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CYNTHIA ERIVO TO RECEIVE SBIFF’S 18TH
ANNUAL
KIRK DOUGLAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Thursday, December 4, 2025
THE RITZ-CARLTON BACARA, SANTA BARBARA
SANTA BARBARA, CA –
Tony®, GRAMMY®, Emmy Award-winning and
three-time Academy Award nominated actor, singer and
producer Cynthia Erivo will be receiving the 18th
annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film, it was
announced by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The prestigious award, which benefits the film festival’s
year-round educational programs, will be presented on Thursday,
December 4, 2025 at a Black-Tie dinner at the
Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. This will mark the
fourth time the honor has been awarded since the passing of
screen legend Kirk Douglas.
“Cynthia Erivo is a singular talent whose
depth, range, and fearless commitment to her craft embody
the spirit of excellence my father championed throughout his
life. It’s entirely fitting that she receives the Kirk
Douglas Award, which celebrates bold artistry and enduring
impact in film,” states Michael Douglas.
Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages
in “The Color Purple,” for which she won the Tony for Best
Actress in a Musical and has since taken the world by storm.
She most recently starred as Elphaba opposite Ariana
Grande’s Glinda in Universal Pictures’ record-shattering
film adaptation of the generation-defining musical WICKED
from director Jon M. Chu, which earned 10 Academy Award
nominations. The film became a cultural phenomenon, opening
at number one at the box office and becoming the most
successful Broadway film adaptation of all time. Erivo
garnered widespread critical acclaim for her performance,
receiving Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, NAACP, BAFTA,
and Academy Award nominations. She will return as Elphaba
this Fall in the emotional cinematic conclusion, WICKED: FOR
GOOD, which will be released on November 21.
Next, Erivo is set to start production on the
film adaptation of PRIMA FACIE, the Broadway sensation that
originated on the West End. Under her Edith’s Daughter
production banner, she will also executive produce the film.
It was also recently announced that Erivo will return to the
West End starring as Bram Stoker’s demonic vampire and 22
other roles in Kip William’s “Dracula,” a one-woman
theatrical extravaganza set for early 2026.
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 include Will Ferrell,
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 41st Santa Barbara
International Film Festival will take place February 4 -
February 14, 2026. Official events including screenings,
filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes,
will be held throughout the city, including at the historic
Arlington Theatre and at the soon-to-be-completed SBIFF Film
Center. Passes for the 2026 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
Last year, the festival’s program featured
more than 200 films, showcasing 33 world premieres and 74
U.S. premieres from 60 countries. More than 50 Academy Award
winners and nominees were celebrated, including Angelina
Jolie, Zoe Saldaña, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, Adrien
Brody, Guy Pearce, Monica Barbaro, Selena Gomez, Ariana
Grande, Clarence Maclin, Mikey Madison, John Magaro,
Sebastian Stan, Fernanda Torres, Timothée Chalamet, Brady
Corbet, Coralie Fargeat, Jacques Audiard, James Mangold and
Sean Baker, among others. 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.
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
40 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
through film.
In 2016, SBIFF acquired the historic and
beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and
renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s state-of-the-art,
year-round home, showing new international and independent
films every day. In 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education
Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as
a home for its many educational programs and a place for
creativity and learning. In 2024, with support from the City
of Santa Barbara, SBIFF acquired SBIFF’s Film Center; a
5-plex movie theatre at 916 State Street in the heart of
downtown. Soon the theatre will have a state-of-the-art
renovation and will exponentially elevate SBIFF’s impact to
new heights as well as secure the future of the annual 11
day Film Festival.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education
and the community throughout many free educational programs
and events. SBIFF’s programs support over 18,000 young
people, students and families in the 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 high school 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.
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