Meryl Streep To Present Shirley MacLaine With Prestigious American Film Institute Life Achievement Award At "TV Land Presents: The AFI Life Achievement Award Honoring Shirley MacLaine"

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Meryl Streep will present Shirley MacLaine with the American Film Institute's 40th Life Achievement Award – America's highest honor for a career in film.  The private black tie gala will be held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City on June 7 and will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. 

Streep, who was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004, played MacLaine's daughter in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (1990).  Both actresses are multiple Academy Award recipients.  Streep, nominated a record 17 times, including for POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, won for THE IRON LADY (2011), SOPHIE'S CHOICE (1982) and KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979) while MacLaine, nominated six times, won for her portrayal of Aurora Greenway in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983).

Luminaries from across the film community will join Streep to celebrate the career of Shirley MacLaine, one of America's treasured motion picture artists.  MacLaine will be recognized for her breadth of talents as an actress, songstress, author, director and producer.

"The world loves Shirley MacLaine," said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of AFI.  "AFI's challenge will be how to fit it all into one evening because hers is a life that spans from movies to television to Broadway, books and beyond.  Perhaps more than any other recipient, with Shirley I would underline the word life in Life Achievement Award," he said.  "Hers is a story more than just movies.   It's an epic journey, and she has invited all of us to come along for the ride."

"It is sure to be a magical evening celebrating Shirley's career, especially with Meryl Streep and many other stars who will be on hand," remarked Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "Shirley's storied film and television career is so rich and colorful, it will be an unforgettable tribute."

Proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award gala directly support the Institute's national education programs and the preservation of American film history.  The invitation-only event will take place on historic Stage 15 at Sony Pictures Studios, where THE WIZARD OF OZ, GRAND HOTEL, SPIDERMAN and other classic movies were filmed.  The stage will be transformed into an elegant ballroom to honor the expansive career of Shirley MacLaine. 

HP is the Presenting Sponsor of the gala tribute.  Official Sponsors include Audi of America, Deloitte, Verizon Digital Media Services and American Airlines – the official airline of AFI, with additional support provided by Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills and Stella Artois.

Credentialing for event opens today and will close on Friday, June 1.  Media should go to TV Land / AFI Life Achievement Awards Credentials to submit their credentials. 

About Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine's career comprises more than 50 feature films highlighted by an Academy Award^® win and six nominations, six Emmy^® Awards nominations, seven Golden Globe^® Awards – including the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award – and the title of international best-selling author.

MacLaine made her professional debut dancing in a Broadway revival of OKLAHOMA! in the 1950s.  Her first film appearance was in Alfred Hitchcock's THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, earning her a Golden Globe Award for "New Star of the Year – Actress" in 1955.  At the same time, she starred in SOME COME RUNNING, which led to her first Academy Award^® nomination and an additional Golden Globe^® nomination.  She also starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, based on a play by Lillian Hellman.  MacLaine received a second Oscar^® nomination for her work in the award winning film, THE APARTMENT, co-starring Jack Lemmon and directed by Billy Wilder.  She reunited with Lemmon and Wilder for IRMA LA DOUCE in 1963, earning yet another Academy Award^® nomination. 

In 1975, MacLaine received her fourth Oscar^® nomination, this time for best documentary as a producer and star of THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY: A CHINA MEMOIR.  Two years later, she was once again nominated for her starring role in THE TURNING POINT.  In 1983, MacLaine won the Oscar for her work in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.  Later, she also received a Golden Globe^® Award for her 1989 performance in MADAME SOUSATZKA.  MacLaine was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998.   MacLaine's additional credits include notable films such as STEEL MAGNOLIAS with Julia Roberts and POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE with Meryl Streep. 

A longtime outspoken advocate for civil rights and liberties, women's rights, and spiritual understanding, MacLaine is known for her faith in reincarnation, angels, the power of crystals and other New Age beliefs.  She addresses these topics at length, as well as her Hollywood career, in her books, OUT ON A LIMB and DANCING IN THE NIGHT.  MacLaine went on to author numerous other books including THE CAMINO and OUT ON A LEASH, all of which are international bestsellers. 

Her latest film projects include BERNIE, starring Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey, and Ben Stiller's THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY.  Her upcoming television appearances include the Primetime Emmy® Award winning series from Julian Fellowes, DOWNTON ABBEY, starring Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern. 

MacLaine can also be seen on stage during her one-woman show tour as it hits cities across the globe, combining a montage of memorable film moments with private revelations about her extraordinary life, career, and spiritual journey.

About the American Film Institute

AFI is America's promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.  AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts.

AFI preserves the legacy of America's film heritage for future generations through the AFI Archive, comprised of rare footage from across the history of the moving image and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, an authoritative record of American films from 1893 to the present.

AFI honors the artists and their work through a variety of annual programs and special events, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI Awards.  Celebrating its 40th year, the AFI Life Achievement Award has remained the highest honor for a career in film while AFI Awards, the Institute's almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year.  AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers.  And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI offers film enthusiasts a variety of events throughout the year, including AFI Fest presented by Audi, the Institute's annual celebration of excellence in global cinema; AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, the largest documentary festival in the U.S., celebrating its 10th edition this year; and year-round programming at the AFI Silver Theatre in the Washington, DC area.

AFI educates the next generation of storytellers at its world-renowned AFI Conservatory, named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter for the quality of its instructors and speakers, and its "glittering parade of alumni."  AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines:  Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.  Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling.

For more information about AFI, visit AFI.com or connect with AFI at twitter.com/AmericanFilm, facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute and youtube.com/AFI.

About the AFI Life Achievement Award

The highest honor given for a career in film, the AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973.  It is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees:  "The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time."

2012 AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Shirley MacLaine joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception in 1973: John Ford (1973), James Cagney (1974), Orson Welles (1975), William Wyler (1976), Bette Davis (1977), Henry Fonda (1978), Alfred Hitchcock (1979), James Stewart (1980), Fred Astaire (1981), Frank Capra (1982), John Huston (1983), Lillian Gish (1984), Gene Kelly (1985), Billy Wilder (1986), Barbara Stanwyck (1987), Jack Lemmon (1988), Gregory Peck (1989), Sir David Lean (1990), Kirk Douglas (1991), Sidney Poitier (1992), Elizabeth Taylor (1993), Jack Nicholson (1994), Steven Spielberg (1995), Clint Eastwood (1996), Martin Scorsese (1997), Robert Wise (1998), Dustin Hoffman (1999), Harrison Ford (2000), Barbra Streisand (2001), Tom Hanks (2002), Robert De Niro (2003), Meryl Streep (2004), George Lucas (2005), Sean Connery (2006), Al Pacino (2007), Warren Beatty (2008), Michael Douglas (2009), Mike Nichols (2010) and Morgan Freeman (2011).

Please log onto www.tvlandpress.com for up-to-the-minute information, press releases and photos.  TV Land and all related logos and titles are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

About TV Land

TV Land is the programming destination featuring the best in entertainment on all platforms for consumers in their 40s and 50s. Consisting of original programming, classic and contemporary television series acquisitions, hit movies and a full-service Web site, TV Land is now seen in over 98 million U.S. homes.

About Viacom

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories.  With approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s.  Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming. 

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

SOURCE TV Land