Will Ferrell to receive SBIFF’s 17th annual Kirk Douglas Award

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honoured to announce that actor, writer, producer, and comedy legend Will Ferrell will be receiving the 17th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film. The prestigious award, which benefits Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at a Black-Tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. This marks the third time since the passing of screen legend Kirk Douglas that the honor will be awarded.

Ferrell’s incredible talent can next be seen in the Gloria Sanchez Productions and Netflix’s upcoming documentary, one of this year’s crowd favorites at Sundance Film Festival, “Will & Harper.” In the film, Ferrell’s good friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, comes out as a trans woman. The pair embark on a road trip to process this new stage in their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country she loves as her authentic self. This documentary is Ferrell’s seventh collaboration with Harper Steele, having previously worked together on “Saturday Night Live,” where Ferrell was a cast member for multiple years.

With a career spanning over three decades, Ferrell has become one of the most influential figures in comedy as well as a box office sensation. The multifaceted powerhouse began his journey on “Saturday Night Live” and quickly rose to stardom with iconic performances in films.

Along with producing partner Jessica Elbaum, Ferrell is also the co-founder of Gloria Sanchez Productions. In 2020, the company announced a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix on the heels of the incredible overnight success of the Emmy-nominated series “Dead to Me.” The production shingle set a multi-year first-look deal with 20th Century Studios in 2021. Since its inception, the production company has also been credited with HUSTLERS, BOOKSMART, MAY DECEMBER, THEATER CAMP, SPIRITED, and BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR, all of which garnered critical acclaim and numerous award nominations.

“Comedy is the hardest and you make it look easy Will. Congratulations! Dad loved you!” stated Michael Douglas.

Since 2006, the annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film has been awarded to a lifelong contributor to cinema through their work in front of the camera, behind, or both. Past honorees are Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Dame Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris, and John Travolta.

The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 4 – February 15, 2025. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

Last year, the festival had a program of 200+ films from over 48 countries with honorary awards feted on Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, America Ferrera, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Scott, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, Ludwig Göransson, Jennifer Lame, and Rodrigo Prieto. A-list and industry guests will once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit, and delivering a record number of films with many World and U.S. premieres. The film lineup and schedule will be announced January 2025.