After two years of the hybrid/virtual festival format, this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival made a strong in-person comeback with a plethora of star-studded events and screenings. It comes as no surprise that Hollywood’s leading creators and Oscar-nominated actors, such as Will Smith, Kristen Stewart and Javier Bardem made an appearance — the festival is held in the thick of the award season and in an area dense with Academy members. The honoring of these stars and the long-awaited excitement over being able to interact with fans and reporters was captured by our reporters on the red carpet. The photo story includes footage from the Virtuosos Awards, the Outstanding Performer(s) of the Year Award, the Maltin Modern Master Award and the American Riviera Award, which were all followed by interviews exploring the cinematic careers of the guests.