This week our arts and entertainment section is full of coverage from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and this past week one of our interns, Alice Dehghanzadeh, got the full Film Fest experience. Dehghanzadeh has been with the Independent since last year and has been reporting from our arts, entertainment, and culture section. Originally from London, England, Alice has been integrating herself into the Santa Barbara community through the arts and community happenings she’s been reporting on.
When did you start interning at the Independent, and what made you interested in our team? What originally sparked your interest in journalism and reporting?
I began interning at the Santa Barbara Independent at the start of summer 2025. I initially started following the Indy after I was accepted into UC Santa Barbara as a way to familiarize myself with the area but quickly fell in love with the newspaper’s voice and sense of community. I was (and still am) especially drawn to the Arts & Entertainment, Living, and Food & Drink sections because they felt very intentional, creative, and people-centered — all qualities that I’d like to say that I aim to have. Not to mention I’m a big foodie too!