Oscar winner Morgan Freeman will receive the American Film Institute's 39th Lifetime Achievement Award next June. "Morgan Freeman is an American treasure," Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI board of Trustees, said. "Across decades, whether playing a prisoner, a president or God, he embodies a calm authority that demands respect for the character and for the art form. His gifts to the cultural record are also underscored by his unmistakable voice that echoes through the hearts and minds of movie lovers around the world." Freeman is only the second African American actor to receive the award. Sidney Poitier was the first. The AFI began honoring the top filmmakers and actors with an award to the legendary director John Ford, who was so frail that when he attended the ceremony, he had the distinction of having his wheelchair guided on stage by President Richard Nixon. Since then, the AFI honor has ranked alongside the Oscar as the gold standard in terms of paying tribute to artists in the American film community. For more click here

Deadline Hollywood reports there are credible indications that James Cameron is exploring the possibility of directing Angelina Jolie in her forthcoming Cleopatra epic. Uh-oh. Doesn't Hollywood ever learn from its past? The 1963 Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton Cleopatra might be magnificent entertainment, but it was seemingly cursed from the start and the massive budget over-runs almost drove Fox into bankruptcy. Cameron, who is not known as a penny-pincher when it comes to spending studio's money, does have a great track record at the box-office, but whether there is enough interest in ol' Cleo to justify the inevitable huge expenditures on the pic will remain to be seen. Cameron has not confirmed his participation, but apparently he is in discussions with Sony.

The biggest companies producing X rated films have voluntarily shut down pending resolution of a crisis caused by the spread of HIV among performers. Ordinarily, the disease has been well controlled by the industry, although there have been previous instances of infection. A clinic that caters to adult film stars confirms the latest infection but would not disclose any specifics about the identity or even the sex of the performer. Actors in X-rated films are required to prove they are HIV- free 30 days before filming. Whether those rules were ignored or the person became infected within the 30 day period is not known. The industry is concerned because many of the performers make quite a number of films in a short period of time, usually with multiple partners. Condom use is virtually ignored in X-rated films because of marketing concerns: viewers find it a turn-off. For more click here

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