After a delightful pre-reception, attendees joined the award recipient for an upscale dinner. During the evening’s festivities, a wide range of figures, including SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, actress Octavia Spencer, and frequent collaborator Kristen Wiig spoke highly of Will Ferrell’s career and achievements.

Tonight, The Santa Barbara International Film Festival honored Will Ferrell as he received the 17th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film. Ferrell’s career has involved a vast variety of projects, including this year’s documentary WILL & HARPER. The prestigious award, which benefits Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s year-round educational programs, was presented on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at a Black-Tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.

“Whether he’s wearing a bikini or dressed up like an elf, I dare you to resist his charms. He is our national treasure,” stated Executive Director, Roger Durling.

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 are 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 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE Tuesday, February 4th – Saturday February 15th, 2025. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit, and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

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 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 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, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.

SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our 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 highschool 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. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.

More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for the creation of a state-of-the-art Film Center — 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.

House Photos Credit: Courtesy of SBIFF / Photographer: Becky Sapp (Wireimage)