Bernardo Bertolucci to Serve as AFI FEST 2012 Guest Artistic Director

We announced this morning that internationally acclaimed filmmaker and Academy Award®-winning director and screenwriter Bernardo Bertolucci will serve as its Guest Artistic Director at AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi. 

As Guest Artistic Director, Bertolucci has selected four feature films for his special sidebar program at the festival:  42ND STREET  (DIR Lloyd Bacon), THE RULES OF THE GAME (DIR Jean Renoir), SUNRISE (DIR F.W. Murnau) and VIVRE SA VIE (DIR Jean-Luc Godard).  In addition, the festival will present ELECTRIC CHAIR, a behind-the-scenes film about the making of Bertolucci’s new movie, ME AND YOU.  Bertolucci has written and directed over 25 films, including THE LAST EMPEROR, LAST TANGO IN PARIS, THE CONFORMIST, THE SHELTERING SKY and LITTLE BUDDHA.  He has been honored with two Academy Awards® for Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay for THE LAST EMPEROR, he was the recipient of an honorary Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and this December he will be receiving the European Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  Bertolucci also conducted Master Seminars at the AFI Conservatory about the craft of filmmaking and his particular visual style in 1974 and again in 1979.

“I am very excited and honored to be the Guest Artistic Director of AFI FEST this year,” said Bernardo Bertolucci.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-afi-fest-guest-director-bernardo-bertolucci-20121009,0,7319029.story

10 October 4 Permalink

Mel Brooks to Receive the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award

Sir Howard Stringer, Chair of the American Film Institute’s Board of Trustees, announced today the Board’s decision to honor Mel Brooks with the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film. The award will be presented to Brooks at a gala tribute on Thursday, June 6, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA.

“Mel Brooks is America’s long-reigning king of comedy – and as he taught us long ago, it’s good to be the king,” said Stringer. “He’s a master of an art form that rarely gets the respect it deserves, and it is AFI’s honor to shine a bright light on laughter by presenting Mel Brooks the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award.”

Reflecting his range of mastery in the entertainment arts – from writing, directing and producing to acting and composing – Brooks is only one of 14 people who have won the Emmy^®, Grammy^®, Oscar^® and Tony^® Award. The 41st AFI Life Achievement Award tribute special will premiere on TNT in late June 2013, followed by encores on its sister network, Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-afi-honors-mel-brooks-20121004,0,2268185.story

5 October 3 Permalink

U.S. Premiere of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY to Benefit AFI

We are thrilled to announce that the U.S. Premiere of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, from Academy Award®- winning director Peter Jackson, will screen at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on December 6 as a benefit for the education and preservation initiatives of the American Film Institute.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is the first in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film, a production of New Line Cinema and MGM, will be released nationwide on December 14, 2012 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The U.S. Premiere is presented  in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM).

“The world eagerly awaits a journey back to Middle-earth,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of the American Film Institute. ”We are honored the filmmakers have chosen AFI to host this landmark moment in film history.” THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy is represented among the greatest movies of all time as part of AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list, and all three films have been honored at AFI Awards, the American Film Institute’s “almanac” of the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will have its U.S. Premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City’s largest single screen venue, built in 1969 as one of the last great movie palaces in the nation.

Benefit ticket packages and individual tickets are available through the American Film Institute at AFI.com/thehobbit. 

4 October 5 Permalink

AFI FEST 2012 Announces YOUNG AMERICANS and NEW AUTEURS Titles

(Film still from STARLET, directed by Sean Baker)

3 October 5 Permalink

AFI Alum Honored By the International Cinematographers Guild

AFI is proud to announce that AFI Conservatory Alum, Pete Villani (AFI Class of 2004) will be honored at the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) 16th Annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards for his work on the film CARJACK. Daron Keet will also be honored for his work on the AFI Directing Workshop for Women film RIPPLE EFFECT, directed by Velvet Andrews-Smith.

Showcasing some of today’s most promising talent, the program takes place Sunday, September 30th, 2012 at the DGA at 5pm and is followed by a cocktail reception.  

For more information and to attend, go to: 

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=ouczf5bab&oeidk=a07e6ay9v8w6c7cb350

28 September Permalink

World Premiere of HITCHCOCK Will Open AFI FEST 2012

On November 1, the World Premiere of HITCHCOCK will open the AFI FEST 2012 at Grauman’s historic Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The film stars Academy Award^® winner Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Academy Award^® winner Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins.

The film is directed by Sacha Gervasi and also stars Toni Collette, Danny Huston and Michael Stuhlbarg.  From a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, the film is based on the book “Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho” by Stephen Rebello. HITCHCOCK, a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner, Alma Reville, takes place during the making of the distinguished director’s seminal 1960 movie, PSYCHO.

“AFI’s history with Alfred Hitchcock is a proud one, from a Master Seminar at the AFI Conservatory in 1970 to his receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of the American Film Institute.  “We are honored to celebrate his lasting legacy with the World Premiere of HITCHCOCK – a bloody valentine to his creative genius and the inspired woman at his side.”

“Alfred Hitchcock’s signature style has made him one of the most influential directors in the world,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.  “This film pulls back the curtain and takes us behind-the-scenes of his lifelong collaboration with his wife Alma during the making of his 1960 masterpiece PSYCHO – it’s the perfect film to welcome our audience of movie-lovers with on opening night.”

