Renee Zellweger Honored With Santa Barbara Film Festival American Riviera Award

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will present Renee Zellweger with its American Riviera Award at the Arlington Theatre.

Zellweger won an Academy Award for Supporting Actress in “Cold Mountain” and was nominated in the Best Actress category for “Chicago” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” She has been the focus of awards conversation this year for her work as Judy Garland in LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions’ “Judy.”

“Ms. Zellweger has always displayed a deep commitment and discipline in her performances which has always made me root for her and admire her deeply. In Judy, she adds a ferocity that solidifies her as one of the greatest actors of her time,” said Executive Director, Roger Durling.

“Judy” is set in 1968 when Garland arrived in London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town, 30 years after she broke out in “Wizard of Oz.”

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American cinema. Previous recipients include Viggo Mortenson, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening, Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.

The 35th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from Jan. 15 to Jan. 25. Zellweger is set to make her television debut starring in Netflix’s “What/If.”