HRP Students Experience the Magic of SBIFF

As part of the Humanities Research Program's SBIFF Unit, HRP students immersed themselves in Santa Barbara's iconic film festival, attending award ceremonies for Angelina Jolie and Timothée Chalamet. Jolie received the Maltin Modern Master Award, while Chalamet was named Arlington Artist of the Year.

Sophomore Marshall Graham captured the power of Jolie’s interview. “She applies her past struggles to her craft, creating profound pieces of art. She shared her wisdom with calm, poise, and grace,” he says.

The excitement continued a week later at Chalamet's ceremony. “It was exciting to see the kids be a part of the collective energy of the crowd, which was almost reminiscent of Beatlemania, with fans screaming and climbing lamp posts for a glimpse of Chalamet,” Dr. Ashley Tidey explains. 

Tidey’s highlight of the festival came before the Chalamet presentation when Dakota Risley '26, Amelia Noble '26, and Lilly Trautwein '28 triumphantly returned with Lily’s autographed harmonica in hand.

 

Chalamet's heartfelt reflections left a lasting impression on the students. "He was incredibly vulnerable, sharing about how hard he has worked and how long it took to be seen," Dakota noted. “My takeaway from his talk was: Find your superpower and harness it.”