The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced that Ben Affleck, the director and star of Warner Bros.' big 2012 Oscar contender Argo, will be presented with its highest honor, the Modern Master Award, on Jan 26. at Santa Barbara's historic Arlington Theatre. The fest's 28th edition will run from Jan. 24 through Feb 3, The Hollywood Reporter said.
Roger Durling, SBIFF's executive director, said in a statement, “Affleck has come into his own as a multi-dimensional artist with Argo. He embodies what the Modern Master Award is all about, and we're thrilled to honor him this year."
The Modern Master Award was first presented in 1995, and aims to honor "an individual who has enriched our culture through his/her multi-faceted accomplishments in the motion picture industry." Previous recipients include Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Diane Keaton, Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges, Peter Jackson, George Clooney, Will Smith, Cate Blanchett, Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and Christopher Plummer.
