The Santa Barbara Film Festival is always starry a celebration of up and coming filmmakers and Oscar hopefuls, but this year the programmers have also decided to make it more accessible. For the first time, it’ll be free for the community, organizers announced Tuesday. The 36th installment kicks off on March 31 with the world premiere of Aaron Mauer’s “Invisible Valley” about the people of California’s Coachella’s Valley. After a year of mostly online film festivals, SBIFF is taking a hybrid approach and building two beachside drive-in theaters for the screenings. There will also be a ticketed online component. The festival runs through April 10.
