Mel Brooks and David Lynch to Receive Honorary Degrees at the 2012 AFI Conservatory Commencement

We are very excited to announce we will confer Doctorate of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa upon American comedy icon Mel Brooks and celebrated surrealist David Lynch for “contribution of distinction to the art of the moving image” during AFI Conservatory commencement 2012 at Hollywood’s landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Both artists worked together on the Academy Award winning THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980), with Lynch as director and screenwriter and Brooks as executive producer. 

Previous recipients of the AFI Honorary Degree include Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, James Earl Jones, Nora Ephron, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Haskell Wexler and John Williams.

Mel Brooks is only one of 14 people who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony Award, and his artistry ranges from writing, directing and producing to acting and composing. Brooks got his start as a writer on YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS in 1950, and later joined forces with Buck Henry in 1965 to create the hit television series GET SMART. Brooks’ first venture into film was as a voice actor in THE CRITIC (1963), which won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film. He again won the Oscar, for Best Original Screenplay, for his first feature, THE PRODUCERS (1968). Brooks is known for his comedy films including BLAZING SADDLES (1974), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974), SILENT MOVIE (1976), HIGH ANXIETY (1977), HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1 (1981), TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1983), SPACEBALLS (1987), LIFE STINKS (1991), ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS (1993) and DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT (1995). His films have been recognized by the American Film Institute as among the funniest American movies of all time, with three films in the top 15 of AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs list; BLAZING SADDLES ranked #6, THE PRODUCERS ranked #11 and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN ranked #13.

Director, screenwriter, visual artist, composer/musical artist and AFI Conservatory alumnus David Lynch (AFI Class of 1970) is known for his darker, dreamlike explorations of American life. In 1977, his debut, ERASERHEAD, which began as his thesis film while attending AFI Conservatory, premiered at Filmex, the precursor to the American Film Institute’s AFI FEST. Since then, the award-winning filmmaker has continued to craft some of the world’s most immersive noir dreamscapes, gaining mainstream success and a reputation as an innovator. His film works range from sci-fi to crime-drama and include DUNE (1984), BLUE VELVET (1986), TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992), LOST HIGHWAY (1997), THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999), MULHOLLAND DR. (2001) and INLAND EMPIRE (2006). BLUE VELVET has been honored by AFI as one of the greatest mysteries of all time and as one of America’s most heart-pounding movies in AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills. Also, Frank Booth from BLUE VELVET was ranked among the greatest villains of all time on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains list.

Among the premier theaters in Los Angeles, 2012 marks the first AFI Commencement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, which opened in 1927. For the past three years, Grauman’s Chinese has been the exhibition home to AFI Fest, the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of excellence in global cinema, with Hollywood Boulevard lighting up over eight consecutive nights each November with red carpet premieres and screenings.

30 May 1 Permalink

AFI Alums Launch New YouTube Channel WIGS

There is some exciting new content from AFI Conservatory alums Jon Avnet (AFI Class of 1972) (BLACK SWAN, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, RISKY BUSINESS and Rodrigo Garcia (AFI Class of 1986) (ALBERT NOBBS, IN TREATMENT, MOTHER AND CHILD) on YouTube. The two have joined forces to create and launch WIGS, an innovative digital channel producing high-end, original, scripted dramatic series and short films about the lives of women.

The channel is one of the first brand new high-end channels to come to YouTube, which advanced funds for the top series’ production and pledged $200 million to market them.

The digital channel’s premiere series, JAN is written and directed by Jon Avnet, and stars Caitlin Gerard, Virginia Madsen and Stephen Moyer. The series SERENA also launched, written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia and edited by Julie Janata (AFI Class of 1981). The web series stars Jennifer Garner and Alfred Molina.

Episodes of JAN and SERENA as well as Behind-The-Scenes content and additional trailers, are all available now at youtube.com/wigs.

23 May 1 Permalink

Meryl Streep to Present Shirley MacLaine with the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award

We are thrilled to announce that AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Meryl Streep will present Shirley MacLaine with the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award at our gala tribute on June 7, 2012. The event will take place at Sony Pictures Studios, and will be broadcast on Sunday, June 24 at 9:00 p.m. EST on TV LAND.

