The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced today that Critics' Choice Award winners Allison Janney and Margot Robbie will be honored with the 2018 Outstanding Performers of the Year Award, presented by Belvedere® Vodka, for their remarkable performances in I, Tonya. Both actresses have also received nominations at the BAFTAs and SAG Awards for their respective roles, and Allison Janney was awarded with the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. The tribute, which will take place at Santa Barbara's historic Arlington Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, will be moderated by Scott Feinberg, Awards Columnist for The Hollywood Reporter.
"Allison and Margot bring biting humor and an emotional resonance to their real-life characters in I, Tonya," stated SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. "We are proud to celebrate them and their incredible contributions to cinema."
Janney and Robbie will join a recognized group of previous Outstanding Performer Award recipients, including Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan, Steve Carell, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Viola Davis, Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, and Charlize Theron.
Based on the unbelievable but true events, I, Tonya is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding (Robbie, also a producer on the film), who rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. FIGURE SKATING Championships. Her future in the activity is thrown into doubt, however, when her husband tries to eliminate her rival.
The 33rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from Wednesday, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 10. The festival previously honored Judi Dench with its Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. The festival has also announced that it will honor Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) with its American Riviera Award, Saoirse Roan (Lady Bird) with its Santa Barbara Award, Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) with its Maltin Modern Master Award, Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) with its Cinema Vanguard Award, and Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Hong Chau (Downsizing), John Boyega (Detroit), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), and Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) with the Virtuosos Award.
