Carol Burnett, Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick receive honorary AFI doctorates

HOLLYWOOD (FOX 11 / CNS - The American Film Institute will confer honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degrees Monday on comedy icon Carol Burnett and filmmaking partners Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick.

All three will be recognized for their contributions to the art of the moving image at the film organization's commencement ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

The date of AFI's commencement event marks both the 50th anniversary of the institute's formation in 1967 and the 50th anniversary of the television debut of "The Carol Burnett Show.''

Burnett's show lasted for 11 years, with 279 episodes. She has received six Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and many more accolades.

Herskovitz has produced, directed and written such TV series as "My So- Called Life,'' "Nashville'' and "thirtysomething.'' Among the films he has produced are "Blood Diamond,'' "The Last Samurai'' and "Traffic,'' which earned a best picture Oscar nomination.

Zwick is a director and producer who, like Herskovitz, began his filmmaking career at the AFI Conservatory, class of 1975. He received a best picture Oscar in 1999 for his work as a producer on "Shakespeare in Love,'' and has directed such films as ``Blood Diamond,'' "Glory'' and "The Last Samurai.''

He and Herskovitz run The Bedford Falls Company, a Santa Monica company that produces and distributes movies and TV shows.

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