The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has named eight Virtuosos for its 42nd edition, running February 3–13, 2027. The honor, awarded annually to performers whose work has driven awards-season conversation, goes this year to Carrie Coon, Mariana di Girolamo, Rosalind Eleazar, Jordan Firstman, Anthony Ippolito, Jaafar Jackson, Inde Navarrette, and Kate O’Flynn, according to Variety.
Jaafar Jackson, who plays his uncle Michael Jackson in Lionsgate’s Michael, leads the group in name recognition. The Virtuoso honor marks a formal acknowledgment from the festival circuit for a performance that has drawn intense public scrutiny since casting was announced.
Inde Navarrette earns her place for Obsession, the Focus Features horror film that premiered at TIFF and established her as the breakout name of the season. She has already won the Critics’ Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie and the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Lead Performance for the role.
The class also includes Carrie Coon for The Liberation, Rosalind Eleazar for A24’s Misty Green, and Kate O’Flynn for Tender Loving Care (Bleecker Street). The past two years of Virtuosos have been reliable predictors: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mikey Madison, and Jeremy Allen White all converted the SBIFF honor into Oscar wins for the same performances.