Santa Barbara Film Fest: Will Ferrell, Kirk Douglas Award Honoree, Fêted by Kristen Wiig and Octavia Spencer

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As a gamer who grew up in the era of VHS tapes and late-night comedy marathons, the news of Will Ferrell receiving the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film is like striking gold in a Grand Theft Auto heist. It’s an acknowledgment of the comedic genius that has shaped my laughter-filled childhood and continues to do so today.

On Wednesday night, Will Ferrell playfully remarked that his guests driving all the way to Santa Barbara, often referred to as a ‘hell-hole’, meant the world to him. He was expressing gratitude towards his family, friends, and co-stars – including Kristen Wiig and Octavia Spencer – for making the journey to the beautiful “American Riviera”, which is about two hours north of Los Angeles, to attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film presentation.

Since 2006, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) has annually bestowed an honor, known as the award named after a Hollywood Golden Age star who resided part-time in town. This event takes place at a formal dinner held at the local Ritz-Carlton Bacara, several months before the actual film festival (the next one scheduled for February 4-15). The evening serves to raise funds for various educational initiatives of the festival. Previous recipients of this award include Ryan Gosling, Michelle Yeoh, Martin Scorsese, Hugh Jackman, Judi Dench, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Jessica Lange, Forest Whitaker, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Quentin Tarantino, Ed Harris, John Travolta, and Michael Douglas, the son of the award’s namesake.

In September last year, during the announcement of Ferrell’s selection, Michael Douglas expressed his congratulations by saying, “Enjoy your success! Dad was fond of you.

In the 21st century, no comedic actor has been linked to as many successful comedy films as Ferrell. Some of these movies include “Old School” (2003), “Elf”, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004), “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006), “Step Brothers” (2008), “The Other Guys” (2010), “Get Hard”, “The Lego Movie” and the list continues. He was not only featured in these films, but also contributed to their creation by co-writing and co-producing many of them.

On a Wednesday, Roger Durling, the head of SBIFF, praised Ferrell as “the monarch of American comedy.” Oscar winner Spencer, who worked with Ferrell in the 2022 film ‘Spirited,’ referred to him as “inseparable from comedy” and collaborating with him as “an exceptional career milestone.” Wiig, who partnered with Ferrell on what she jokingly called the “overlooked Lifetime movie ‘A Deadly Adoption’ in 2015,” stated that he has “significantly molded the comedic terrain of our era.

Wiig highly commended Ferrell’s recent venture, the Netflix documentary feature titled “Will & Harper“, directed by Josh Greenbaum and produced by Ferrell. This captivating production narrates a transcontinental road trip embarked upon by Ferrell and his long-time friend, former SNL writer Harper Steele, who recently shared with him that she is transgender. Wiig expressed, “This film is deeply impactful and it will undoubtedly reshape perspectives and undoubtedly save lives.

Ferrell, after receiving a standing ovation and being handed the award by Wiig, echoed Sally Field’s famous words, exclaiming “Or is it just my mom here?!” He then reminisced about his past with Santa Barbara, mentioning that he attended the festival in 1997 with a film destined for DVD (“It feels great to be back!”) and that he got married at the local courthouse 24 years ago.

Apart from that anecdote, Ferrell humorously shared a story that he often tells about his time as a student at USC. He claimed that on one occasion, Kirk Douglas gave a speech on campus and later, Ferrell and some companions accidentally encountered him as he was leaving the building. Instead of the heartfelt conversation Ferrell described, he jokingly admitted that what actually happened was: “We barely managed a ‘hello’. I blurted out something like, ‘Maybe one day I want to do what you do.’ To which he presumably replied, ‘Good luck with that’.” And just as the audience cooed in sympathy, Ferrell hilariously debunked the story by confessing, “To be honest, this never actually happened.

With a more solemn tone, Ferrell expressed his gratitude, “I appreciate the festival acknowledging the art of comedy. It may appear effortless when it’s done well, but trust me, it’s challenging.

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2024-12-12 10:54