Santa Barbara

Day 2 of the 33^rd Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) was underway yesterday with the presentation of the Cinema Vanguard Award to three-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe at The Arlington Theatre. The honor, which was presented by director Josh Boone, was bestowed upon Dafoe for his performance in “The Florida Project.”

Photo Credit - Getty Images for SBIFF

During a Q&A discussion led by Pete Hammond which included clips highlighting Dafoe’s work throughout his career in films including “Platoon,” “Shadow of the Vampire,” and “Mississippi Burning,” Dafoe explained how acting turned from a hobby into a career.

“It started out as something I enjoyed doing,” Dafoe told the audience. “The big hook was there was a good community theater. They’d bring in directors from New York to teach. So that was like an apprenticeship and slowly I became an actor.”

Dafoe also touched on his experience filming “The Florida Project” in Orlando and learning from people living there.

“They really invited us in and it’s what we learned that really became the engine for how we approached the movie,” said Dafoe. “You have this sense of watching them. But when you’re with them and you hear the story and you start to work with them and they get a more human face, “they” becomes “us.” And whenever that happens it’s always beautiful.”

At the conclusion of the evening, Boone, who worked with Dafoe on “The Fault in Our Stars,” took to the stage to present Dafoe with his award.

“What strikes me most about Mr. Dafoe’s exhausting and truly remarkable body of work, is how many of our greatest filmmakers have used him to such extremes,” said Boone. “Where Scorsese saw the face of Christ, David Lynch saw pure evil. Mr. Dafoe has made a career playing both saints and sinners. It is his empathy that illuminates the sea of gray between those extremes.”

Throughout the festival, ribbons will be available for purchase at the Metro 4 Theatre with all proceeds going directly to United Way of Santa Barbara County. Bins collecting non-perishable food donations are located at The Arlington Theatre and will benefit the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.