Streep, who was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004, played MacLaine’s daughter in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (1990). Both actresses are multiple Academy Award recipients. Streep, nominated a record 17 times, including for POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, won for THE IRON LADY (2011), SOPHIE’S CHOICE (1982) and KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979) while MacLaine, nominated six times, won for her portrayal of Aurora Greenway in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983).

Luminaries from across the film community will join Streep to celebrate the career of Shirley MacLaine, one of America’s treasured motion picture artists. MacLaine will be recognized for her breadth of talents as an actress, songstress, author, director and producer.

“The world loves Shirley MacLaine,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of AFI. “AFI’s challenge will be how to fit it all into one evening because hers is a life that spans from movies to television to Broadway, books and beyond. Perhaps more than any other recipient, with Shirley I would underline the word life in Life Achievement Award,” he said. “Her’s is a story more than just movies. It’s an epic journey, and she has invited all of us to come along for the ride.”

“It is sure to be a magical evening celebrating Shirley’s career, especially with Meryl Streep and many other stars who will be on hand,” remarked Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. “Shirley’s storied film and television career is so rich and colorful, it will be an unforgettable tribute.”

HP is the Presenting Sponsor of the gala tribute. Official Sponsors include Audi of America, Deloitte, Verizon Digital Media Services and American Airlines - the official airline of AFI, with additional support provided by Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills and Stella Artois.

22 May 31 Permalink

AFI Alum to Adapt “Peter and the Starcatchers” for Disney

Congratulations to AFI Alum Jesse Wigutow, AFI Class of 1999. Wiguow has been hired by Disney to adapt the best-selling children’s novel, Peter and the Starcatchers, which gives the backstory for the iconic Peter Pan character.

Wigutow also adapted Robert Ludlum’s thriller Osterman Weekend (in development at Summit), as well as The Crow with F. Javier Gutierrez expected to direct (at Relativity Media), and the upcoming Steve McQueen biopic.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/disney-sets-jesse-wigutow-to-script-peter-and-the-starcatchers/

18 May 2 Permalink

AFI Alumni Win Student Academy Awards

Congratulations to all the AFI Conservatory alums who worked on NANI and NARCOCORRIDO, announced as winners of the Student Academy Awards in the Narrative Category! Placement in each category will be announced at the Academy ceremony on June 9.

NANI
Producer: West McDowell
Director: Justin Tipping
Screenwriter: Justin Tipping/Josh Beirne-Golden
Cinematographer: Soren Hiorth
Editor:Linda Jildmam
Production Designer: Bonnie Bacevich

NARCOCORRIDO
Producer: Onye Anyanwu
Director: Ryan Prows
Cinematographer: Benjamin Kitchens
Editor: Jarod Shannon
Production Designer: Caliope Andreadis

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/student-academy-award-winners-announced/#more-272618

15 May Permalink

Directing Workshop For Women - Showcase 2012

Congratulations to all of the filmmakers who screened their short films at the DGA on Tuesday May 8 as a part of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women! 

Extra congratulations are in order for Anika Poitier and her film BLACK IRISH, which won the Adrienne Shelly Award, Kit Pongetti and her film STAKEOUT, which won both the Jean Picker Firstenberg Award and a Nancy Malone Award, and to Wenhwa Ts’ao and her film TOWING, which also won a Nancy Malone Award.

10 May 1 Permalink

TCM PRESENTS: AFI’S MASTER CLASS – THE ART OF COLLABORATION: DAVID O. RUSSELL AND MARK WAHLBERG

On Tuesday, May 8, at 10:00 p.m. (EST), Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and the American Film Institute (AFI) continue their series of specials exploring some of the greatest artistic collaborations in film. In the second in a series of specials, TCM PRESENTS: AFI’S MASTER CLASS – THE ART OF COLLABORATION: DAVID O. RUSSELL AND MARK WAHLBERG, the two men discuss their collaborations in front of an audience comprised of AFI Fellows studying filmmaking at the world-renowned AFI Conservatory.

