The American Film Institute will award honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degrees to Quentin Tarantino and Rita Moreno as part of its Class of 2016, the organization announced on Monday.
Both Moreno and Tarantino will be recognized for their contributions to the art of the moving image during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony on June 15, 2016 at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.
Past honorary degrees have been given to filmmakers including Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Anne V. Coates, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, Nora Ephron, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Kasdan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Helen Mirren, Robert Towne, Cicely Tyson, Haskell Wexler and John Williams.
A member of the EGOT club, Moreno is perhaps best known for her role as Anita in “West Side Story,” and boasts a career that has spanned decades. Her recent credits include a recurring stint on “Jane the Virgin” and she is also starring in Netflix’s “One Day at a Time” reboot.
Tarantino is known for directing films including “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs” and last year’s “The Hateful Eight.”