The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is thrilled to welcome back five-time Academy Award nominee Kate Winslet by honoring her with the Montecito Award. Having previously received the Performance of the Year Award in 2005, Winslet returns to the hallowed halls of the Arlington Theatre on Friday, January 23, becoming the festival’s first two-time honoree.

“I have had a cinematic crush on Kate Winslet since her first movie,” gushed SBIFF Director Roger Durling. “She's my favorite actress of all time…and she will always have a home here at the festival!”

Since her last visit to Santa Barbara, Winslet has been in numerous films including Little Children, for which she received her fifth Oscar nomination, All The King’s Men, Flushed Away and The Holiday. Winslet continues her sterling career with two critically-acclaimed performances in Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” marking a screen reunion with her Titanic co-star, Leonard DiCaprio, and Stephen Daldry’s post WWII drama, “The Reader,” opposite Ralph Fiennes.

The Montecito Award was created in recognition of a performer who has given a series of classic and standout performances in his/her career. Winslet grew up in a family of actors and began performing on British television at the age of 13. She made a seamless transition from the small screen to the big screen with her first big film break in 1994 with her role in Peter Jackson’s acclaimed “Heavenly Creatures.” In 1995, Winslet received her first Oscar® nomination for her performance in “Sense and Sensibility” starring opposite Emma Thompson. She received her second Academy Award nomination in 1997 for her iconic role in director James Cameron’s “Titanic,” starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2000, Winslet starred opposite Geoffrey Rush, Michael Caine, and Joaquin Phoenix in the Oscar® nominated “Quills,” and co-starred in Michael Apted’s World War II-era spy drama “Enigma” in 2001. Later that year she starred in “Iris,” with Dame Judi Dench, earning Winslet her third Academy Award nomination. In 2004, Winslet starred opposite Jim Carrey in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in a role that earned her several award nominations, including nods by the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. That same year she starred in the critically acclaimed “Finding Neverland,” opposite Johnny Depp. In 2006 Winslet lent her voice to the animated comedy “Flushed Away,” starring opposite Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen. Winslet also received her fifth Oscar® nomination for her performance in “Little Children,” starring opposite Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly. Also in 2006, Winslet strayed from her usual dramatic roles to costar in the romantic comedy “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz.

The Montecito Award Tribute to Kate Winslet, on Friday, January 23, will take place at the Arlington Theatre with a multimedia presentation produced by Paul Fagen of P. Fagen Productions. Tickets for the event will go on sale today and can be purchased at a 20% discount through December 31 at www.sbfilmfestival.org or through the Lobero Box Office, 805.963.0761 and the Arlington Theater Box office, 805.963.4408. Festival Platinum and Cinema Passes are currently on sale exclusively at the Lobero Box Office. Box Office fees will apply for all Film Festival Passes, Mini-Paks, and event tickets.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to run January 22 through February 1, 2009, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form. SBIFF presents quality American and world independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars as well as documentary cinema within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a premier tourist destination. The SBIFF is also committed to education through its 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected audience of over 70,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, the SBIFF attracts an affluent local and national consumer base, while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.sbfilmfestival.org.