Lights, Camera, Action…Film Feast Returns 2012

“FILM FEAST” RETURNS TO SANTA BARBARA JAN. 26 – FEB. 5, 2012,
STARRING ALONGSIDE THE SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Three-course tasting menus to be offered at 28 restaurants, bars, lounges & tasting rooms;
11 Film Sleeps hotel packages invite visitors to reserve their own star treatment

Santa Barbara, CA (Dec. 14, 2011) — Santa Barbara rolls out the red carpet for the second edition of Film Feast, a special tasting-menu program coinciding with the star-studded Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), Jan. 26 – Feb. 5, 2012, and California Restaurant Month.

New this year, Film Feast tasting menus include liquid indulgences ranging from inventive cocktail flights served at bars and lounges to wine-tasting in “threes” offered at downtown and wine-country tasting rooms. In addition, several establishments are bringing the drama tableside with menus themed to classic and contemporary films like Olio e Limone Ristorante’s “La Dolce Vita” menu and Adama’s “Like Water for Chocolate” inspiration. Eleven Film Sleeps hotel packages invite out-of-town guests to linger longer after the credits roll. Additional details, as well as a list of participating establishments and hotel offers, are available on SBFilmFeast.com.

“The Film Festival offers an extraordinary experience for visitors and locals alike,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission (SBCVB&FC). “This year, local establishments are taking it a step farther with cinema-themed menus and special touches that allow Festival excitement to extend into the pre- and post-screening activities.”

SEE
Screening more than 200 films from around the world, SBIFF will bring Oscar contenders and the industry’s best to Santa Barbara for 11 days of screenings, tribute events, panel discussions and parties. Viola Davis, star of “The Help,” will be honored with the “Outstanding Performer of the Year” award. Last year, honorees included Annette Bening, Christopher Nolan, Nicole Kidman and James Franco among others, and the additional 2011 honorees will be announced in coming weeks. Tickets and passes are on sale now at SBIFF.org.

SAVOR
Film Feast three-course tasting menus will be available at 28 restaurants, bars, lounges and tasting rooms, from farm-to-fork hot spots and fine-dining Italian eateries to eclectic downtown wineries and picturesque Wine-Country vineyards. Restaurants will serve seasonal specialties, bars and lounges will shake up inventive cocktail flights, and renowned wineries will pour tastings in threes. Many establishments will craft their menus around classic and contemporary films, some even screening the inspiration films to heighten the cinematic ambiance. Participating restaurants and menu details are listed on SBFilmFeast.com.

STAY
Film Sleeps, cinema-themed lodging specials and value-added packages, invite visitors to stay in Santa Barbara after they’ve filled up on film, food and libations. From sleeping where the stars slept to receiving discounted room rates during SBIFF, visitors can check into The American Riviera® lifestyle whether or not the Film Fest is on their itinerary. Hotel Santa Barbara, the official SBIFF Hub, puts guests in the mix of media and producers with their Film Sleeps package. Starting at $479, it includes two nights’ accommodation, dinner for two, daily breakfast, movie snacks and a four-film SBIFF MiniPak. Linger long with Old Yacht Club Inn’s Film Sleeps offer, which includes four nights’ accommodations, breakfast, afternoon wine and cheese, wine tasting at Santa Barbara Winery, bike rentals, beach supplies and more, with rates starting at $489. These hotel offers and more are posted under Film Sleeps on SBFilmFeast.com.

BACK STORY
Santa Barbara’s century-long career as a movie backdrop and getaway for top Hollywood talent started during the silent era — Santa Barbara was California’s original filmmaking hub. Whether scouting sites dating back to Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1923), sipping pinot noir on the Sideways (2004) wine trail or watching cutting-edge cinema in historic theatres during the Film Festival, visitors will discover that Santa Barbara looks as good in real life as she does on the big screen. Film Feast is presented by the SBCVB&FC and Santa Barbara Downtown Organization. SBFilmFeast.com

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