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Hee is the press release from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival:
Golden Globe and Actor Award winner and Academy Award-nominee Emily Blunt will receive the 19th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film, it was announced by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The prestigious award, named after screen legend Kirk Douglas, benefits the film festival’s year-round educational programs and will be presented on Thursday, December 10 at a black-tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.
“Emily Blunt takes risks most actors wouldn’t dare – moving between drama, comedy, and blockbuster spectacle with the same precision and commitment,” said Michael Douglas. “That range and authenticity are exactly what the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film was created to celebrate. We’re proud to honor her,” he added.
This summer, Blunt earned some of the strongest reviews of her career for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi epic Disclosure Day, in which she stars alongside Josh O’Connor as Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City TV meteorologist whose increasingly inexplicable experiences draw her into a sweeping effort to reveal the existence of extraterrestrial life to the world. In this role, Blunt showcases the full breadth of her remarkable range, moving between humor, fear, confusion, vulnerability and wonder.
The performance marks another high point in a career defined by Blunt’s extraordinary versatility. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Kitty Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar Best Picture winner, Oppenheimer, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award this past year for her role opposite Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine. She has moved effortlessly between drama, comedy, action, musicals and thrillers in films such as A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, Sicario, Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Woods, Mary Poppins Returns, Looper and The Devil Wears Prada. Earlier this year, Blunt reprised her beloved role as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada 2, reuniting with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci two decades after the original film became a cultural phenomenon and helped launch her international film career.
Since 2006, the annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film has been awarded to a lifelong contributor to cinema through their work in front of the camera, behind or both. Past honorees include Cynthia Erivo, Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris and John Travolta.
The benefit event supports SBIFF’s ongoing commitment to education and the community through many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support more than 18,000 kids, students and families in the local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to high school and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
The 42nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place February 3 – February 13, 2027. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre and the recently opened SBIFF Film Center. Passes for the 2027 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
Last year, the festival’s program featured more than 200 films, showcasing 46 world premieres and 80 U.S. premieres from 50 countries. More than 60 Academy Award winners and nominees were celebrated, including Adam Sandler, Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benecio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Kate Hudson, Stellan Skarsgård, Ethan Hawke, Jacob Elordi, Chase Infiniti, Amy Madigan, Wagner Moura, Renate Reinsve, Sydney Sweeney, Teyana Taylor, Wunmi Mosaku, Chloé Zhao, Joachim Trier, Josh Safdie, Ryan Coogler and Jafar Panahi, among others.
About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 41 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, to engage, enrich, and inspire through film.
SBIFF recently secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition and recent renovation of a state-of-the-art Film Center launched in February as a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.
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