Jamie Lee Curtis has watched her career hit another high this year, not only wrapping up her four-decade-plus association with the Halloween franchise and her iconic role as Laurie Strode, but also as the wacky tax auditor Deidre Beaubeirdre in one of the certified smash critical and audience hits of the year, Everything Everywhere All At Once. It seems the time for a tribute is definitely in order, and that is exactly what she will get on February 11 when she receives the highest award the Santa Barbara Film Festival hands out: the Maltin Modern Master Award.
The award is named for famed film critic, author and historian Leonard Maltin, who will be conducting the in-person conversation onstage with Curtis at the Arlington Theatre.
“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 Maltin.
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; Trading Places, for which she earned a BAFTA 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, she received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.
Among recent hits was 2019’s Knives Out. In addition to her acting career on the big screen and television, Curtis is a bestselling children’s book author having written 13 books.
The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 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 to recognize Maltin’s long association with SBIFF. 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 Film Festival will take place live February 8-18. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city.
