DiCaprio, Penn, and Del Toro to Receive Cinema Vanguard Award at SBIFF 2026

The award will be presented during the festival’s 41st edition on Monday, February 9, 2026, recognizing the trio’s acclaimed performances in One Battle After Another, written, directed, and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Recently renamed the Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award in honor of longtime SBIFF supporters Pete and Madelyn Hammond, the tribute celebrates actors who take bold artistic risks and make a lasting impact on cinema. This year’s honorees are being recognized collectively for their work in One Battle After Another, one of the most talked-about and decorated films of the awards season.

A Defining Film of the Awards Season

Starring alongside Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti, DiCaprio, Penn, and Del Toro deliver performances that have propelled One Battle After Another to the forefront of the awards conversation. The film leads all contenders with nine Golden Globe nominations and an additional 14 Critics Choice Award nominations, including individual acting nominations for all three stars.

The film has also been named Best Picture of the Year by the Gotham Awards, the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the New York Film Critics Circle—a rare and sweeping show of critical consensus.

“This is by far the most exciting tribute in SBIFF history,” said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “These three artists individually have regaled us with exemplary and unforgettable performances, and together, they have made one of the best films of the year. Let’s rejoice.”

Inside One Battle After Another

From Warner Bros. Pictures, One Battle After Another follows Bob (DiCaprio), a washed-up revolutionary living off the grid in a haze of paranoia with his fiercely independent daughter, Willa (Infiniti). When Bob’s long-absent nemesis, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn), resurfaces after 16 years and Willa goes missing, father and daughter are forced to confront the consequences of Bob’s radical past. Del Toro co-stars as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos, delivering a performance widely praised for its intensity and complexity.

Three Careers That Defined Modern Cinema

DiCaprio, an Academy Award–winning actor and producer, has built a career spanning more than three decades, earning seven Oscar nominations and acclaim for films ranging from The Revenant to Killers of the Flower Moon. Beyond acting, his work as a producer and environmental activist has made a global impact through initiatives such as Re:wild.

Penn, a two-time Academy Award winner, is celebrated not only for his performances in films like Mystic River and Milk, but also for his work as a filmmaker and humanitarian. He previously received SBIFF’s Modern Master Award and continues to balance filmmaking with global relief efforts through CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort).

Del Toro, an Academy Award winner for Traffic, is renowned for his versatility and fearless role choices, from The Usual Suspects and Sicario to his Cannes-winning portrayal of Che Guevara. His recent work includes Reptile and collaborations with directors Steven Soderbergh and Wes Anderson.

SBIFF 2026: A Major Awards Season Destination

The 41st Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs February 4–14, 2026, featuring screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes across Santa Barbara, including the historic Arlington Theatre and the soon-to-open SBIFF Film Center. Festival passes are now available at sbiff.org.

Additional tributes announced for 2026 include Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler, and Stellan Skarsgård, with more honorees to be revealed in the coming weeks.

As awards season momentum builds, the Cinema Vanguard tribute to DiCaprio, Penn, and Del Toro underscores SBIFF’s status as a must-stop destination on the road to the Oscars—and a celebration of bold, uncompromising filmmaking at the highest level.