The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announcements of who will be honored at the 2019 festival come fast and furious as the event creeps ever nearer. The latest disclosure is of a fest favorite — the Virtuoso Awards.
Conceived as a way to honor individuals who give breakout performances in cinema, this year’s honorees are Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), Claire Foy (First Man), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (Leave No Trace), John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), and Steven Yeun (Burning).
For nearly a decade, entertainment interviewer Dave Karger has hosted this event, shepherding it from its modest beginning at the Lobero Theatre in 2009 to selling out the 2,000-seat Arlington, where it’s been held since 2012. “I’m so excited to join this phenomenal group of actors on stage in Santa Barbara,” said Karger of this year’s honorees. “From talented teenagers starring in their first feature films to veteran actors shining in career-best performances, this year’s Virtuosos prove that you can have a breakout moment at any point in your career,” he said.