Morgan Freeman Pays Tribute to Cicely Tyson In AFI Awards Benediction
- Details
- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Friday, 26 February 2021 16:53
- Written by AFI
The American Film Institute (AFI) wrapped its celebration of AFI AWARDS 2020 with a virtual benediction delivered by AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Morgan Freeman, which premiered on AFI's YouTube channel and AFI.com/MovieClub.
Addressing the global AFI Movie Club audience, Freeman honored Cicely Tyson, who helped shape AFI in its early years as a member of the AFI Board of Trustees and was a trailblazer in the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. "Tradition is that each AFI AWARDS luncheon ends as one person raises a glass to artistry, excellence and to inspiration, and today, it is my honor to raise a glass to the artistry, excellence and inspiration of Cicely Tyson," said Freeman.
AFI Awards 2020 Honorees Announced
Leading up to today's benediction, AFI's global Movie Club program showcased the official AFI AWARDS selections beginning on February 5 and released new and exclusive content daily featuring special guests introducing the titles and AFI "Behind the Scene" conversations with filmmakers and actors.
Filmmakers and actors participating in the AFI AWARDS 2020 21-day celebration included Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Uzo Aduba, Riz Ahmed, Gillian Anderson, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Anna Boden, Lee Isaac Chung, Emma Corrin, Pete Docter, Colman Domingo, Phoebe Dynevor, Jon Favreau, Tina Fey, Ryan Fleck, Scott Frank, Vince Gilligan, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Eli Goree, Peter Gould, Misha Green, Shira Haas, Ethan Hawke, Aldis Hodge, Brendan Hunt, Joshua Caleb Johnson, Daniel Kaluuya, Alan S. Kim, Regina King, Shaka King, Bill Lawrence, Spike Lee, Delroy Lindo, Darius Marder, Erik Messerschmidt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bob Odenkirk, Leslie Odom Jr., Gary Oldman, Pedro Pascal, Jurnee Smollett, Aaron Sorkin, Peter Spears, Jason Sudeikis, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Van Dusen, Dahvi Waller, Anna Winger, George C. Wolfe and Chloé Zhao.
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The AFI AWARDS celebration was sponsored by Audi, a supporter of AFI programs for the past 17 years. To commemorate each of the AFI AWARDS recipients, Audi created the AFI AWARDS Audi Scholarships initiative providing scholarships in the name of the honorees to women and BIPOC Fellows at the AFI Conservatory – for a total contribution of $250,000. See full list of scholarship recipients below.
Audi also announced a commitment to fund a third consecutive Audi Fellowship for Women. The Audi Fellowship for Women supports one female director for her two-year AFI Conservatory enrollment. The first Audi Fellow, Natalie Camou, graduated in June 2019, with the second Fellow, Nicole Mejia, beginning her AFI training in Fall 2019. The 2021 recipient will be announced in the Spring.
View AFI AWARDS Benediction Speech
View Daily Title Introductions and "Behind the Scene" Videos on AFI's YouTube Channel
Celebrating film and television arts' collaborative nature, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole, recognizing those in front of and behind the camera. All of the honored works advance the art of the moving image, inspire audiences and artists alike, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America's art form and make a mark on American society. When placed in an historical context, these stories provide a complex and rich visual record of our modern world.
AFI Movie Club Celebrates AFI Awards 2020 Honoree "The Crown"
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation's non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI's pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today's masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
AFI Movie Club Celebrates AFI Awards 2020 Honoree "The Mandalorian"
About Audi of America
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand's first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
