Humanitarian award to make Clint’s day

Iconic actor and Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood is to be honoured with the Jack Valenti Humanitarian Award from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) next Tuesday (February 6).

The director of modern classics “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby” is the first individual to receive the award, which aims to honour “work that has reached out in a positive and respectful approach to all countries”.

MPAA chairman Dan Glickman said that the 76-year old has “for decades” exemplified "decency and goodness of spirit in his moviemaking".

Glickman also praised Eastwood’s two 2006 releases, “Flags of Our Fathers” and the Oscar-nominated “Letters from Iwo Jima”, Uncut’s Film Of The Month for January.

“These [two] films exemplify the true power of movies to tell human stories and inspire national conversation,” said Glickman.

Eastwood will receive the accolade during a private dinner, which will conclude with a first-of-its-kind industry symposium, The Business of Show Business.

The Jack Valenti Humanitarian Award is named after the Jack Valenti, chief of the MPAA for 38 years until his retirement in 2004. Valenti also helped to choose Eastwood as the inaugural recipient.