SBIFF picks Eastwood as Modern Master

By COLBY FRAZIER

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced yesterday it will honor Academy Award winning actor Clint Eastwood with its Modern Master Award, the festival’s highest honor.

Film Festival Executive Director Roger Durling praised Eastwood’s storied career, calling him one of the best at nearly all things dealing with film.

“Clint Eastwood is inarguably one of our greatest directors, one of our greatest producers and one of our greatest actors ever,” Durling said. “To call him a Modern Master is simply an understatement.”

Eastwood’s most recent project is “Gran Torino,” which he directed and stars in. According to a statement from the Film Festival, Eastwood plays a Korean War veteran who is forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices.

The last film Eastwood appeared in was “Million Dollar Baby,” which earned him three Oscar nominations, one for best actor in a leading role.

During his three-year hiatus from acting, Eastwood has directed and co-produced such films as “Changeling,” “Flags of our Fathers,” and “Letters from Iwo Jima,” the last of which was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Eastwood is currently directing and producing the historical drama “The Human Factor,” starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, who will play former South African President Nelson Mandela.

The Film Festival established The Modern Master Award in 1995. Past recipients include Michael Douglas, Peter Jackson, Jodie Foster, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges, Diane Keaton, George Clooney, Will Smith and Cate Blanchett.

The award will be presented to Eastwood during an event at the Arlington Theatre on Jan. 29. Tickets are on sale now at the Arlington Theatre box office or by visiting www.sbfilmfestival.org.

Tickets purchased before Dec. 20 will be 20 percent off, the statement said.

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