LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, KEVIN BACON AND KATE WINSLET
TO BE HONORED AT 20TH EDITION OF THE SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL


Leonardo Di Caprio, Kevin Bacon and Kate Winslet, three of Hollywood’s most distinguished actors, will be honored for their achievements at the 20th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, it was announced today by Artistic Director Roger Durling. Di Caprio, soon to be seen in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator,” has been selected to receive the “Platinum Award,” in recognition of his exceptional career. The award was created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Fest. Bacon, who stars in the highly-anticipated upcoming film "The Woodsman," will be presented “The American Riviera Award,” established to honor an actor or actress whose body of work has influenced American Cinema. Winslet will be recognized for her outstanding performances in two critically acclaimed films, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Finding Neverland.” The Platinum Anniversary of the SBIFF is set to run January 28 through February 6, 2005.

“I’m thrilled to have such esteemed artists as Leonardo Di Caprio, Kevin Bacon and Kate Winslet as honorees of the 2005 SBIFF,” comments Roger Durling. “They are vibrant and extremely accomplished performers that are at the peak of their careers. Our Twentieth Anniversary is shaping up to be an incredible celebration!!”

Leonardo Di Caprio started in television in such television shows as “Parenthood,” “Growing Pains” and none other than…. “Santa Barbara!” However, it was his compelling performance in “This Boy’s Life” opposite Robert DeNiro that caught people’s attention and led to groundbreaking performances in films such as “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” for which he received an Academy Award nomination, “The Basketball Diaries,” Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo & Juliet,” the mega-hit “Titanic,” and two Martin Scorsese epics, “Gangs of New York” and the soon-to-be released “The Aviator.”

Golden Globe Award-nominee Kevin Bacon is one of the foremost actors of his generation, having
proven his talents in a wide range of film genres, from action thrillers to romantic comedies to heavy dramas, and even the occasional musical. His talent for balancing starring roles with powerful supporting characters has allowed him to build a varied and critically acclaimed resume, which includes such favorites as “Footloose,” “Tremors,” “A Few Good Men,” “Hollow Man,” “Sleepers,” “Apollo 13,” “Murder in the First,” last year’s critically acclaimed “Mystic River” and his next film, “The Woodsman.”

Three-time Academy Award-nominee Kate Winslet grew up in a family of actors and began performing on British television at the age of 13. She made a seamless transition from the small screen to the big screen with her first big film break in Peter Jackson’s “Heavenly Creatures,” and managed to grow an international fan base in the process. Her visibility increased as she gained recognition with roles in films such as “Sense and Sensibility,” for which she received her first Oscar nomination, “Hamlet,” “Titanic” (second Oscar nomination), “Hideous Kinky,” “Quills” (third Oscar nomination), “Iris,” and “The Life of David Gale.”