SBIFF Announces Michelle Yeoh to Receive the 15th Annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film

I first fell in love with Michelle Yeoh when I watched “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” I was blown away by her Kung Fu mastery as well as her stunning beauty. Baojing, Hunan, China is my former home. I have the fondest memories of early morning Tai Chi and I was completely awestruck to see someone master it so magically on screen.

What I think I like most about Michelle Yeoh is that no matter how powerful her characters are, she seems to always exude a calm that draws me in. To me she is the personification of grace and strength. I call her the Queen Mother of Kung Fu.

When I first heard that Michelle Yeoh would be playing Captain Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek Discovery I was beyond happy. One of my favorite actresses joining my favorite fandom was almost more excitement than I could bear. Of course, she killed the role.

Indeed, Michelle Yeoh is one of the most impressive actresses to be seen on film or television. Now, she’s a household name in American and it seems she’s finally being recognized by everyone for the phenomenal talent that she is.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce global icon Michelle Yeoh will be receiving the 15th annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film. This marks the first time since the passing of screen legend Kirk Douglas that the honor will be awarded. The award, which benefits Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s year-round educational programs, will be presented on Friday, December 9 at a Black-Tie dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.

Michelle Yeoh is an internationally recognized Malaysian-born actress who rose to fame in 1990s Hong Kong action films before going on to shatter convention and star in a myriad of globally acclaimed blockbusters. In March 2022, she starred in Daniels’ mind-bending, critically acclaimed Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has since become A24’s highest-grossing film worldwide.

She has appeared in more than 70 features and television series, with her filmography showcasing a collection of iconic roles, including Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 1 & 2, Rob Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha, Roger Spottiswoode’s James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, and Jon Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, the highest-grossing romantic comedy in the U.S. in the past 10 years. After appearing in James Gunn’s second installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Yeoh returned to the Marvel universe in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In television, Yeoh was most recently seen as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery. Next, she will be reuniting with Destin Daniel Cretton in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese and starring in Netflix’s upcoming limited series, The Witcher: Blood Origin. Other upcoming credits include James Cameron’s Avatar sequels and Paul Feig’s The School for Good and Evil.

The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 8 – February 18, 2023. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes for the 2023 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

Last year, SBIFF had a triumphant return to in-person screenings, panels, and events. The festival had 48 world premiere, 95 U.S. premieres, with honorary awards feted on Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, Penélope Cruz, Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Caitriona Balfe, Ariana DeBose, Alana Haim, Ciarán Hinds, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Simon Rex, Saniyya Sidney, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Jane Campion, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Steven Spielberg. Historically, organizers are expecting A-list guests to once again ascend to Santa Barbara, making it a must-stop location on the awards circuit, and delivering an unpresented number of films with many World and U.S. premiere. The film lineup and schedule will be announced January, 2023.