Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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During AFI Conservatory Commencement 2026, the American Film Institute conferred a Doctorate of Fine Arts degree, honoris causa, upon Academy Award®- and Emmy®-winning screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin for his contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image.

Sorkin, in accepting his AFI Honorary Degree, shared with the graduating class, “Develop your own compass and trust it and, remember, the first person through a wall always gets hurt. Remember that you’re a citizen of this world and that decisions are made by those who show up.”

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