Given its date and proximity to Hollywood, the Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival has become a key stop on the film awards circuit, hosting a series of starry tributes to Oscar nominees.
The festivities kicked off Jan. 13, when Ryan Gosling received the Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film at a black-tie benefit for the festival’s educational programs. Gosling proved he is “Kenough” for audiences and Academy voters alike with his role in “Barbie,” which earned him his third career Oscar nomination 10 days later.
“Maestro” multi-talent Bradley Cooper will receive the festival’s outstanding performer of the year award on Feb. 8. The sold-out program, including a live Q&A, will celebrate his work, including on the Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro,” which he directed and earned him Oscar nominations for acting, screenplay and best picture. Also sold out: the fest’s Maltin Modern Master Award ceremony honoring Robert Downey Jr. on Feb. 9. Critic Leonard Maltin will lead a conversation about the performer’s eclectic career, including his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in “Oppenheimer.”
The annual Virtuosos tribute to breakthrough performances is set for Feb. 10. This year’s honorees include: Oscar nominees Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), America Ferrera (“Barbie”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) in addition to lauded performers Greta Lee (“Past Lives”), Charles Melton (“May December”), and Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers”).
On Feb. 11, “Poor Things” star Mark Ruffalo will be feted as recipient of the festival’s American Riviera award. Beyond his Oscar nominated performance, he recently earned an Emmy for his work in the HBO series “I Know This Much Is True.”
Paul Giamatti, Oscar nominated for his performance in “The Holdovers,” will receive the Cinema Vanguard award on Feb. 14, a valentine to his career that even his cranky alter ego in Alexander Payne’s film might appreciate.
“American Fiction” star Jeffrey Wright will receive the fest’s Montecito Award on Feb. 15 and discuss his long career, which includes an Emmy winning turn in HBO’s adaptation of “Angels in America.”
The following evening, “Nyad” star Annette Bening will be presented with the Arlington Award, a new honor named for the Santa Barbara venue that hosts many of these Oscar-season tributes.