APOLLO CREED TRIBUTES THE ITALIAN STALLION
Sylvester Stallone is set to receive yet another honor when he attends the 31st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Tuesday, February 9.
The California based film fest is feting Sly with its Montecito Award this year following a retrospective of his movie career at the event. Perhaps the most exciting element will be that the Film Fest has tapped Carl Weathers to present Sly with the award, reuniting the two Rocky stars again following their last meet-up at the 2015 premiere of Creed.
The Montecito comes just weeks before Sly is set to attend the 88th annual Academy Awards presentation in Hollywood as an Oscar nominated actor for his work in Creed.
“Sylvester Stallone’s performance in ‘Creed’ has reminded us of what a true talent he is and what a joy it is to share in his successes as the many beloved characters he has created,” said the festival’s Executive Director Roger Durling. “Since he first hit the silver screen as Rocky Balboa nearly four decades ago, he has been a force in the industry both on film and behind the scenes. He is a true legend in our field and it is our privilege to present him with the Montecito Award, and to continue to honor his legacy.”
The Montecito Award is awarded each year to “a person in the entertainment industry who has made a great contribution to film.” Previous honorees include Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, and Javier Bardem. The festival runs February 3 – 13, 2016, and Sly’s presentation is open to the public with tickets to his presentation priced at $35.
For more information about the film fest, and to purchase tickets, passes and packages, visit www.sbiff.org.