Filmex/AFI FEST Timeline

1971

• The First Los Angeles International Film Exposition, a.k.a. Filmex, debuts on November 4, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre with the premiere of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW.

• Gary Essert is Director, and Gary Abrahams, Associate Director, for the 11-day event.

• The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Harold Lloyd Foundation, USC, UCLA, CalArts and the American Film Institute all lend their support to the Festival, which intends to broaden appreciation for the work of "filmmakers from around the world."

1972

• YOUNG WINSTON opens Filmex '72 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

• A 24-hour Billy Wilder Marathon is held.

• Myrna Loy appears for a Tribute in her honor.

• THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE closes Filmex '72, and Luis Bunuel attends his first-ever public screening of one of his films.

• Filmex announces it will move to the spring for 1974 in order to generate greater support.

1974

• Filmex produces THE MOVIES, a four-hour movie scrapbook for ABC to benefit the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

• Filmex '74 is held March 28-April 9 at the Paramount Theatre Hollywood.

• THE THREE MUSKETEERS is the Opening Night film.

1975

• Filmex '75 moves to the Plitt theatres in Century City.

• The 14-day Festival opens with the premiere of FUNNY LADY and the Filmex Society Benefit Ball.

• Twenty-five nations participate in the Festival, and all five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film are shown.

1976

• A BICENTENNIAL EXTRAVAGANZA opens Filmex '76.

• Alfred Hitchcock drives up in a Universal tour bus for the premiere of his FAMILY PLOT on Opening Night.

• A Tribute to Cuban Cinema is held, which generates controversy.

• A Cowboy Film Marathon is held, screening 48 films.

1977

• Filmex '77 is dedicated to Roz Russell who had died that year.

• A 50-hour Movie Musical Marathon is held.

• AFI debuts a special section called AFI Critics Choice.

• ANNIE HALL is the Closing Night film.

1978

• Filmex announces that in its first seven years, 48 films were acquired for distribution after Festival exposure.

• Lillian Gish appears at the screening of BROKEN BLOSSOMS.

• In-person Tributes are held for Norman Jewison and Olivia de Havilland.

• Filmex '78 salutes Oscar's 50th anniversary with a 50-hour film marathon.

1979

• Laurence Olivier makes an emotional appearance on Closing Night with his film A LITTLE ROMANCE.

1980

• THE GREAT ROCK AND ROLL SWINDLE plays at Filmex '80.

• A Tribute to Paul Robeson is presented.

1981

• Filmex '81, the 10th anniversary, is held at nine different locations around Hollywood.

• A Special Section called "Treasures from AFI" is presented.

• The SCARED TO DEATH 50-hour horror film marathon is held.

• Loretta Young is saluted with a Tribute.

1982

• EATING RAOUL, CHAN IS MISSING, CAT PEOPLE, DIVA and COUP DE TORCHON top the list of films screened at Filmex '82.

• Natalie Wood is remembered with a Tribute, shortly after her death.

• VICTOR/VICTORIA has a splashy premiere.

1983

• Several theaters along Wilshire Boulevard are used for Filmex '83.

• James Mason is honored with a Tribute.

• AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS closes out the Essert/Abrahams era.

1987

• AFI adopts Filmex and the First AFI FEST opens with a Tribute to Hal Wallis at the Beverly Hills Music Hall on March 11 with Lizabeth Scott, Charlton Heston, Bette Davis and many others.

• Ken Wlaschin, Interim Director at Filmex, is the first AFI FEST Director.

• A Tribute to Arthur Cohn is presented.

• A 30-hour film marathon honors Cary Grant.

• Nineteen Foreign Language Oscar® entries are shown, along with a Tribute to Latin American Cinema and a Salute to Filmmaking in Berlin.

1988

• Fourteen international premieres of films by Olmi, Oshima, Chabrol, Wajda, Antonioni, Resnais and others are held.

• A program of Swedish film called New Sweden '88 is presented, and other cinematic spotlights focus on Asia, Africa and Latin America.

• ARIA is the Opening Night film

• Saul Bass is presented with a Tribute.

1989

• AFI FEST 1989 is dedicated to the art of cinematography.

• Leonard Nimoy, Jim Henson, Franklin J. Schaffner, Ruby Keeler and Cyd Charisse all receive special Tributes.

• A 'Festival within a Festival' of British film is presented, entitled New British Cinema.

• A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the National Film Board of Canada is held.

1990

• AFI FEST 1990 salutes David Wolper on his 40th anniversary and Walter Lantz on his 90th birthday.

