Sylvester Stallone has been chosen to receive the Montecito Award at the 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The Santa Barbara award is just the latest honor for Stallone who’s riding a career high following his critically acclaimed turn in Creed. Stallone received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for reprising his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, and he won both a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice award for his performance.
According to the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the Montecito Award is given annually to a “person in the entertainment industry whose has made a great contribution to film.” The award will be presented on February 9th during a ceremony at the Arlington Theater.
Previous Montecito Award recipients include Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Javier Bardem, Bill Condon, and Naomi Watts.
“Sylvester Stallone’s performance in Creed has reminded us of what a true talent he is and what a joy it is to share in his successes as the many beloved characters he has created. Since he first hit the silver screen as Rocky Balboa nearly four decades ago, he has been a force in the industry both on film and behind the scenes. He is a true legend in our field, and it is our privilege to present him with the Montecito Award, and to continue to honor his legacy,” said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.
The festival also honored Jane Fonda (Youth) with its Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film and Johnny Depp (Black Mass) with its Maltin Modern Master Award. Spotlight‘s ensemble earned the American Riviera Award, and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Géza Röhrig (Son of Saul), Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Joel Edgerton (Black Mass), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) with its Virtuosos Award.
