Timothée Chalamet on the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, prior to the night’s events. (Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus)

Actor Timothée Chalamet was honored with the inaugural Arlington Artist of the Year Award at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, adding yet another accomplishment to the 29-year-old actor’s long list of achievements. 

The sold-out ceremony took place at Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre on Feb. 11, and featured a career retrospective of Chalamet’s work, along with a discussion moderated by friend and “Dune” franchise co-star Josh Brolin.

The Arlington Artist of the Year Award is given to a greatly admired artist who has demonstrated commitment to the craft of film. Chalamet received the honor for his role as Bob Dylan in 2024’s “A Complete Unknown,” which also earned him his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. 

Since his star-turning role in 2017’s “Call Me by Your Name” (for which he received his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination), Chalamet has been a force in the film industry, garnering critical acclaim for his genre-spanning filmography and becoming a favorite of fans and filmmakers alike.

Inside the theater, Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Executive Director Roger Durling took to the stage, welcoming attendees to the night and introducing Brolin as the moderator for the evening, bringing him to the podium to deliver a few words.

“When we did ‘Dune,’ it was the first time I had ever been called ‘old man,’” Brolin shared in his opening remarks, speaking to his on- and off-screen friendship with Chalamet and poking fun at the pair’s 28-year age difference. “[I’m] his teacher, his mentor.”

“So who better than me to give this little brat an honor that he so proudly, profoundly deserves?” he joked. From the crowd, Chalamet laughed in response.

Brolin continued to praise the actor. “Once in a while, and it’s not often, someone comes along that has an innate talent nobody understands. It’s striking. Timothée Chalamet is that talent of his generation,” he said. 

He then directed the audience’s attention to the big screen for a montage of Chalamet’s expansive film work, which featured clips ranging from 2017’s “Lady Bird” to 2023’s “Wonka,” demonstrating the honoree’s genre-spanning career.

Actor Josh Brolin served as moderator for the discussion. (Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus)

After the montage concluded, the crowd erupted into cheers as Chalamet rose from his seat and made his way onstage, decked out in baggy jeans and a drink in hand. In a brief moment of confusion, the actor took to the podium to deliver his acceptance speech, which was met with laughter from the audience.

Chalamet, realizing his mistake, made his way across the stage to hug and thank Brolin for his opening remarks. “That last part was very beautiful to me,” Chalamet said, taking his seat. “The parts where you were ribbing me, not so much.”

“Gotta keep it real,” Brolin responded.

Brolin began the discussion with Chalamet’s roots, asking the actor to talk about his time as a student at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. “I’m really a product of public arts education in New York. It’s the truth,” Chalamet shared. 

“LaGuardia [High School] gave me that path because I had so much cooking when I was a teenager,” he continued. “I had so much to get out, and I felt like I found something I was good at in life.”

Brolin introduced the first two films of discussion — “Call Me by Your Name” and “Lady Bird.” Clips from both movies played on the screen, along with a personalized video from “Call Me by Your Name” director Luca Guadagnino. 

“It’s been a joy of mine to be making things with you, spending time with you, creating with you. You are a partner in crime — the crime in cinema — and you are someone who has always been fierce since I’ve known you when you were very young,” Guadagnino said in the video, expressing his admiration for Chalamet. 

Chalamet spoke of his experience filming “Call Me by Your Name” and gave some insight into his thought process when filming the final scene: Chalamet’s character Elio crying in front of a fireplace (which was the clip shown to the audience). 

“The momentum of the experience, of being on a shoot, of being a lead, of being heralded as an actor, to have Luca Guadagnino believe in me, to feel that experience come to an end … that was the momentum that was feeding the emotion in that scene,” Chalamet said. “I feel like that often with acting and storytelling … the catharsis of the experience is as informative as being academic.”

Clips from 2018’s “Beautiful Boy” and 2019’s “Little Women” were then shown on the screen. When discussing the biographical drama “Beautiful Boy,” where he plays a young drug addict, Chalamet described the experience as initially daunting, but overall rewarding. 

