Andrew Garfield to Receive Santa Barbara Film Festival's Maltin Modern Master Award

Garfield Set for Santa Barbara Honor

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival said Tuesday that Andrew Garfield will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at its 2027 edition. Garfield will join film critic Leonard Maltin for an onstage conversation on February 6 focused on his career and body of work.

Variety reported that the conversation will include Garfield’s upcoming performance in Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial,” in which he plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Deadline separately reported that the film premiered at the New York Film Festival and is scheduled for a Christmas Day theatrical release by Neon. The reviewed reports place the performance in the context of the festival honor but do not state that the award was conferred specifically because of that role.

Maltin’s View of Garfield

In comments quoted by the supplied reports, Maltin said Garfield “has long since proven himself to critics and audiences alike.” He described balancing mainstream Hollywood movies with challenging director-driven projects as no simple matter and said Garfield had “done exactly that and done it well.” The supplied passages do not establish who issued Maltin’s statement beyond attributing it to him.

Award History and Recipient Lineup

The award was established in 1995 to honor an individual who enriched culture through work in film. It was renamed the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of longtime festival moderator Leonard Maltin.

The past recipients cited in the supplied coverage include Adam Sandler, Angelina Jolie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Robert Downey Jr., Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood and Peter Jackson. Deadline identified Sandler and Jolie as the previous year’s recipients, while Variety described the broader lineup without assigning a year to each honoree.

Career Context Cited in Coverage

Variety reported that Garfield has received two Academy Award nominations and won a Golden Globe and a Tony Award. The outlet cited roles in “Hacksaw Ridge,” “The Social Network,” “Silence,” “After the Hunt” and the “Amazing Spider-Man” films, as well as an Emmy nomination for “Under the Banner of Heaven.” These biographical details were presented in Variety’s coverage; the supplied passages do not show that the festival itself included them in an announcement.

2027 Festival Schedule

The 42nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival is scheduled for February 3–13, 2027. Its program is expected to include screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes. Garfield’s presentation and onstage conversation with Maltin are scheduled for February 6; neither had occurred as of October 20, 2026.