AFI Honors Morgan Freeman with Lifetime Achievment Award Today

American film's finest have confirmed their participation on the American Film Institute (AFI) Gala Benefit Committee honoring 39th Life Achievement Award recipient, Morgan Freeman. Members of this year's benefit committee are Ben Affleck, Jim Carrey, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Ashley Judd, Helen Mirren, Mike Nichols, Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Hilary Swank, Denzel Washington and Alfre Woodard. AFI will present the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award - America's highest honor for a career in film - to Freeman on June 9th. "TV Land Presents: The AFI Life Achievement Award Honoring Morgan Freeman" will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The black-tie 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 storied career of Morgan Freeman. Proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala directly support the Institute's national educational programs and the preservation of American film history.

"Morgan Freeman has embodied characters that range from prisoner to president, from gumshoe to God," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. "Over the years, Morgan has collaborated with American film's finest, and the artists represented on the AFI Benefit Committee are a testament to this man and his extraordinary body of work."

"Morgan Freeman's unparalleled acting career in film and television resonates with fans across the globe and his devotion to his craft has won the respect of many of his fellow actors, some of whom are on this year's Benefit Committee," said Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "TV Land is honored to give viewers the chance to witness his extraordinary talent when Hollywood comes together to honor Morgan for his remarkable work in Hollywood and beyond."

Press credentialing for the event is now open at tvlandpress.com. Credentialing will close on May 27 at 5:00 p.m. PT.

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 through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, an authoritative record of American films from 1893 to the present, and the AFI Archives, which contains rare footage from across the history of the moving image.