SBIFF - Penélope Cruz, Outstanding Performance Award

Penelope Cruz enchanted Santa Barbara Saturday night when she was presented the Chopin Outstanding Performer Of The Year Award in recognition for her acting accomplishments in the movies Elegy and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

During the 2 hour interview with Santa Barbara Film Festival's Executive Director, Roger Durling, Penelope spoke candidly about her work in many of her films. It was a fun interview that captivated the audience. During the talk, film clips were shown and discussed often leading Penelope to tell entertaining stories about each film and/or director. Many Americans don't see films from other countries and after seeing film clips of films Cruz has performed in I can highly recommend seeing her other work. Subtitles and all! It'll be worth your while. I plan on renting as many as I can find!

Bai Ling

Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1974 Cruz is a two-time academy award nominated actress. She was nominated most recently for her performance in Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona in 2008, and also for her role in Volver in 2006. She is the first Spanish actress ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

She's an actress that can be "vulgar without losing her glamour" according to Durling. In many of her performances she plays strong yet edgy characters. She's great at playing those parts yet at the same time her comedic timing is on the mark as well. Not an easy feat for many actors. As many great actors are she is a perfectionist. She once studied Italian 5 hours a day for 5 months to land the role in Non ti muovere in 2004. For that performance she won the Italian equivalent of an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Comedian, Gary Anthony Williams

Though she is stunning to look at she doesn't seem to allow that to get in the way of the type of roles she chooses. She says she doesn't focus on whether a character is pretty or ugly. "There is more to it than that." She plays characters that she can love and "be". She doesn't rely on her physical beauty to carry her through. Her strong performances are evidence of her personality and skill as an actress more so than of her beauty. She puts everything into her characters.

Roger Durling gave Penelope a certain ease while being interviewed. It turns out Durling grew up in Panama and speaks Spanish. Cruz's English is good but she says she is still learning. Durling was an effective interviewer for Penelope and kept the talk moving at a comfortable pace and no questions seemed awkward or forced.

At the end of Durling's interview, Milk actor Josh Brolin presented Penelope with the Chopin Outstanding Performer Of The Year Award. She thanked Chopin for the award and also mentioned how much she loved the fact that the people in Santa Barbara are so passionate about films.

For such a young actress she's already been in approximately 42 films and is an actress to watch closely as she perfects her craft. She is an accomplished actress that is at the "top of her game" according to Durling. It was evident last night that she is also at the top of many people's lists to win the academy award for her role in Vicky Christina Barcelona. We'll be watching!

Penelope interviewed by Roger Durling

Sometimes known as the "Spanish Enchantress" Penelope Cruz definitely enchanted Santa Barbara tonight and will continue to do so in her films.

Durling, Penelope and Brolin

Josh Brolin