MUMBAI: Director Quentin Tarantino will receive the 2009 Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film at an event at the 2010 Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California.

The award will be presented to Tarantino by Douglas himself on 22 October.

Says festival executive director Roger Durling, "We are excited to be able to honour a man who has turned filmmaking on its ear. He has forever changed the direction of American cinema."

The 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will run from 4-14 February, 2010.