Emma Thompson to receive honor at Santa Barbara Film Fest

Oscar-winning British actress/screenwriter Emma Thompson will receive the Modern Master Award at the 29th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Thompson, who won the best actress Oscar for 1992’s “Howard’s End” and the adapted screenplay Academy Award for 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility,” will receive her honor at a tribute Feb. 8 at the Arlington Theatre.

The Modern Master Award is the highest honor presented by the film festival and pays tribute to an individual who “has enriched our culture through his/her multi-facted accomplishments in the motion picture industry.”

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“With the distinction of being the only artist to win an Oscar for both best actress and best screenplay, Ms. Thompson exemplifies the spirit of the Modern Master,” said festival director Roger Durling in a statement.

Previous recipients include Ben Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster and George Clooney.

Thompson, 54, has been receiving awards buzz for her performance as “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers, opposite Tom Hanks, in the film “Saving Mr. Banks,” which opens Dec. 13.

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