October 18, 2004

Director George Lucas has now joined other legendary filmmakers Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and John Ford as the next recipient of the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.

The highest honor given for a career in film, the Life Achievement Award was established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973. It is presented to a single honoree each year 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.

"I've been very fortunate to have had a long career doing what I love to do, and being recognized by AFI for it is really an honor," Lucas say. "I'm proud to be counted among such an extraordinary group of people whose lives are dedicated to the art of making movies."

Lucas joins the ranks of an esteemed group of actors and directors who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception in 1973 such as Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Kirk Douglas and Harrison Ford, among others.

"George Lucas is a master storyteller, but he is first and foremost a moving image pioneer," says Sir Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. "He has advanced the art of the moving image like few others, and in the process has inspired a new generation of filmmakers around the world. AFI is proud to present him with its Life Achievement Award."

The award will be presented to Lucas at the 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award tribute ceremony in Los Angeles in June 2005, and will later be broadcast on USA Network.

Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.