapman
Robert Bushell – Loyola Marymount
Salsabila Nurhidajat – Vanderbilt
Scotlin Francis – Southern Methodist University
Shahriar Islam – Rutgers University
Shoshi Hansen – Wake Forest University
Stacey Ramirez – Texas State University
Wade Scanlan – University of Alabama
William Mai – University of Wisconsin
2018 Participants
Adrianna Fujii – American River College
Alex Brown – Wright State University
Alex Foo – Columbia University
Alexander Wilson – Savannah College of Art and Design
Andrew Luft – University of Alaska – Fairbanks
Andrew Nuno – DePaul University
Angelica Baldelomar Pinto – University of Kansas
Brianna Fisher – Appalachian State University
Charles de Agustin – Rutgers University
Crispin Jay Salapare III – Williams College
Dominic Dotson – Moorpark College
Elijah Solt – University of Northern Colorado
Emma France – Western Michigan University
Jennifer Garcia – University of Texas at Dallas
Jessica Johnson – Chapman University
Jordan Crabbe – Western Kentucky University
Katherine Schomas – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Katie Romanovich – California Lutheran University
Lisa Stemmons – Bradley University
Madilyne Kane – University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Mira Winick – UCLA
Navarre Megali – University of North Carolina – School of the Arts
Railey Zantop-Zimlinghaus – Bowdoin College
Reagan Wells – University of Alabama
Sanah Jivani – University of Texas at San Antonio
Sarah Barnett – John Brown University
Satya Hariharan – Clark College
Stefanie Corum – Middle Tennessee State University
Tori Gellman – University of Tulsa
Zain Hashmat – Meridian Community College
2017 Participants
Alberto De La Rosa – Washington University in St. Louis
Alexandra Cherry – University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa)
Alina Verenich – Western Kentucky University
Alyssa Belardo – Rider University
Austin Lange – Western Kentucky University
Austin Renna – Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Becca Murdoch – University of Alabama
Deborah McFetridge – Rider University
Eden Palmer – University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Emily Allen – University of Oklahoma
Gabriel Carden – University of Alabama
Ian Hawkes – Brigham Young University
Jared Angcanan – Moorpark College
John Shugrue – UCLA
Joseph Carter – Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Keaton Bell – The University of Oklahoma
Keilee Bentley – CSU Fullerton
Kelsey Sharpe – Oberlin College
Kevin Yatsu – University of Oregon
Lydia Scholl – George Mason University
Lydia Smith – Oberlin College
Madeleine Collier – Barnard College
Madeleine Sutka – Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Mia Khoury – Barnard College, Columbia University
Michelle Chu – Oberlin College
Nyree Holmes – California State University of Fullerton
Rachel Barnes – George Mason University
Taylor Ugrinow – University of Hartford
Tuesday Dunn-Blue – Portland State University
2016 Participants
Abney Troutman – University of Oklahoma
Alex Lamb – University of Kansas
Alexandra Schulte – Western Kentucky Univserity
Alexis Bonamassa – Rider University
Brad Nguyen – Moorpark College
Caitlyn Dour – Fairfield Univserity
Cassie Massa – Chapman University
Eliana Pipes – Columbia University
Elizabeth Danna – Fairfield Univserity
Jeris Johnson – Western Kentucky University
Jiayi Du – Chapman University
Joseph McNairy – University of Minnesota
Keaton Bell – University of Oklahoma
Luke Hellyer – George Mason Univserity
Marissa Renteria – University of Southern California
Marni Hoest – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Nicholas Dilullo – Fairfield Univserity
Rachel Kastner – Barnard College
Sarah Keo – University of Washington
2015 Participants
Alex McDonald – USC
Amy Hurwitz – Chapman
Armando Barrios – Cal State Fullerton
Bryce Cyrier – Chapman
Caitlin Manocchio – Chapman
Elius Kim – Chapman
Elizabeth “Hilty” Bowen – USC
Kaeli Lynam – USC
Michael Rodriguez – Columbia University
Robert Smat – USC