Playing empowered women, both Larson and Saoirse Ronan will receive Outstanding Performer of the Year award at the festival.
- Dec 2, 2015
AceShowbiz - "Room" star Brie Larson is named one of the two recipients of Outstanding Performer of the Year award at the upcoming Santa Barbara International Film Festival. She is sharing the honor with good friend Saoirse Ronan who is praised for her performance in "Brooklyn".
"This is an incredible year for emerging talent to take center stage and showcase their abilities," SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling said in a statement. "We've long been following the careers of Brie and Saoirse and their recent roles as empowered young women transcend time, place and circumstance."
In "Room", Larson plays a rape and kidnapping victim who is forced to raise her son in an abusive environment and closed space. In "Brooklyn", Ronan plays an Irish immigrant who is torn between her homeland and new home in America after the war.
Larson had the funniest reaction upon hearing the accolade. She wrote on Twitter, "Couldn't be happier to be sharing the Virtuoso Award @SBIFF with my bad ass friend and partner in crime Saoirse Ronan!!! AAHH!" An hour later she added, "Wait. I was so excited to get to hang with Saoirse I didn't realize we are receiving OUTSTANDING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR?!!WHAT."
This is the first time that the film festival gives away the award to two people. Previous recipients include Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lawrence, Heath Ledger and Steve Carell. The festival will run from February 3 to 13, 2016. Larson and Ronan will receive their awards on February 8.
