Ryan Gosling to receive Kirk Douglas Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Ryan Gosling
| Photo Credit: MIKE BLAKE

Hollywood star Ryan Gosling will be honoured with the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, presented by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The star will receive the award on January 13, 2024, at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California, the festival organisers said in a statement posted on the film gala’s official website.

The annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film is awarded to lifelong contributors to cinema who work in front of the camera, behind it or both.

“Ryan Gosling has long been both a dramatic and comedic force in front of the camera. This year, thanks to his universally hailed, triumphant performance as Ken in Barbie – a film that truly demanded the attention of critics and moviegoers around the world – he has become a true cinematic powerhouse,” executive director Roger Durling said.

The past recipients of the award include Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris and John Travolta.

Gosling most recently starred in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie alongside Margot Robbie. The film has so far earned over USD 1.4 billion at the global box office. The actor will be next seen in filmmaker David Leitch’s The Fall Guy, opposite Emily Blunt.

The 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from February 7-17.