I was lucky enough to begin the festival coverage by photographing Adam Sandler as he received the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Dustin Hoffman presented the award:
I’ve been lucky enough to take pictures at the Santa Barbara Film Festival going back at least 20 years! I’d have to go to the archives to see the first few years photographed with film cameras… I especially enjoy both the small details and the wide shots to help show the size and scale of the event:
The following evening, legendary actor Jeff Bridges presented the American Riviera Award to actor Ethan Hawke:
The most fascinating (and challenging) nights of the festival is consistently the virtuoso awards, with the sheer number of stars on the same evening. Academy Award nominee Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Academy Award nominee Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Academy Award nominee Amy Madigan (Weapons), Academy Award nominee Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Academy Award nominee Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), Sydney Sweeney (Christy), and Academy Award nominee Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another). After just a few interactions, I am no officially a big fan of Jacob Elordi and am confident he will become an A-list super star!!
On the final night I was able to photograph, the honorees were the star-studded stars from the movie One Battle After Another Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro. Their awards were presented by director Paul Thomas Anderson, and one of the highlights was the respect and admiration each actor showed for Anderson.
