Phyllis de Picciotto, a co-founder of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, has died. She was 84.

De Picciotto died April 14 of heart failure at a hospice care facility in Santa Barbara, her daughter Leonie de Picciotto told The Hollywood Reporter.

After moving from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara in 1983, de Picciotto programmed films at the Riviera Theatre for Metropolitan Theatres CEO Bruce Corwin to great success. That led to her holding a meeting in her living room to pitch the idea of a Santa Barbara-based film festival.

The event would, according to her husband, Stan Roden, offer “world and U.S. premieres along with celebrities, panels, Klieg lights, vintage cars, red carpet, long lines fostering conversation, lavish parties, a large, dedicated group of volunteers, free programs, artist retrospectives and awards.”

Corwin offered Metropolitan’s theaters and cash to the effort and helped persuade the City Council that such a festival...