The Oscar nominee and past Spirit Award winner will also present at the star-studded event.
"No Country for Old Men" Oscar nominee Javier Bardem was named honorary chair today of the 2008 Spirit Awards, which will be held Feb. 23 on the beach in Santa Monica.
A Spirit Award winner in 2001 for "Before Night Falls," the 38-year-old Spanish actor also will be a presenter at the star-studded ceremony, which is one of the hottest tickets in Tinseltown. Honorary chairs are selected not only for their achievements in film, but for their commitment to independent filmmaking. Previous chairs include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts.
Additional presenters for the show, which will be hosted by Rainn Wilson of "The Office," include Alan Arkin, Jason Bateman, Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, Jon Hamm, Josh Hartnett, Julian Schnabel, John Waters and Tom Wilkinson.
The Spirit Awards will air live on the Independent Film Channel; an edited version will be telecast Saturday evening on AMC.
susan.king@latimes.com