“I’m proud of all my work, but I’m really, really proud of that movie,” Chalamet said, speaking to the film’s positive response and resonance since its release. “I know my time, my effort, my body was left in a good place.”

Chalamet discussing his career. (Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus)

Throughout the evening, Chalamet continued to oscillate between lighthearted banter and introspective realization. When asked if there were any roles he would like to play, Chalamet took the opportunity to once again reflect on his career. “I don’t wanna talk in delusions of grandeur, but I’m 29. When I’m 30, I’ll be closer to 40 than I am 20.”

“Which is still very young,” he clarified. “But I feel like the clock is ticking a little bit.”

The final clips were from Chalamet’s 2024 starring roles: “Dune: Part Two” and “A Complete Unknown.” The clips were accompanied by another surprise video from actor Matthew McConaughey, who praised Chalamet’s depiction of Dylan and his monumental career thus far. 

“Thank you for your talent, your curiosity and for never asking permission. Just keep living,” McConaughey said in the video.

Brolin first dove into Chalamet’s performance in “Dune: Part Two,” asking what it was like to be acting among contemporaries (co-stars Zendaya, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh) and veterans (co-stars Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem and Brolin himself).  

“I hope it doesn’t sound grandiose in the context of a sci-fi movie or something, but to me, it felt like the most important day of my life,” Chalamet shared. “It was an enormous deal for me. That movie’s kick-ass.” The crowd cheered in agreement. 

The conversation then flowed to discuss Chalamet’s Academy Award-nominated performance in “A Complete Unknown.” “This was a lifetime’s work,” Chalamet said. “And the respect and passion I feel for Bob Dylan and his music was so great. It took me out of myself.”

“[Dylan’s] legacy, his contribution to this world of arts, his ability to skate through it unlike what we’re doing right now, and my admiration for that … my inspiration from it was so enormous, the movie took on its own life,” he continued.

Brolin then introduced “A Complete Unknown” director James Mangold to the stage to present the award. Mangold took to the podium to say a few words about the actor.

“[Chalamet’s] why I wanted to make the movie. Finding him in that role was the reason why we wanted to make that film,” Mangold shared.

Mangold continued to praise Chalamet’s approach and dedication to the film. “This is a real true heart who is really ambitious, who wants to do great things, who is committed to it and who cherishes it,” he said. 

“This is only the beginning of a lot of gifts he’s going to give us in the years to come,” Mangold concluded, which was met with applause. 

Chalamet then took to the podium and addressed the crowd with full honesty: “I gotta go to the bathroom so badly, man.” The actor then left the stage, leaving Mangold, Brolin and the audience to sit among themselves. Laughter erupted across the room as the theater patiently waited for the actor’s bathroom break to be done. 

After a moment, Chalamet reemerged onstage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. “My apologies,” he said, smiling sheepishly. “It’s not a long speech either, I probably could’ve gotten through it … but nature called.”

Chalamet accepting the Arlington Artist of the Year Award. (Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus)

Chalamet began his speech by reflecting on his first time at the festival back in 2018, when he received the Virtuosos Award. “I’ve put a solid body of work between my experience then as a young man until now, as a less young man.”

“Not quite Josh Brolin,” he joked, touching back on a conversation topic from earlier in the night. Brolin smirked in response.

He continued to thank Durling for his work in the festival, Searchlight Pictures for their belief in “A Complete Unknown” and Mangold for guiding and directing him through the project.

“And thank you to the incomparable Bob Dylan, an artist who left behind a body of work that has come to possess me like the Holy Spirit,” Chalamet said. “I feel like I’ve gotten to be a bridge to one of the great thinkers of all time.” 

Chalamet ended his acceptance speech by remarking on his legacy. “I’ve been lucky in my come up to be surrounded by deep, passionate and open thinkers … as I grow, I seek to leave behind a body of work that can do the same for someone else one day,” he said.

Holding the inaugural Arlington Artist of the Year Award in one hand, Chalamet walked across stage to hug Brolin and Mangold as the audience gave him a standing ovation, marking a strong end to a night of celebration, introspection and humor.

A version of this article appeared on p.1 of the Feb. 20 print edition of the Daily Nexus.