Santa Barbara Film Festival honors the young. It’s rather festive of them to highlight such talent.

The festival will honor Casey Affleck for “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by Coward Robert Ford,” Marion Cotillard for “La Vie en rose,” James McAvoy for “Atonement” Ellen Page for “Juno” and Amy Ryan for “Gone Baby Gone” with its inaugural Virtuosos Award.

James McAvoy is considered part of the young group. I have seen him in so many films these past years. It seems like he does not fit. I’d call him a pro but not old.

Anyway, the festivity runs from January 24 to February 3, 2008 in Santa Barbara. I bet the weather will be nice. What a beautiful place to hang out, watch film, and hobnob with the industry folk.