Photo by Philip Romano, cropped (CC BY-SA)
Anne Hathaway will receive the American Riviera Award at the 42nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the festival lists on its site. The career tribute is set for Friday, Feb. 5, 2027, at 8 p.m., during a festival that runs Feb. 3 through Feb. 13.
The featured image shows Hathaway at the New York premiere of The Odyssey on July 14, 2026.
The Lowdown
Santa Barbara has long been a soft-landing spot on the awards circuit: a night of clips, a conversation and a prize with a view. Putting Hathaway on that stage, and tying the evening to her work as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, is the festival’s way of keeping her in the season’s conversation without pretending the honor is a surprise. Our read: this is a career toast with a very specific hook, and that hook is the performance the industry has been talking about since July.
Key Takeaways
- Anne Hathaway will receive the American Riviera Award at the 42nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
- The tribute and conversation are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5, 2027, at 8 p.m.
- The evening will celebrate her career, with a focus on her performance as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
- The festival runs Feb. 3–13, 2027. The honor was announced Nov. 11, 2026.
The Full Story
A Career Tribute Tied to The Odyssey
Next Best Picture reported the news Wednesday, saying the in-person tribute will celebrate Hathaway’s career with particular attention to her work as Penelope in Nolan’s The Odyssey. The film is her third collaboration with the director, after The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said, “Anne Hathaway has always impressed me with her theatrical sophistication, unwavering commitment, and remarkable versatility as a performer. In ‘The Odyssey’, she delivers a breathtaking performance, one that stands among the finest of her career, channeling simmering rage and profound emotional complexity into a portrayal that is at once fierce, vulnerable, poignant and unforgettable.”
What the Award Is For
The American Riviera Award was created to honor actors who have made a significant contribution to American cinema. SBIFF describes its celebrity tributes as an hour-and-a-half conversation with clips and montages, ending in an award presentation. Recent Riviera honorees have included Ethan Hawke, Zoe Saldaña, Mark Ruffalo and Brendan Fraser. Hathaway won the Academy Award, along with a Golden Globe, SAG Award and BAFTA, for playing Fantine in the 2012 film of Les Misérables.
A Full Festival Slate Around Her Night
The 42nd festival also lists Andrew Garfield as the recipient of the Maltin Modern Master Award on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m., and has previously named a Virtuosos group and John Malkovich as Outstanding Performer of the Year. More movie news is on our Movies page.
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More Context
- Santa Barbara International Film Festival — Official festival site listing the 2027 American Riviera Award and tribute date ↗
- Next Best Picture — The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Will Present Anne Hathaway With The American Riviera Award ↗