[November 12, 2024] SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that two cinema icons, Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Spotlighting their riveting performances in Brady Corbet’s THE BRUTALIST, Brody’s portrayal of Toth highlights an immigrant’s struggle to overcome his war-torn past and rebuild his life in a Post-War America. Pearce, in contrast, delivers a chilling, domineering performance as a wealthy art patron whose vision of American modernity collides with Toth’s. The tension between the two not only drives the narrative but also symbolizes the larger struggle between innovation and tradition. Both Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce will receive the prestigious award on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
“Both Adrien and Guy have had lengthy, rewarding and uncompromising careers – and in this year’s THE BRUTALIST – they each give us their best work to date,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.
Adrien Brody won the Academy Award and Cesar Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of real-life Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in THE PIANIST, making him, to date, the youngest person to have received the Oscar in that category.
Over the course of his career, Brody has worked with a wide range of prominent filmmakers including Peter Jackson (KING KONG), Ken Loach (BREAD AND ROSES), Barry Levinson (LIBERTY HEIGHTS), and Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM). He is also a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson, having appeared in five of Anderson’s films (THE DARJEELING LIMITED, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, and ASTEROID CITY).
Guy Pearce’s career has spanned nearly four decades in film, television, and theatre. Pearce had his international break in THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. This paved the way for iconic roles in critically acclaimed films such as LA CONFIDENTIAL; Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO; John Hillcoat’s The PROPOSITION and LAWLESS; Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS and ALIEN: COVENANT; and Oscar winners THE HURT LOCKER and THE KING’S SPEECH, to name a few.
In 2011, Pearce won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Monty Beragon in the Todd Haynes adaption of MILDRED PIERCE for HBO alongside Kate Winslet. Other television credits include the much-loved JACK IRISH, MARE OF EASTTOWN, WHEN WE RISE, THE INNOCENTS, BBC’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and most recently THE CLEARING with Miranda Otto, and the critically acclaimed A SPY AMONGST FRIENDS.
The Cinema Vanguard Award recognizes actors who have forged their own path, taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Previous honorees include Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell & Brendan Gleeson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Carey Mulligan, Laura Dern, Michael B. Jordan, William DaFoe, Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Rooney Mara, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jean Dujardin, Bernice Bejo, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sarsgaard, Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stanley Tucci and Ryan Gosling.
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 at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus 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, Jeffrey Wright, America Ferrera, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Scott, Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet, Billie Eilish, and Ludwig Göransson.
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.
About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 39 years, SBIFF has become one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States – attracting 100,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 kids, students and families in our local community by introducing film as an art form to young children with programs like AppleBox and Mike’s FieldTrip to the Movies; teaching film analysis to highschool and college students with programs like Rosebud and the Film Studies Program; and teaching the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking with Film Camp and 10-10-10 Mentorship programs. Most importantly SBIFF’s programs are always directed towards the under-represented and under-served communities within Santa Barbara County.
More recently, SBIFF secured a long-term lease for the iconic multi-plex at 916 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This landmark acquisition paves the way for the creation of a state-of-the-art Film Center — a vibrant, year-round destination that will serve as a central hub for cinema enthusiasts and the heart of SBIFF’s renowned Film Festival. Building on the success of the Riviera Theatre revitalization in 2016 and the opening of its own Education Center in 2019 in the downtown area, SBIFF continues to strengthen its commitment to the cultural fabric of Santa Barbara.
SBIFF Social:
So great to see Guy, who has been a fixture since his time on the Australian soap Neighbours in the 80s, finally getting his moment in the spotlight again. Here's hoping he makes it all the way to The Dolby in March as a nominee this time.