Angelina Jolie to Be Honored with Maltin Modern Master Award at 2025 SBIFF
Critically Acclaimed for Role in Maria Callas Bio ‘Maria,’ Jolie Will Receive Prestigious Award in Santa Barbara on February 5
Angelina Jolie will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award from SBIFF on February 5, 2025. | Photo: Courtesy
Fall is in the air, and the award-worthy film season is finally upon us. Angelina Jolie’s critically acclaimed portrayal of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas in Maria — directed by Pablo Larraín and set to be released in U.S. theaters on November 27 before it debuts on Netflix on December 11 — has been getting lots of buzz, which will only be added to with her latest honor: She’ll receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).
Jolie will receive the prestigious award on February 5, 2025, joining the elite ranks of past recipients and Academy Award–winning actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Robert Downey Jr., Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, and Christopher Plummer, and acclaimed filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, and Peter Jackson.
“Angelina Jolie makes bold choices, both as an actress and as a director. She sets the bar high in both disciplines and always comes through. I look forward to reviewing her career with her in Santa Barbara!” remarked renowned film critic Leonard Maltin, who, after years of supporting the festival, had the annual SBIFF award renamed in his honor in 2015.
Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, Jolie certainly fits the bill with a long career as an Academy Award–winning actress, director, and producer, with film credits including Walt Disney Pictures’ Maleficent series, Salt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Changeling, and Girl, Interrupted. Jolie directed, produced and co-wrote the critically acclaimed feature First They Killed My Father and the upcoming Without Blood; additionally, she directed the Oscar-nominated drama Unbroken. She is a Tony Award–winning producer on the acclaimed new Broadway musical The Outsiders.
She is also a well-known activist, with more than 20 years working as a humanitarian focusing on work with refugees and human rights. Jolie also champions local leadership in environmental conservation and has funded schools and health and education initiatives globally. She is also the founder of the Maddox Foundation, an integrated development program headquartered in Cambodia, with a focus on conservation, agriculture, education, and economic development projects in the area. In addition, she is the founder of Atelier Jolie, a hub for artists, empowering people to participate in creating their own fashion, with a focus on sustainability. Jolie is also co-author of Know Your Rights and Claim Them, a guide for youth.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place February 4-15, 2025. Official events, including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held at SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre and its new Film Center, plus the historic Arlington Theatre. The film lineup and schedule will be announced January 2025. Passes for the 2025 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.
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