Wahlberg and Russell’s work together includes the Iraq-set drama THREE KINGS (1999), which co-starred Wahlberg, George Clooney and Ice Cube; the offbeat comedy I ♥ HUCKABEES (2004), with Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman and Naomi Watts; and the Oscar®-nominated THE FIGHTER (2010), with Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

In the new AFI special, the two artists talk extensively about their collaborative process, beginning with their first meeting, when they really didn’t know what to expect from one another. They also reveal some of the movies that have inspired them. Wahlberg reveals that one of his favorite activities as a child was watching movies like THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939) with his father, a teamster who would come home each afternoon between routes. Russell talks about his taste for movies that show both the light and dark sides of family life, as in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). The pair also discuss the themes and visual poetry of François Truffaut’s THE 400 BLOWS (1959). AFI’S MASTER CLASS is packed with clips from these films, as well as memorable scenes from the artists’ own movies.

Master classes are a core part of the curriculum at the AFI Conservatory, which offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines and was named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter. With an audience comprised solely of AFI Fellows, two artists discuss films that inspired them and present clips from classic films. They also present and discuss their own collaborative work to illustrate different aspects of filmmaking. Each program concludes with a Q&A session with AFI Fellows.

TCM’s complete schedule for the night of May 8, with all times listed in eastern-standard time:
  8:00 p.m. – THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939)
10:00 p.m. – TCM PRESENTS: AFI’S MASTER CLASS – THE ART OF COLLABORATION: DAVID O. RUSSELL AND MARK WAHLBERG (premiere)
11:00 p.m. – MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES (1957)
  1:15 a.m. – TCM PRESENTS: AFI’S MASTER CLASS – THE ART OF COLLABORATION: DAVID O. RUSSELL AND MARK WAHLBERG (encore)
  2:15 a.m. – TCM PRESENTS: AFI’S MASTER CLASS – THE ART OF COLLABORATION: STEVEN SPIELBERG AND JOHN WILLIAMS (encore)
  3:15 a.m. – SPARTACUS (1960)

8 May Permalink

AFI Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at the White House

On April 5 2012, President Obama hosted a screening of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at the White House in commemoration of the film’s 50th anniversary, a timely date that marked the late Gregory Peck’s 96th birthday. The screening was a wonderful and quite meaningful homecoming for AFI, as the Institute was created in the White House Rose Garden in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson set a national mandate to “bring together leading artists of the film industry, outstanding educators and young men and women who wish to pursue the art form as their life’s work.”

Gregory Peck had a long association with the American Film Institute, serving as Founding Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1969, and receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award – the highest honor for a career in film – in 1989. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ranks 25th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list of greatest American films, and AFI named Atticus Finch the greatest hero in the history of American film when it announced it’s AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains list in 2003.

This video is featured on the home page of AFI’s Website.

Guests of the screening included local students from Washington-Lee High School, Mary Badham Wilt, the actress who played Scout, and Veronique Peck, widow of Gregory Peck. The President also acknowledged the American Film Institute for their commitment to the fine arts and NBC Universal and USA Network for their efforts to commemorate this important film.

26 April 5 Permalink

AFI Life Achievement Award Retrospective: Shirley MacLaine

From April 22 - June 11, 2012, the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD will host a retrospective on the films of this year’s Life Achievement Award recipient, Shirley MacLaine.

“Shirley MacLaine is a powerhouse of personality that has illuminated screens large and small across six decades. From ingénue to screen legend, Shirley has entertained a global audience through song, dance, laughter and tears, and her career as writer, director and producer is even further evidence of her passion for the art form and her seemingly boundless talents. There is only one Shirley MacLaine, and it is AFI’s honor to present her with its 40th Life Achievement Award.” – Sir Howard Stringer, Chair of AFI’s Board of Trustees

Shirley MacLaine’s illustrious career comprises more than 50 feature films highlighted by an Academy Award win and six nominations, as well as six Emmy Award nominations recognizing her work in television. She made her screen debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, and went on to work with a number of celebrated filmmakers, including Billy Wilder, William Wyler, Vincente Minnelli, Robert Wise, Don Siegel, Bob Fosse and Hal Ashby. She will next be seen on screen in Richard Linklater’s BERNIE and will join the cast of TV’s international sensation DOWNTON ABBEY for its third season.

AFI’s 40th Life Achievement Award will be presented to MacLaine at a gala tribute on June 7, 2012, in Los Angeles, and broadcast later that month on TV Land. 

17 April 12 Permalink