- Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke was presented this year's American Riviera Award at the 24th Santa Barbara International Film Festival this past Saturday with director Francis Ford Coppola presenting the award. "America is all about second chances and so it’s appropriate that the American Riviera Award that always goes to a U.S. actor should be given this year to Mickey Rourke - who has shown us with his performance in ‘The Wrestler’ to never underestimate a true artist and his power to reinvent himself," said Executive Director Roger Durling during the announcement. In his speech, Rourke admitted that the movie was very hard to make. "It was the hardest godd**ned movie I ever made," said the usual foul-mouthed Rourke. "It’s the movie I’m most proud of and if I never made another movie, at least I f**kin made 'The Wrestler'," he concluded. We have ten pictures from the awards ceremony below.