Montecito Award honoring Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy will receive the prestigious Montecito Award, for her starring role in the critically acclaimed feature Can You Ever Forgive Me?, a Fox Searchlight Pictures release. Given to a person in the entertainment industry who has made a great contribution to film, the award will be presented to her at a ceremony on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at the historic Arlington Theatre.
“Melissa McCarthy – always a compelling talent – triumphs as Lee Israel in CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME,” says SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “She’s funny, dark, caustic and oh so vulnerable. SBIFF is so pleased to be able to award this performance and her career so far.”

McCarthy is currently starring in the acclaimed film Can you Ever Forgive Me? in a dramatic breakout performance. Her upcoming feature films are the comedy Superintelligence directed by Ben Falcone and the drama The Kitchen alongside Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish. Her previous film work includes The Boss, Spy, St. Vincent, Life of the Party, Tammy, The Heat, Identity Thief, This is 40, and Ghostbusters. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Bridesmaids, along with BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nominations, and won the MTV Award for Best Comedic Performance. McCarthy’s television credits include the beloved character ‘Sookie St. James’ in the critically acclaimed series Gilmore Girls. She went on to star in Mike and Molly, for which she won a Lead Actress Comedy Emmy Award, and in 2017 she won a Guest Actress Comedy Emmy Award for her Saturday Night Live portrayal of then Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

Past recipients of the award include Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, Sylvester Stallone, Daniel Day Lewis, Julianne Moore, Javier Bardem among others and this year the Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be back for its 34th year honoring Hugh Jackman (The Front Runner) with the Kirk Douglas Excellence in Film and celebrating Glenn Close (The Wife) with the Maltin Modern Master.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, festival passes and packages, please visit www.sbiff.org.

About Melissa McCarthy
MELISSA MCCARTHY received an Academy Award nomination for Bridesmaids, and received BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and SAG Award nominations for this role while winning the MTV Movie Award for Comedic Performance of the Year. McCarthy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and placed her hand and footprints in the cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Currently starring in the critically acclaimed Can You Ever Forgive Me?, McCarthy recently starred in Life of the Party (which she co-wrote and produced with husband Ben Falcone, who also directed). Her films include The Boss (which she co-wrote with Ben Falcone who directed), Spy, St. Vincent, Tammy which she (co-wrote with Ben Falcone who directed), The Heat, Identity Thief, This is 40, The Hangover Part III and Ghostbusters. She will next star in the comedy Super-Intelligence with Ben Falcone at the helm and the drama The Kitchen alongside Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish.

McCarthy starred in “Mike and Molly” winning a Lead Actress Comedy Emmy Award, “Gilmore Girls” and “Samantha Who?” Additionally she won a Guest Actress Comedy Emmy award for “Saturday Night Live” and appeared on the television series “Nobodies” which she executive produced with Ben Falcone.
A native of Illinois, McCarthy spent nine years as a main-stage member of The Groundlings.