Nicole Kidman to receive the Cinema Vanguard Award in Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman with the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 26th edition of the Fest, which runs January 27 -February 6, 2011, it was announced today by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. The Tribute will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at the historic Arlington Theatre.
The Cinema Vanguard Award was created in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path - taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. The award has previously been awarded toChristoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Stanley Tucci, Peter Sarsgaard, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling.
“Honoring Nicole Kidman is so exciting for us here at SBIFF,” comments Roger Durling. “Her work is immensely diverse and with this year’s heart-wrenching and brilliant performance in ‘Rabbit Hole’ - a project she helped develop as well - it is exactly who we should be celebrating with the 2011 Cinema Vanguard Award.”
With each of her performances, Nicole Kidman represents the actor in its finest and most polished form. A woman of many talents, she effortlessly navigates through a diverse range of genres; mastering drama, horror, comedy, romance, and even the musical. In her upcoming film Rabbit Hole, which she also co-produced, Kidman plunges heart-first into the role of Becca Corbett, a wife and mother who experiences the ultimate loss. Starring alongside Aaron Eckhart, Kidman delivers a performance so passionate and engrossing, that the audience can’t help but to place themselves in Becca’s shoes.
Beginning her career in the realm of Australian cinema, she starred in the thriller Dead Calm (1989), starring opposite Sam Neil. In 1990 she made the breakthrough into Hollywood cinema, staring alongside Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder. She paired with Cruise once again in 1992 for epic Far and Away, directed by Ron Howard. In 1995 she starred as Dr. Chase Meridian in the blockbuster hit Batman Forever, and also earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of a fame crazed housewife in To Die For. Kidman followed her success with the role of Isabel Archer in Portrait of a Lady (1996), and teamed up once again with Tom Cruise in Stanley Kubrick’s sexual thriller, Eyes Wide Shut (1999). In 2001, she stepped into one of her career defining roles as courtesan Satine in the musical Moulin Rouge, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Leading Actress. In the same year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in writer/director Alejandro Amenabar’s psychological thriller, The Others. The next year, Kidman followed up with her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours and won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In the next several years, she continued to show her range, performing in a wide variety of films, such as the Civil War epic Cold Mountain (2003), the film adaptation of the TV show Bewitched (2005), Sydney Pollack’s The Interpreter (2005), and the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass (2007) among others.
The festivities will take place at the Arlington Theatre on Saturday, February 5 2011. Tickets for the Cinema Vanguard Award are available now, discounted 20% until December 13 and can be purchased through www.sbfilmfestival.orgor by calling 805-963-0023. Mini-Paks for the festival are currently discounted at 20%, while Festival Passes and Packages are currently discounted at 15% and on sale exclusively at www.sbfilmfestival.organd 805-963-0023.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by lynda.com, is set to run January 27 - February 6, 2011. Now in its 26th year, SBIFF is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form and continues to be an essential stop on the road to the Oscars. SBIFF presents quality American Independent, Spanish and Latin American, European, World and Documentary cinema, as well as nature and surf films, all within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a perfect backdrop and premier tourist destination. SBIFF is also committed to educationthrough its 10-10-10 youth filmmakers project, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected audience of over 70,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, SBIFF attracts an eclectic and diverse consumer base, both locally and nationally, while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.sbfilmfestival.org.
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Press credentialing for the 2011 SBIFF is now open. Log onto www.sbfilmfestival.organd go to Festival Info and then click on PRESS CREDENTIALING.