
The festival made the announcement Friday in the aftermath of this week’s devastation with 17 declared dead, more than 40 people missing and hundreds of homes destroyed or badly damaged.
“The Santa Barbra International Film Festival would like to thank the city of Santa Barbara’s first responders and emergency authorities that have assisted with the relief from the fires and flooding that have recently devastated the city,” the festival said. “Their bravery and sacrifice cannot be overstated in providing relief during what has been an increasingly difficult time for Santa Barbara.”
The award had previously been called the Montecito award, a trophy is given to “a person in the entertainment industry who has made a great contribution to film.”
Past recipients