A MOSQUITO IN THE EAR follows Andrew and Daniela as they travel to Goa, India to retrieve their newly adopted 4-year-old daughter, Sarvari.
Opening Night Film and Red Carpet: SBIFF
The 2026 edition of SBIFF Opens February 4th with the U.S. Premiere of A Mosquito in the Ear.
The 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival opens with the U.S. premiere of A Mosquito in the Ear, a true-story drama about love, adoption, and the chaos that unfolds when real life refuses to follow a plan.
Directed and co-written by Nicola Rinciari, the film stars Jake Lacy, Nazanin Boniadi, and Ruhi Pal. It follows a couple traveling to Goa to bring home their newly adopted daughter—only to discover that the hardest journey isn’t the one across continents, but the one inside their family.
Opening Night brings a full red-carpet celebration to the iconic Arlington Theatre, with cast and filmmakers in attendance, alongside creators from other festival films—setting the tone for a week of premieres, conversations, and discovery.
Opening Night Film · U.S. Premiere
Wednesday, February 4 · 8:00pm
Red Carpet: 6:15–8:00pm · Arlington Theatre
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