Denzel Washington to Receive Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara Film Fest

Denzel Washington will be honored at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in February. He’ll be honored for his overall achievement in film and specifically for writing, directing, producing and starring in one of the best films of the year, Fences.

SANTA BARBARA, CA (November 29, 2016) – Denzel Washington is set to receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 32^nd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the festival announced today.  Washington will be honored for his longstanding contributions to the film industry culminating with Paramount’s upcoming Fences which he directs, produces, and stars in. Leonard Maltin, for who the award was recently renamed after, will return for his 26^th year to moderate the evening. The award will be presented on Thursday, February 2, 2017 at Santa Barbara’s historic Arlington Theatre.

SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling stated, “Denzel Washington directing, producing and acting in Fences defines the Modern Master for the 21st Century.”

 Fences is the story of Troy Maxson (Washington), a mid-century Pittsburgh sanitation worker who once dreamed of a baseball career, but was too old when the major leagues began admitting black players. He tries to be a good husband and father, but his lost dream of glory eats at him, and causes him to make a decision that threatens to tear his family apart. Directed by Washington from a screenplay by August Wilson, adapted from Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the film also stars Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sidney.  Fences is in theatres Christmas Day.

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 Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

The 32^nd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from Wednesday, February 1 through Saturday, February 11.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, festival passes and packages, please visit www.sbiff.org.