SBIFF to Honor Actor Stellan Skarsgård with 2026 Montecito Award
Alissa Orozco
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – It was announced Thursday that actor Stellan Skarsgård is the recipient of the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Montecito Award. Skarsgård will be honored for his performance in his latest film, Sentimental Value, along with his decades-long career in the film industry.
The Swedish actor is one of the most notable faces in Hollywood, making his mark in major franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Thor and Avengers films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Mamma Mia. In his newest film, Skarsgård stars alongside Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve and Inga Lilleaas where he plays Gustav Borg – a once celebrated film director hoping to reunite with his estranged daughters, while trying to reclaim his lost fame.
“I’ve been a big fan of Stellan since his work in Lars Von Trier’s Breaking the Waves. From that point on, I was drawn to his performances because of his versatility and his deep emotional delivery. He makes it look easy to embody both complex protagonists and nuanced villains with gravitas and an ability to convey profound emotional depth,” said SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.
Named after one of the beautiful places in Santa Barbara, past recipients of the Montecito Award include: Angela Bassett, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, and Javier Bardem.
Skarsgård will receive the award on the evening of February 11th, 2026 at the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
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