Jean Dujardin - The Artist Stars To Be Honoured At Santa Barbara Film Festival

The stars of the critically-acclaimed black and white silent movie will be feted at the California film event in February (12).

The Cinema Vanguard Award was created to recognise actors who have "forged his/her own path - taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film."

Past recipients of the prize include Nicole Kidman,Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Stanley Tucci and Ryan Gosling.

French star Dujardin says, "We are grateful to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for this incredible honour. Delivering a silent film to the 21st century is no easy task, and it would have in no way been possible without the talent and dedication of the incredible ensemble of actors we had the pleasure of working with."