Douglas to be feted at Santa Barbara

DouglasThe Santa Barbara International Film Festival is bestowing an honor upon Michael Douglas with a familiar, and familial, ring: the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. The tribute from one generation to the next will be granted at the fest's 6th annual black-tie gala on Oct. 13. "The first time I saw Michael Douglas act was in a play at UC Santa Barbara, so it is fitting that a career that started here should be honored here," Kirk Douglas said in a statement issued by SBIFF. "To tell the truth, I wanted Michael to be a lawyer. I secretly hoped he would be bad so I could tell him to forget it. He wasn't." Kudo honors contributions in film and serves as a fundraiser for the 27th fest, which runs January 26 through February 5, 2012. Previous winners include John Travolta, Ed Harris, Quentin Tarantino and Harrison Ford. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com