The Santa Barbara International Film Fesival has landed one of the top prizes of awards season, announcing on Tuesday that it will host the celebrated but elusive "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis with a tribute at its festival in the coastal town north of Los Angeles.
Day-Lewis has been dominating critics' awards with his performance as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's film, and is considered one of the best actors working today. But he seldom participates in the rituals of awards season, of which a Santa Barbara tribute has long been a late-season staple.
Day-Lewis will receive the festival's Montecito Award, which in the past has gone to the likes of Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush and Annette Bening.
“Daniel Day-Lewis continues to inspire the industry and the public by his approach to tackling the most complex of characters and delivering brilliant performances time after time,” said SBIFF's executive director, Roger Durling, in a statement announcing the award.
For his performance in "Lincoln," Day-Lewis may well become the first person to win three Best Actor Academy Awards. He has previously won for "My Left Foot" and "There Will Be Blood," and has been nominated for "In the Name of the Father" and (as Best Supporting Actor) for "Gangs of New York."
The festival begins on Jan. 24 and runs through Feb. 3. The tribute to Day-Lewis will take place at the Arlighton Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 26.
