Daniel Kaluuya, Gal Gadot, Hong Chau, John Boyega, Kumail Nanjiani, Mary J. Blige and Timothée Chalamet will receive the 2018 Virtuosos Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, SBIFF organizers announced on Wednesday.
The award annually goes to a variety of actors who have had breakout performances in the past year, with past recipients including Mahershala Ali, Alicia Vikander, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rooney Mara, Saoirse Ronan, Brie Larson and Jared Leto.
It will be presented on Feb. 3, 2018 at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara.
Kaluuya starred in one of the year’s biggest commercial and critical successes, Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” Gadot plays the title role in the blockbuster “Wonder Woman.” Chau serves as the heart of Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star Boyega is honored for his performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s harrowing “Detroit.” Nanjiani co-wrote “The Big Sick” with his wife, Emily V. Gordon, and stars in the film that is based on his and Gordon’s courtship. Blige is one of the stars of Dee Rees’ acclaimed “Mudbound,” and also wrote and performed a song from that film. And Chalamet not only had a supporting role in “Lady Bird” but starred in Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name,” for which he has already won breakthrough-performance awards from the Gotham Awards and the National Board of Review.
The 2018 Santa Barbara Film Festival will take place from January 31 through February 10 in the coastal town north of Los Angeles.