Brendan Fraser to be honored at Santa Barbara International Film Festival with American Riviera Award

Brendan Fraser will be honored with the American Riviera Award at the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Fraser will receive the award on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at an in-person conversation about his career, leading up to this year’s performance as Charlie in the upcoming A24 film THE WHALE. 

Seamlessly transitioning from smart independent films to action-packed blockbusters, Brendan Fraser continues to garner widespread critical acclaim for his versatile, inspired performances as well as his keen eye for selecting thought-provoking material. In addition to starring as the lead in Darren Aronofsky’s THE WHALE, other exciting projects on the horizon include Legendary Pictures’ BROTHERS with Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, as well as Martin Scorsese’s new epic western, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON.

“I’m so elated that we will be celebrating Brendan Fraser at SBIFF. Here’s a performer who brought us so much joy through the years, given us so many incredible cinematic memories, and now with the best performance of his career! We are thrilled to honor him!” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

From Darren Aronofsky comes THE WHALE, the story of a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption. Co-starring Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton and based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter.

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American Cinema. Previous recipients include Kristen Stewart, Delroy Lindo, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortenson, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening, Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.

The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 8 – February 18, 2023. 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 2023 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org. 

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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