Bradley Cooper and co-star Carey Mulligan attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival... as the actor is named Outstanding Performer of the Year for his work in Maestro

Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper attended the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which was held on Thursday.

The 38-year-old actress and the 49-year-old actor appeared to be enjoying their time at the event, during which they posed for several photos on its red carpet.

The Academy Award-nominated performer – who recently shared her feelings about acting awards – donned a black single-button jacket and a matching maxi skirt at the event.

Mulligan also wore a pair of shoes that matched the dominant tone of her outfit, and her bright blonde hair added a bit of extra brightness to her look.

Cooper looked sharp while wearing a navy blue three-piece suit during the star-studded event.

Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper attended the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which was held on Thursday

The 38-year-old actress and the 49-year-old actor appeared to be enjoying their time at the event, during which they posed for several photos on its red carpet

The Academy Award-nominated performer – who recently shared her feelings about acting awards – donned a black single-button jacket and a matching maxi skirt at the event

The actor was given the award for Outstanding Performer of the Year at the film festival for his work on the 2023 feature Maestro.

The biographical feature was centered on the life of composer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre Bernstein, who were played by Cooper and Mulligan, respectively.

In addition to starring in the feature, the actor served as its director, co-wrote its script, and was one of its executive producers.

Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, both of whom considered directing the film at various points in the past, also served as two of the project’s executive producers.

Development on Maestro initially began in the early 2000s, although Cooper did not sign on to helm and star in the project until 2018.

Much of the cast was added over the subsequent years, and filming took place in 2022.

Maestro premiered during the 80th Venice International Film Festival, and it debuted on Netflix in December of last year following a limited theatrical release.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, and it currently holds a rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mulligan also wore a pair of shoes that matched the dominant tone of her outfit

The Saltburn actress’ bright blonde hair added an element of brightness to her look

Cooper looked sharp while wearing a navy blue three-piece suit during the star-studded event

The actor was given the award for Outstanding Performer of the Year at the film festival for his work on the 2023 feature Maestro

The biographical feature was centered on the life of composer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre Bernstein, who were played by Cooper and Mulligan, respectively

In addition to starring in the feature, the actor served as its director, co-wrote its script, and was one of its executive producers

Cooper was joined by moderator Pete Hammond during the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award ceremony

The performer appeared to be enjoying his time on stage as he smiled widely as he accepted the award

It was revealed that the performer would be receiving the award this past November

Cooper was later pictured while signing autographs for fans

Cooper was put up for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his work in Maestro

Mulligan also signed autographs for several of her fans at the film festival

The actress was later pictured with the SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling

Mulligan also addressed the crowd that had assembled to see Cooper accept the award

The performer was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, which ultimately went to Lily Gladstone

The pair have also been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor

Maestro’s cast and crew were been nominated for and have won numerous awards for their work on the film following its release.

Mulligan and Cooper were put up for the Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for their roles in the film, although they lost out to Lily Gladstone and Cillian Murphy, respectively.

The pair have also been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor.

The film has been put up for the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Sound.

Cooper spoke about Maestro during an interview with Deadline, where he expressed that he had effectively been preparing to star in the movie ever since his early years.

‘Growing up, there was always classical music playing in the house…So, I always knew that, in a way, I’ve been prepping this character since I was little,’ he said.

The performer went on to state that he impressed Bernstein’s children by telling them that his film would focus on their father’s relationship with their mother.

‘They didn’t quite believe I was actually going to focus on their mother too. But that’s all I was interested in,’ he recalled.

Cooper spoke about Maestro during an interview with Deadline, where he expressed that he had effectively been preparing to star in the movie ever since his early years

He stated that ‘growing up, there was always classical music playing in the house…So, I always knew that, in a way, I’ve been prepping this character since I was little’

The performer went on to state that he impressed Bernstein’s children by telling them that his film would focus on their father’s relationship with their mother

‘They didn’t quite believe I was actually going to focus on their mother too. But that’s all I was interested in,’ he recalled

Cooper was also joined by his close friend Brad Pitt while receiving the award

The performers embraced each other during their time at the film festival

Pitt went on to address the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s attendees

The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star paired a brown double-breasted jacket with a matching shirt

The Academy Award-winning performer flashed a smile as he addressed the crowd

Pitt and Cooper have maintained a close friendship for several years

The pair accompanied each other to the U.S. Open in 2021

Pitt also revealed that Cooper had helped him overcome alcohol-related issues in 2020

Cooper then admitted that he considered Bernstein’s music to have been a character in the feature.

He stated: ‘I always thought, “This has to be symphonic — the film itself, in its structure — and it’s got to be sympathetic to his music.’ I mean, what better way to show his impact than to play his music?”‘

Mulligan also spoke about working on the feature and opened up about portraying the composer’s wife.

‘The script was so clear about who she was. And from the very beginning there was this idea of what it’s like to be in close proximity to greatness’