Jamie Lee Curtis will receive the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award at the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Curtis will receive the award on Saturday, February 11th following an in-person conversation about her career leading up to this year’s performances as Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends, a beloved character that she has portrayed for a record 44 years as well as Deidre Beaubeirdre in A24’s critically acclaimed smash hit Everything Everywhere All At Once.
“Jamie Lee Curtis has long since proven that she has staying power. People want to watch her, whether it’s in a Halloween movie or an offbeat character role. She’s talented and charismatic, and in the process does her movie-star parents proud” said Leonard Maltin.
Jamie Lee Curtis has demonstrated her versatility as a film actress, starring in acclaimed films such as the blockbuster True Lies, for which she won a Golden Globe Award; Trading Places, for which she earned a BAFTA (British Film Academy Award) for Best Supporting Actress; A Fish Called Wanda, for which she received duel Best Actress nominations from BAFTA and the Golden Globes; and the Disney feature film Freaky Friday, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2021 Jamie received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.
In 2019 Curtis appeared in the smash hit Knives Out and in 2021 completed filming Borderlands alongside Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart. Earlier this year Jamie appeared opposite Michelle Yeoh in the critically acclaimed box office smash Everything Everywhere All At Once. Next August she will appear as Madame Leota in the Disney feature Haunted Mansion.
The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of long-time SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. Past recipients include Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Bill Murray, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.
The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 8 – February 18, 2023.