Lights, cameras and an evening honoring Cynthia Erivo

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A night honoring the exquisite Cynthia Erivo with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Hotel.

Erivo arrived in a custom brown silk Danielle Frankel dress. Your Newschannel had the chance to speak with Erivo and ask "You always bring such a calm presence and calm environment in such a loud world, how do you do it, what is your advice for us?

"Have good friends around you," said Award-winning actress, Erivo. "Good people around you, read good things, listen to good things, watch good things, eat good things"

Erivo blossomed on broadway stages to movie screens and has since took home a Tony, Grammy and Emmy award  as well as being a three time Academy Award nominee. And Thursday night, at the black tie fundraiser for SBIFF's educational programs, Erivo took home the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film.

"This award is a battery that powers the curiosity to carry on to continue to excavate what it is to live, to tunnel the depths and fly up the peaks to humanity," said Erivo during her acceptance speech.

In attendance for the evening was Wicked Director Jon M. Chu and film producer Marc Platt, celebrating the one and only Erivo.

"She's a generational actress, her characters are so complex but so humane," said film producer, Marc Platt.

"She sees things that no one else sees and I love that about her and she brings dignity to Elphaba," said Director, Jon M. Chu.

For almost 20 years, the Kirk Douglas Award has been awarded to life long contributors to cinema through work in front of the camera, behind, or both.

And this year marks only the fourth time the honor has been awarded since the passing of screen legend Kirk Douglas.