Festivals - SBIFF 2023 : Jamie Lee Curtis had received the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award

By Mulder, Santa Barbara, Arlington theater, 11 february 2023

“Jamie Lee Curtis has long since proven that she has staying power. People want to watch her, whether it’s in a Halloween movie or an offbeat character role. She’s talented and charismatic, and in the process does her movie-star parents proud” said Leonard Maltin.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce cinema icon Jamie Lee Curtis have received today the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award at the 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Curtis had receiver the award on Saturday, February 11th following an in-person conversation about her career leading up to this year’s performances as Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends, a beloved character that she has portrayed for a record 44 years as well as Deidre Beaubeirdre in A24’s critically acclaimed smash hit Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The award presentation began as Roger Durling introduced the Moderator for the night, Leonard Maltin. Maltin gave a brief summary of Jamie Lee Curtis' work before playing a montage of her projects. Curtis walked on stage and noted it was an honor to be at SBIFF and how proud her parents would be. As an aspiring police officer in college, Curtis found herself becoming a performer instead. 

Jamie Lee Curtis speaks on her early career and how she felt nervous as an up and coming actress.  Curtis explained how all of the good things in her life came from "Halloween", from securing future projects to meeting her husband.

Jamie lee Curtis explained how she has always listened to her instincts in her performances and how they have never led her astray. Curtis proceeds to tell the story behind how she got casted in "True Lies". She noted how this film was especially challenging to shoot.  Curtis spoke on her support for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Curtis mentioned her experience working on "Freaky Friday". She was unexpectedly asked to step in and quickly prepared for the role. 

Curtis then explained how she got the opportunity to be in "Everything Everywhere All At Once", and how she was excited to star along Michelle Yeoh. She continues on her performance as Deirdre Beaubeirdre, and her approach on taking on the role of a bitter lonely woman.

Presenter Christopher Guest joined Curtis on stage as she proceeded to tell the story of the day they met.

Jamie Lee Curtis has demonstrated her versatility as a film actress, starring in acclaimed films such as the blockbuster True Lies, for which she won a Golden Globe Award; Trading Places, for which she earned a BAFTA (British Film Academy Award) for Best Supporting Actress; A Fish Called Wanda, for which she received duel Best Actress nominations from BAFTA and the Golden Globes; and the Disney feature film Freaky Friday, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2021 Jamie received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival. It was her portrayal of Laurie Strode in Halloween, which was her film debut and brought her to the attention of audiences worldwide. 40 years later, in 2018, Curtis reprieved that signature role in David Gordon Green’s record-breaking horror feature, Halloween, produced by horror guru Jason Blum. 

Halloween’s opening weekend was the biggest debut ever, for any movie in any genre, to feature a female lead character over 55 years of age. The second film in the trilogy Halloween Kills was released in October 2021, and Halloween Ends, the final film in the trilogy was released October 14. In 2015, Curtis returned to her horror roots, starring in two seasons of the Ryan Murphy-created TV series Scream Queens, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2019 Curtis appeared in the smash hit Knives Out and in 2021 completed filming Borderlands alongside Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart. Earlier this year Jamie appeared opposite Michelle Yeoh in the critically acclaimed box office smash Everything Everywhere All At Once. Next August she will appear as Madame Leota in the Disney feature Haunted Mansion. 

In 2019 Curtis formed Comet Pictures, which is a film, television and podcast production company that has a first-look deal with Blumhouse. Comet's projects in the works include: Scarpetta, a series based on Patricia Cornwell's best-selling novels about forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta; Mother Nature, an eco-horror film that Curtis will direct and co-wrote with Russell Goldman, based on the forthcoming graphic novel written by Curtis and Goldman and illustrated by Karl Stevens; a third and final season of the best-selling Audible scripted comedy/mystery podcast Letters From Camp, written by Boco Haft; a horror short Return to Sender, directed by Goldman and starring Allison Tolman. Curtis is also the founder and CEO of the website MY HAND IN YOURS, which is a charitable organization that offers comfort and celebration items with 100% of every sale being donated directly to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, an organization Curtis has been associated with for a very long time. Curtis is also a New York Times best-selling children’s book author having written 13 books.

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of long-time SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. Past recipients include Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Bill Murray, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

You can discover the official photos on our Flickr page

Videos and photos :  Courtesy of SBIFF
Photos : Copyright Becky Sapp