Gary Oldman Will Receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the SBIFF

The Santa Barbara Film Fest will once again celebrate the Oscar contenders when it begins its 33rd festival year on January 31st. Gary Oldman will be fetted with the Modern Master Award for his work in Darkest Hour, a well deserved honor for Oldman whose performance is the best of the year.

SANTA BARBARA, CA (November 15, 2017) – Gary Oldman is set to receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 33^rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the festival announced today.  Oldman will be honored for his longstanding contributions to the film industry culminating with Focus Features’ Darkest Hour. Leonard Maltin, for who the award was recently renamed after, will return for his 27^th year to moderate the evening. The award will be presented on Friday, February 2, 2018 at Santa Barbara’s historic Arlington Theatre.

“Gary Oldman has dazzled audiences for decades with an array of brilliant performances,” stated Leonard Maltin. “With Darkest Hour, he has once again proven that he is a force to be reckoned with, and a true master of his craft.

Darkest Hour takes place during the early days of World War II, as the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Oldman), who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds. Directed by Joe Wright from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, the film also stars Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, and Stephen Dillane. Darkest Hour is in theaters November 22, 2017.

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 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 33rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from Wednesday, January 31st through Saturday, February 10th.