• AFI FEST 1990 closes with a screening of FUNNY FACE and a Tribute to Stanley Donen.

• A Tribute to Krsysztof Kieslowski is presented, and all 10 parts of THE DECALOGUE are screened.

• Countries from Eastern Europe are spotlighted in a major section entitled HOLLYWOOD GLASNOST.

1991

• AFI FEST is spread throughout the city in 12 different theaters from Downtown LA to Santa Monica.

• A major tribute to Hong Kong and New Asian Cinema is held.

• Stanley Kramer is saluted for his career.

• CITY LIGHTS is shown with live accompaniment from the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

• A new version of SPARTACUS closes AFI FEST 1991.

1992

• Filmex founders Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams die within weeks of each other of complications from AIDS.

1993

• The Festival moves to the Laemmle Sunset 5 and the DGA, and adopts a summer schedule from June 10 to July 1.

• A restored EL CID opens the Festival.

• Tributes are presented to Alec Guiness, Miramax Films, Andrzej Wajda, Dusan Makavejev, Ray Bradbury, Ingmar Bergman, Marian Rees and Harold Lloyd.

1994

• AFI FEST 1994 is held June 24 to July 7 at Laemmles Monica Theatres.

• Dennis Hopper and Holly Hunter are presented with Tributes.

• AFI announces that AFI FEST 1994 will be held in cooperation with World Cup USA, with players attending the Opening Night film WYATT EARP at the Academy.

• OPERA ON FILM is a featured showcase.

1995

• Michaelangelo Antonioni's BEYOND THE CLOUDS is the Opening Night film.

• Tributes are presented to Nicolas Cage and Christopher Walken.

• A Tribute to Buster Keaton on his 100th birthday is presented on Closing Night with Keaton's widow Eleanor attending.

• Hungarian and British films are spotlighted in special showcases.

1996

• Al Pacino's LOOKING FOR RICHARD is the Opening Night film.

• The Festival is held in October and theaters are used in Santa Monica, Hollywood and Long Beach.

• The ALL NIGHT MOVIE MARATHON returns with censored films of the 1960s.

• Lars Von Trier's BREAKING THE WAVES is the Closing Night film.

1997

• Leonard Maltin hosts a Tribute to Jessica Lange.

• The Official Competition is introduced as a new section at AFI FEST 1997.

1998

• LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL opens AFI FEST 1998 at Mann's Chinese Theatre, and Roberto Benigni receives a standing ovation.

• Donald Sutherland is presented with a Tribute.

• The European Film Showcase is introduced.

• The 100th birthday of Sergei Eisenstein is celebrated with a special screening of THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, with live orchestra accompaniment.

• AFI's Preservation Showcase features the first OUR GANG comedy.

1999

• Opening and Closing Night films feature eventual Oscarâ winners THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER.

• The Latin Cinema Series debuts.

• Elmer Bernstein is presented with a Tribute.

• The Egyptian, Vogue and El Capitan Theatres are used for AFI FEST 1999.

2000

• O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? is the Opening Night film.

• Thirty-two countries are represented at AFI FEST 2000.

• Asian New Classics makes its debut as a section at AFI FEST 2000.

• Philip Kaufman is presented with a Tribute.

2001

• MONSTER'S BALL closes the FEST and kicks-off the Oscar buzz for Halle Berry.

• The Shorts Competition is inaugurated.

• The KODAK CONNECT Program is inaugurated.

• Ang Lee is presented with a Tribute.

2002

• AFI FEST moves to a single location, the ArcLight Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard.

• Export-Union of German Cinema merges their annual MADE IN GERMANY showcase with AFI as a 'Fest within a Fest.'

• ANTWONE FISHER is the Opening Night film at AFI FEST 2002, which is held November 7-17. TALK TO HER is the Closing Night film.

• Michael Caine is presented with a Tribute.

2003

• AFI FEST announces a strategic alliance with the American Film Market (AFM) beginning in 2004, creating the first festival/market event in North America.

• AFI FEST 2003 hosts the world premieres of HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG and MONSTER.

• Omar Sharif is presented with a Tribute.

• An expanded Kodak CONNECT Program enters its third year.

• Twenty minutes of never-before-seen footage from COLD MOUNTAIN is introduced by Anthony Minghella.

2004

• AFI FEST 2004 - November 4 - 14 AFM 2004 - November 3 - 10

2005

• AFI FEST 2005 - November 3 - 13 AFM 2005 - November 2 - 9

2006

• AFI FEST 2006 - November 2 - 12 AFM 2006 - November 1 - 8

With special thanks to film commentator Pete Hammond for compiling this timeline.