Filmmaker David O Russell, the co-writer and helmer of 'American Hustle', will receive the Outstanding Director Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).
Russell, 55, who scored his second consecutive Oscar noms for best director and best original screenplay, will be presented the honour on January 31 at Santa Barbara's historic Arlington Theatre, said the Hollywood Reporter.
"Russell has matured into one of the most essential voices in film today. His deeply personal trilogy, comprised of The Fighter(2010), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle, tap deeply at the core of the American dream where anyone should be guaranteed the opportunity of a second chance, of reinvention and triumph.
"As a writer and director, he is not afraid to push the envelope in the cinematic world. He has the eye for the picture he wants to present and then does so, with an expertise that is as bold as it is a joy to watch," Roger Durling, SBIFF's executive director, said in a statement.
The festival will commence from January 30.
