In recognition of his contributions to the world of film, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to present the fourth annual KIRK DOUGLAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM to the legendary, Academy Award-winning writer/director/producer/actor Quentin Tarantino.  The black-tie Gala dinner, sponsored by Chopin Vodka, will take place at The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara on Thursday, October 22. 

"We are beyond excited to be able to honor a man who has turned filmmaking on its ear," commented SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling.  "He has forever changed the direction of American cinema."  The award's namesake, Kirk Douglas, will present the award to Tarantino.

As a writer, director, producer and actor, anything Tarantino touches becomes an instant cinematic classic.  He has not only established himself as one of the most celebrated filmmakers of his generation, but his dedication and diverse producing efforts consistently demonstrate his respect for both those who came before and the ones just now breaking in.

He made his writing/directing debut with the critically acclaimed Reservoir Dogs, and just two years later he received an Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award for his groundbreaking original screenplay, Pulp Fiction.  He has gone on to create such works as the screenplay for Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994); he directed the fourth segment of the film Four Rooms; wrote and directed Jackie Brown (1997); wrote and directed Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004); in 2005 he was credited as "special guest director" with Robert Rodriguez and writer-director Frank Miller of Sin City, and teamed up again with Robert Rodriguez to direct Grindhouse (2007).

His recent feature film, Inglourious Basterds, is the World War II epic which he wrote and directed and stars Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, and Mélanie Laurent.  In the first year of the German occupation of France, Shosanna Dreyfus (Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish American soldiers to perform swift, shocking acts of retribution. Later known to their enemy as "the basterds,"Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget von Hammersmark (Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of the Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquis, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.  Employing pulp and propaganda in equal measure, Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds weaves together the infamous, oppressed, real and larger-than-life stories of WWII.

The 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to run February 4 through February 14, 2010, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form.  SBIFF presents quality American Independent, Spanish and Latin American, European, World and Documentary cinema, as well as nature and surfing films, all within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a perfect backdrop and premier tourist destination in its own right.  SBIFF is also committed to education through its 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars.  With a projected audience of over 60,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, the SBIFF attracts an eclectic and diverse consumer base, both locally and nationally, while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles.