Jeff Bridges to be honored at Santa Barbara International Film Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has selected Jeff Bridges as the recipient of its 2017 American Riviera Award, Variety said.

Bridges will be honored at a tribute celebrating his career on Feb. 9 at the Arlington Theatre, culminating with his role as a Texas Ranger in “Hell or High Water.” He has received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for best supporting actor as well as the National Board of Review Award for best supporting actor.

Bridges received the best actor Academy Award for “Crazy Heart” in 2009 and was nominated for “The Last Picture Show” (1971), “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” (1974), “Starman” (1984), “The Contender” (2000), and “True Grit” (2010). Other credits include “The Big Lebowski,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “The Fisher King,” “The Morning After,” “Jagged Edge,” “Against All Odds,” and “Seabiscuit.”

“Jeff Bridges shows us in ‘Hell or High Water’ that an already great artist can continue his growth. I may go as far as saying that this is his best performance,” said SBIFF executive director Roger Durling. “It’s truly special to be able to celebrate Jeff – for he’s not only a dear friend of SBIFF – but he is a timeless legend in our industry.”

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American cinema. The 2016 honorees were “Spotlight” cast members Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo.

Honorees from the past 12 years were Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening, Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, and Diane Lane.