Santa Barbara, CA – Big names gathered together at a small event in Santa Barbara last night to honor John Travolta, who was presented with the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in film by Douglas himself.

“An award like this makes you think about what you’ve done,” Travolta confessed to the room over dinner. “Have I been a good man? Have I been a humanitarian? I don’t know if I have, but I know that Kirk Douglas has.”

The award, which was established for its namesake and presented to Douglas in 2006, was created to recognize someone who has made outstanding contributions to the art of film throughout his or her lifetime. Travolta, who has had timeless starring roles in films such as Grease, Urban Cowboy, Primary Colors, Michael, A Civil Action, Saturday Night Fever, and the recent Hairspray, was hand-picked by Douglas to receive the award in its second year.

Samuel L. Jackson sent a special message via satellite for Travolta, proclaiming him not only a great actor, but a great man. “I was just talking to two young actors who have so much admiration for you: the young Scarlett Johansson and the young Gabriel Macht.”

Another person who professed his admiration for Travolta, in between clips of the classic moments from Urban Cowboy, Pulp Fiction, Phenomenon, and Saturday Night Fever, was Douglas himself. “I have loved him since I was a little boy!” he joked.

Travolta, who attended with his wife, Kelly Preston, was also toasted by attendees, including Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, Rob Lowe, Dennis Franz, Carol Burnett, Andy Davis, David Foster, and Christopher Lloyd.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to run January 24 through February 3, 2008, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form. The SBIFF presents quality American and world independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars, as well as documentary cinema within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara –a premier tourist destination. The SBIFF is also committed to education through its Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected audience of over 50,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, the SBIFF attracts an affluent local and national consumer base while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit www.sbfilmfestival.org.

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