February may have been called “mud month” in Old England, but Santa Barbarans should call it “movie month,” as that is when our town will be flooded with all things cinematic as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) takes residency on State Street from Wednesday, February 1-Saturday, February 11.
And though it’s still a season away, SBIFF has begun announcing some of what’s in store for attendees, including the eight actors selected to receive Virtuoso Awards and the name of the festival’s closing-night film.
Conceived as a way to honor individuals who give breakout performances in cinema, the Virtuoso Awards will be given in 2017 to Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals, U.S. release date Nov. 18), Dev Patel (Lion, Nov. 25), Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures, Dec. 25; Moonlight), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Ruth Negga (Loving, Nov. 4), Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins), and Stephen Henderson (Fences, Dec. 25). “This year has been monumental in the breadth of talent breaking through in distinct and emotional roles,” said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling, regarding the Virtuoso lineup.