 For the fourth consecutive year, AFI FEST will continue its unprecedented offer of free tickets to all screenings, but only the Star Patron Package and Marquee Patron Package will provide reserved seating at the World Premiere opening night gala of HITCHCOCK.  These and other AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes – which can include access to sold-out galas and other high-demand films and events – are on sale now at AFI.com/AFIFEST.  The American Film Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and cultural organization, and Patron Packages are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

 Free individual tickets to AFI FEST screenings and galas will be available to AFI members on Wednesday, October 24 in a 24-hour advance window before they become available to the general public on October 25.  In addition, AFI members Two Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all Patron Packages and Passes.  Information about AFI Membership is available at AFI.com/membership.

27 September 6 Permalink

AFI Alumni Win Big at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards

Congratulations to all the AFI Conservatory alumni winners and nominees of the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards!
 
AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Bradley Buecker (AFI Class of 2003), Co-Executive Producer
Dante Di Loreto (AFI Class of 1991), Executive Producer
Brad Falchuk (AFI Class of 1996), Executive Producer
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie (Nominee)
 
Juan Ruiz Anchia (AFI Class of 1979), Cinematographer
Outstanding Main Title Design (Nominee)
 
AMERICAN MASTERS
“Johnny Carson: King Of Late Night”
Mark Catalena (AFI Class of 1994), Editor
Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Nominee)
 
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
“Palestinian Chicken”
Steven A. Rasch (AFI Class of 1988), Editor
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Winner)
 
HAVE YOU HEARD FROM JOHANNESBURG
Connie Field (AFI Class of 1997), Producer
Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking (Winner)
 
HOMELAND
Gideon Raff (AFI Class of 2003), Executive Producer
Outstanding Drama Series (Winner)

“Pilot”
Gideon Raff (AFI Class of 2003), Screenwriter
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Winner)
 
HOT IN CLEVELAND
“God And Football”
Mark Dashnaw (AFI Class of 1999), Editor
Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Nominee)
 
MAD MEN
“The Phantom”
Christopher Manley (AFI Class of 1994), Cinematographer
Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Nominee)
 
“Far Away Places”
Chris Gay (AFI Class of 2006), Editor
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series (Nominee)
 
MODERN FAMILY
“Election Day”
Steven A. Rasch (AFI Class of 1988), Editor
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Nominee)
 
VEEP
Allison Jones (AFI Class of 1981), Casting Director
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series (Nominee)
 
THE VOICE
Lee Metzger (AFI Class of 2000), Executive Producer
Outstanding Reality Program (Nominee)

http://www.emmys.com/nominations

24 September Permalink

World Premiere of Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN at AFI FEST 2012

We are thrilled to announce the closing night film of AFI FEST 2012 will be the World Premiere of LINCOLN, directed by Steven Spielberg. The gala screening event will take place on Thursday, November 8 at the Historic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

The film stars Academy Award^® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role; Academy Award^® winners Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones; Academy Award^® nominees David Strathairn, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes and Hal Holbrook; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader and Jared Harris.  Academy Award^®-winning composer John Williams scored the film, with 2012 marking a collaboration between Spielberg and Williams that has enriched 26 of their films together.  From an original screenplay by Academy Award^® nominee Tony Kushner based in part on the best-selling book, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the revealing drama explores our 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office during the Civil War.

”Steven Spielberg is an American master, enriching the cultural legacy of our nation with each new film in his extraordinary career,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO.  ”We are honored he has chosen AFI FEST for the World Premiere of LINCOLN, an historic cinematic event in itself as it brings the most dramatic American history to life for new generations.”

“Steven Spielberg epitomizes American filmmaking,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST, “and who better to tell the story of one of the most significant figures in our country’s history.  In this important presidential election year, Spielberg’s LINCOLN reminds us that the challenges of the past remain as relevant today.”

For the fourth consecutive year, AFI FEST will continue its unprecedented offer of free tickets to all screenings, but only the Star Patron Package and Marquee Patron Package will provide reserved seating at the Official World Premiere closing night gala of LINCOLN.  These and other AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes – which can include access to sold-out galas and other high-demand films and events – are on sale now at AFI.com/AFIFEST.  The American Film Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and cultural organization, and Patron Packages are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Free individual tickets to AFI FEST screenings and galas will be available to AFI members on Wednesday, October 24 in a 24-hour advance window before they become available to the general public on October 25.  In addition, AFI members Two Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all Patron Packages and Passes.  Information about AFI Membership is available at AFI.com/membership.

20 September 5 Permalink

AFI Awards 2012

The American Film Institute’s “almanac” of the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television, the AFI AWARDS, will be held on January 11, 2013 and honorees will be announced on December 10, 2012.

Other key dates include the Television Submission Deadline (October 26, 2012) and the Film Submission Deadline (November 1, 2012).

Marking the thirteenth chapter in the American Film Institute’s 21st century almanac, AFI AWARDS honorees are selected by a unique jury process comprised of experts from across the moving image communities – including film and television artists, scholars, critics and AFI Trustees. 

10 September 1 Permalink

George Stevens, Jr. To Receive Honorary Oscar

6 September Permalink