Film fest to honor five with new award

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced yesterday it will honor five actors with its inaugural Virtuosos Award during a presentation at the Lobero Theatre on Jan. 30.
According to a statement from the festival, the award was created to recognize a selected group of young actors who have distinguished themselves through performances over the past year.

That group includes Casey Affleck, Marion Cotillard, James McAvoy, Ellen Page and Amy Ryan.
“There will always be one or two performances that stand out, but this year in particular there were several performances by actors that truly set them apart from the pack,” said Roger Durling, the festival’s executive director.
Affleck’s performances in 2007 have included roles as Robert Ford in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” and as a young detective in “Gone Baby Gone.”
Cotillard starred most recently in “La Vie En Rose,” while McAvoy portrayed Robbie Turner in “Atonement.” Page starred in the film “Juno” and Ryan portrays a character in “Gone Baby Gone” and co-starred in “Before The Devil Knows Your Dead.”
“These talented actors have proven themselves to be a strong presence on-screen, and these performances have given a glimpse at the bright future that cinema has to offer audiences for years to come,” Durling said.
The festival begins on Jan. 24 and runs through Feb. 3. Tickets for the Virtuosos Award are $65 and are on sale now by visiting www.sbfilmfestival.org, or through the Lobero box office at 963-0761, or at the Arlington Theatre box office at 963-4408.