Wednesday, October 29 at the Dryden Theatre
Rita Moreno, photo by Bernardo Doral.
The George Eastman Museum will honor actress Rita Moreno with the George Eastman Award for distinguished contribution to the art of cinema on Wednesday, October 29 at 8 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre.
In receiving the award, Moreno joins an elite group of film artists, including Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall, Louise Brooks, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Dolores Del Rio, Cecil B. DeMille, Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster, Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish, Audrey Hepburn, Michael Keaton, Ramon Navarro, Gregory Peck, Mary Pickford, Julia Roberts, Martin Scorsese, James Stewart, Meryl Streep, and Gloria Swanson.
For her breakthrough performance, Moreno received an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, portraying Anita in West Side Story (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961). In 1977, she became the third artist to have received competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards (EGOT). Moreno received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, from President George W. Bush; the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama; the Screen Actors Lifetime Achievement Award; the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture; and the Peabody Career Achievement Award.
Her acting credits span more than eight decades. Born in Puerto Rico, Moreno debuted on Broadway at age thirteen. She has starred on Broadway, London's West End, and in numerous regional theaters, and appeared in more than fifty feature films. She made countless television show appearances, garnering six Primetime Emmy nominations, including two awards. Her solo autobiographical show, Life Without Makeup, was organized by the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She continues to tour the country for speaking engagements.
The award ceremony and gala are open to the public. The ceremony will feature an appreciation of her career by Peter Bagrov, senior curator, Moving Image Department, a compilation of highlights of her work, and an on-stage conversation with Moreno—to be followed by the celebratory gala in the museum.
Members of the George Eastman Museum will have access to advance ticket sales, beginning on Wednesday, September 10 at 10 a.m. To become a member, visit eastman.org/membership or call (585) 327-4833 for information. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 17 at 10 a.m.
Benefit Event Ticket Information
All ticket levels include reserved seating for the award ceremony, valet parking and admittance to the gala that follows with champagne, dessert, and live music. Ticket prices are determined by seat location for the ceremony in the Dryden Theatre.
- Patron ticket: $400
- Supporter ticket: $250
- Friend ticket: $175
Visit eastman.org/eastmanaward2025 for more information and to purchase tickets.
Sponsorship
7Crest Financial Partners, an Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisory Practice, is the generous major sponsor of the event.
About the George Eastman Award
The George Eastman Award was established in 1955 as the first award to recognize the enduring artistic value of the oeuvre of a film actor, director, or cinematographer. The first two presentations of the award in 1955 and 1957, known as the Festival of Film Artists, were a tribute to the legends of the silent film era (1915–1930). Since then, the George Eastman Award has honored a range of actors, directors, and cinematographers.
About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org.
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