BARBRA HONORED FOR FILM CAREER

Among those paying tribute to the actress - who turns 71 tomorrow - were former president Bill Clinton, Liza Minnelli and singer Tony Bennett.

She is one of just a few to have won all four major US awards - an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and an honorary Tony.

The event raised $2m (£1.3m) to help the centre promote independent cinema.

Accepting the award, Streisand told the audience: "Ever since I can remember, people have been calling me bossy and opinionated."

She continued: "Maybe that's because I am. Three cheers for bossy women."

Streisand began her film career with 1968's Funny Girl, for which she won an Oscar. Organisers showed clips from the film and her other movies which include The Way We Were, What's Up, Doc? and the Meet the Parents sequel, Meet the Fockers.

In a video clip, Robert Redford - her co-star in The Way We Were - joked that he'd been warned she was "a pain," but discovered that was "totally engaging to act with, beautiful, thorough and skilled".

Streisand won a second Oscar in 1997 for Evergreen, the theme song from A Star is Born. She has won four Emmy awards and 10 Grammy awards.

Former US President Bill Clinton said: "Every great person is driven," the former president said. "But if that person has massive talent, big brains and a bigger heart, you want to go along for the ride."

Also appearing onstage were Michael Douglas, Pierce Brosnan, Kris Kristofferson and Meet The Fockers co-stars Blythe Danner and Ben Stiller.

Streisand was serenaded by Bennett, who closed the show with the song, Smile, written by Charlie Chaplin.

The Film Society's Annual Gala began in 1972 and honoured Chaplin - who returned to the US from exile in Switzerland to accept the commendation.

Past winners include French actress Catherine Deneuve, Sidney Poitier, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.

The film society was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema and support new filmmakers.