Friday night Sandra Bullock received the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s American Riviera Award presented by Forest Whitaker on behalf of Chopin Vodka. The award was established to recognize an actor who has had a strong influence on American Cinema. Bullock has recently won the Golden Globe and SAG awards for Best Actress. The tribute was moderated by Pete Hammond, Film Critic for Box Office and a columnist for the LA Times-Envelope.