AFI

AFI FEST 2011 Announces Winners of Audience and Jury Awards

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 10th, 2011 at 4:26 pm

It’s closing night at the 25^th edition of AFI FEST, Los Angeles’s longest running international film festival. Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes this festival as a qualifier for the Short Films category for an Oscar, the winners at AFI FEST may be seen again on stage in just a few short months. AFI has released the winning films in both the Audience Award and Jury Award categories.

The “Breakthrough” section of the Audience awards, accompanied by a $5,000 prize, went to With Every Heartbeat by Alexandra-Therese Keining. Winners of the Jury Awards, and thus qualifiers for an Academy Award, include Live Action Grand Jury Prize Winner Frozen Stories by Grzegorz Jaroszuk and Animated Grand Jury Prize Winner The Eagleman Stag by Michael Please. Hit the jump to see the rest of the winners.

AFI Announces the Top 10 Movies and TV Programs of 2010

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 12th, 2010 at 2:03 pm

The American Film Institute have announced their top 10 movies and TV programs of 2010.  As usual, they forgo a ranking system and instead list each winner alphabetically.  On the film side, we have Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone, with special awards for the British (and thus disqualified) The King’s Speech and Waiting For Superman.  A fine list, and I don’t immediately see any egregious snubs.

The AFI only honored three TV programs with more than two seasons: Mad Men, 30 Rock, and Breaking Bad.  The rest were new series (The Big C, Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead), one-offs  (The Pacific, Temple Grandin), or standout sophomores (Glee, Modern Family).  Hit the jump to see the full lists.

AFI to Present Morgan Freeman with the Life Achievement Award

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 11th, 2010 at 8:58 pm

As he most recently proved in a charming video interview with Steve, few are more deserving of a lifetime achievement award than Morgan Freeman.  The American Film Institute wised up to that axiom, and will present the Oscar winner with the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award.  Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees Sir Howard Stringer eloquently sums up the impact of Freeman’s career:

“Across decades, whether playing a prisoner, a president or God, he embodies a calm authority that demands respect for the character and for the art form.  His gifts to the cultural record are also underscored by his unmistakable voice that echoes through the hearts and minds of movie lovers around the world.”

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The gala tribute takes place on June 9, 2011, and will air later that month on TV Land.  Hit the jump for the official announcement.

AFI Announces 2009 Selections: 10 Outstanding Motion Pictures and TV Programs of the Year

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: December 13th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

The American Film Institute (AFI) just announced their official selections for the 2009 AFI Awards.  Unlike some end of the year lists that only focus on film, AFI selects 10 outstanding TV Shows to go along with their 10 films. Also, unlike some end of the year lists that only focus on the “serious” films, credit most be given to AFI for making The Hangover one of their 10 outstanding films of 2009.  I think we can all agree it was a great movie that everyone enjoyed.

While you are about to overwhelmed by a ton of different groups releasing what they think are the best movies of 2009, if you have limited time and are a movie fan, my recommendation is to seek out which films are on everyone’s list.  After all, if every group of cranky critics says a movie is a top ten film, it probably is.

AFI’s top films are The Hurt Locker, Coraline, The Hangover, The Messenger, Precious, A Serious Man, A Single Man, Sugar, Up, and Up In The Air. They have the top TV shows as The Big Bang Theory, Big Love, Friday Night Lights, Glee, Mad Men, Modern Family, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Nurse Jackie, Party Down, and True Blood.

Hit the jump for the full AFI press release:

AFI Fest Reviews: THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX and THE HOLE

by Jackson Bishop    Posted: November 1st, 2009 at 11:33 am

Happy Halloween, Collider readers. Being the kind of guy I am, I’ve decided to forgo the tricks this year and offer up some treats. Specifically, some exclusive coverage of this year’s AFI Fest in Hollywood. Tonight that means two reviews of some of my most anticipated films that made their debuts over the last two nights. First up, we’ve got Wes Anderson’s “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”, followed by Joe Dante’s “The Hole”. Hit the jump to check them out.

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