The Santa Barbara International Film Festival honored Will Ferrell last week as he received the 17th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film. Ferrell’s career has involved a vast variety of projects, including this year’s documentary “Will & Harper.”
The prestigious award, which benefits Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s year-round educational programs, was presented on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at a black-tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.
“Whether he’s wearing a bikini or dressed up like an elf, I dare you to resist his charms. He is our national treasure,” stated SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.
Durling said of the newest film that “Will shows how much he cares about his friend Harper, and teaches us about love and acceptance. I found this film almost unbearably moving.”
In introducing him, frequent collaborator Kristin Wiig said, “There is something in him, a special bright thing – call it a light, a spark… we all know it’s there, and it’s something he radiates naturally. It’s our urge to smile when we see him on screen. It’s an inherent happiness that he gives to us that brings us to honoring him tonight.
“In his work, we do find escape and we know whatever road we take with him is somewhere we want to go.”
Of his latest film, Wiig said, “We are invited not only to see Harper in her truth but Will in his. The man that those of us lucky enough to be in his life already know is profoundly kind and vulnerable.”
Octavia Spencer said: “His work has become a part of our cultural fabric, and his ability to make us laugh until our sides hurt is unmatched.”
She said of their time working together on “Spirited”: “Not only did I get to witness his incredible talent as an actor and singer – you heard that right, SINGER – but I also got to see the heart and thoughtfulness he brings to every moment both off stage and on screen.”
Ferrell said while receiving his award: “The Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. Are you sure? It’s too late now!”
“This is fantastic because this is full circle moment for me for a number of reasons,” Ferrell said. “I actually was here at Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 1997 with a little ditty called ‘Men Seeking Women’… Straight to DVD, mixed reviews…. It is good to be back! And I was married here 24 years ago. We had an amazing reception in the Santa Barbara courthouse so Santa Barbara means a lot to us.”
He continued, “Thank you to the festival for recognizing comedy, because when it’s good, it looks easy, but it is hard! This is recognition for the twenty studios that said no to us when we were shopping around ‘Anchorman.’ This is recognition for when I was in my trailer starting ‘Elf’ looking at myself in my elf suit and thinking, ‘This better work, buddy!’”
He closed the evening by saying, “Thank you for legitimizing the silly thoughts I had in my head as a kid. And just know that if you have silly dreams or thoughts: follow them. Do it. Because it may change your life.”
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 Tuesday, Feb. 4 through Saturday, Feb. 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.
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 Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.