Jamie Lee Curtis to Receive Honorary Doctorate at AFI Conservatory Commencement

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today it will confer a Doctorate of Fine Arts degree honoris causa for contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image upon Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis will be recognized during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony celebrating the Class of 2024 on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

“Jamie Lee Curtis is a supernova born from the union of two stars – an icon whose fearless approach to her craft and dauntless dedication to driving culture forward define excellence in our modern day,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “AFI is privileged to honor her at AFI Commencement, where the next generation of storytellers will draw inspiration from her remarkable journey.”

Curtis has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an actress, hitting new heights with her performance in the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Curtis’ extensive film credits also include True Lies, Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, Halloween (1978), Halloween (2018),Knives Out, Blue Steel, Christmas with the Kranks, Freaky Friday, My Girl, The Tailor of Panama, You Again, and many others. Her television credits include Anything But Love, Scream Queen and The Bear, for which she recently garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Curtis joins an esteemed group of distinguished past recipients, including Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Saul Bass, Angela Bassett, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Anne V. Coates, Ernest R. Dickerson, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, Nora Ephron, Jodie Foster, Lesli Linka Glatter, Lawrence Herbert, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Kasdan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Paul Schrader, Quentin Tarantino, Lily Tomlin, Robert Towne, Cicely Tyson, Haskell Wexler, John Williams and Michelle Yeoh.

In addition to the commencement ceremony, AFI will host several industry showcases featuring the work of the graduating filmmakers. The showcases are part of AFI’s Bridge to the Future program for Conservatory graduates. The Production Design Showcase will host an opening reception on August 8 at 7:00 p.m. and the open house – filled with work by AFI Conservatory Production Design graduates – will take place August 9 and 11 from 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. The Cinematography Visual Essays Showcase, which screens a collection of three-minute films all shot on motion picture film by AFI Conservatory Fellows, will take place on August 11 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with an encore presentation on August 12 at 11:00 a.m. The Conservatory Screenwriting Showcase is slated for September 12, with the Directing Showcase set for October 22.