A Gathering for Gatherers 

Surprisingly, SBIFF isn’t the only major festival in town this week, as Santa Barbara once again hosts the annual festival of festivals, aka FestForums. The three-day conference, now at the Mar Monte Hotel, brings together festival producers, organizers and industry leaders to network, collaborate, and pick up tips about events in a single location February 12-14. Representatives of SXSW, Sundance, Burning Man, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Woodstock, Austin City Limits, Vans Warped Tour, Glastonbury, and the Toronto Film Festival have been among the attendees over the years – participating in panels covering technology, sustainability, safety, wellness, marketing, operations and more, as well as a trade show exhibition, awards presentations, concerts and parties.

This year’s featured speakers include actor Matthew Modine and singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins. While some performances still take place on-site, over the last couple of years the big concert has moved downtown to SOhO. The February 13 show – with Hawkins, local celeb Alan Parsons and Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) – has also become a benefit for the new Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation, whose funds assist Californians who have been displaced by the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Visit https://festforums.com for details, schedule and passes.