Rita Moreno To be Honored At Museum Of The Moving Image

Legendary star of screen and stage Rita Moreno will be honored by Museum of the Moving Image at its 2021 Moving Image Awards on Wednesday, December 1. Puerto Rico-born Moreno, whose unparalleled career spans more than seven decades, has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business-an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy-and has appeared in more than 40 feature films.

In conjunction with the festive benefit event and her appearance in Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of West Side Story, the Museum will present Rita Moreno: Scene Stealer, a seven-film retrospective devoted to Moreno, including classics like The King and I and Carnal Knowledge (in a double feature with The Ritz); acclaimed independent features such as Darnell Martin's I Like It Like That (with Martin in person) and John Sayles's Casa de los Babys; the Alan Alda-directed The Four Seasons; and the recent documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It. The screening series opens November 26 and continues through December 5 at the Museum.

Curator of Film Eric Hynes said, "Taken together these films show the amazing range of an actor who refused to be stereotyped and whose wit, taste, and versatility is apparent in every frame, from scene-stealing supporting performances to stellar leading roles."

The December 1 Moving Image Awards will feature Moreno in person at the Museum for a cocktail reception, an on-stage conversation moderated by Hynes, and award presentation, followed by dessert in the lobby. Funds raised at this benefit help support the Museum's exhibitions, screenings, and education and community engagement programs, which serve youth and adults, and children and their families, most of whom are residents of the most ethnically diverse region in the world, Queens. For information about the 2021 Moving Image Awards Honoring Rita Moreno, please visit movingimage.us/honoring-rita.

Please note: All visitors must present proof of vaccination (ages 12+), with photo ID, and wear masks throughout the screening. View visitor safety guidelines here.

For tickets and schedule for Rita Moreno: Scene Stealer, visit movingimage.us.

Photo of Rita Moreno by Austin Hargrave.