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Daily News
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AFI Establishes Heston Award
AFI Charlton Heston Award honors individuals who have made distinguished contributions
to both the film and television communities and to the AFI.
Friday, September 26, 2003
By Liz Jeffries
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The American Film Institute (AFI) has established a new award in honor of its Chair Emeritus Charlton Heston, and they're appropriately calling it the AFI Charlton Heston Award. The award was established to acknowledge individuals who have made distinguished contributions to both the film and television communities and to the American Film Institute.
The first recipient of the honor, Charlton Heston, was presented with the award at his home during a private ceremony on September 23, 2003, attended by AFI Founding Trustee Jack Valenti and AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. Heston was honored for his leadership as president of the Screen Actors Guild (1965-1971); chairman of the AFI Board of Trustees (1971-1982); president of AFI (1983-2002) and for his career as an international movie star and actor in film, television and stage.
"The AFI Board of Trustees wanted to acknowledge Chuck's contribution to the film and television communities and to AFI," said Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. "For decades, he has been a major presence in movies and television around the world, and his strong spirit of commitment to AFI lives on through this honor."
Heston was also recently honored by President George W. Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, presented to men and women of high achievement in the arts and entertainment, public service, science, education, athletics, business and other fields. He's known for his portrayals of compelling dramatic figures such as Moses, Judah Ben-Hur, Michelangelo, General Andrew Jackson and Captain George Taylor.
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