by Melanie Hughes
AFI FEST Daily News

AFI PROJECT 20/20, a new filmmaker program designed to foster cultural exchange and collaboration, debuts at AFI FEST 2006 presented by Audi.

The program brings together 19 filmmakers from five continents. They met at a luncheon in their honor November 3 at the AFI FEST Rooftop Village at ArcLight Hollywood.

AFI FEST Director Christian Gaines gave the PROJECT 20/20 filmmakers their charge, imploring them to promote shared values and diverse perspectives, and to educate young and old, in the US and abroad, about the arts and cultures of other countries.

After screening at AFI FEST 2006, the filmmakers travel to film festivals, cultural centers, museums, and other venues in the US and abroad to promote mutual understanding through film.

AFI FEST created the project to foster cross-cultural understanding and respect - while nurturing filmmaking excellence - in an unprecedented alliance with:

• The U.S. Department of State
• The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
• The National Endowment for the Arts
• The National Endowment for the Humanities
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services,

The Friday luncheon included executives from each organization.

AFI: PROJECT 20/20 is a part of the U.S. Government's Global Cultural Initiative announced in September, when First Lady Laura Bush described the program: "The American Film Institute will bring foreign films and film makers to its AFI FEST in Los Angeles this November, and send American film makers overseas."

"There is no better way for people to know one another than by sharing their personal stories," explained Adair Wakefield Margo, Chairman of The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Chairman. "AFI PROJECT 20/20 allows filmmakers to know one another on a personal basis and to share their work with audiences here and abroad."

AFI PROJECT: 20/20 gathers filmmakers from diverse backgrounds in experience, countries and cultures.

Some, such as Israel's Danny Lerner, are making their feature film directorial debuts. Lerner's film, FROZEN DAYS, a stylistic psychological film noir about a young Tel Aviv woman, makes its North American premiere at AFI FEST 2006.

"I hope the audiences will learn that, basically, people all over the world are the same," Lerner explains. "We have similar goals and similar difficulties. We might have different cultures and traditions and might have different views of the world, but essentially people living in Israel and people living in the States have more in common than one might think"

As director and producer of BEAUTIFUL OHIO, American actor Chad Lowe also participates in AFI PROJECT: 20/20. BEAUTIFUL OHIO stars Rita Wilson, William Hurt and Juiliana Margulies.

AFI PROJECT: 20/20 also includes OFFSIDE, an award-winning dramedy from acclaimed Iranian film veteran Jafar Panahi. It's about a group of girls who disguise themselves as boys to watch a World Cup qualifying game between Iran and Bahrain.

Also in the program: director J.B. Rutagarama's inspiring documentary BACK HOME, detailing his return to Rwanda.

And from Japan, Yukihiko Tsutsumi's MEMORIES OF TOMORROW is a drama about a family dealing with Alzheimer's. It stars Ken Watanabe (THE LAST SAMURAI).

AFI FEST 2006 screens all 19 AFI PROJECT: 20/20 films at ArcLight Hollywood.

• Alberto Arvelo (Venezuela) TO PLAY AND TO FIGHT - November 9, 9:30 PM, and November 10, 4:30 PM
• David Boyle (USA) BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO - November 2, 9:45 PM, and November 3, 1:30 PM
• Hilary Brougher (USA) STEPHANIE DALEY - November 4, 6:30 PM, and November 5, 4:00 PM
• Jay Craven (USA) DISAPPEARANCES - November 6, 9:30 PM, and November 7, 1:30 PM
• David L. Cunningham (USA) AFTER... - November 10, 7:30 PM, and November 11, 1:30 PM
• Goutam Ghosh (India) JOURNEY - November 5, 6:00 PM, and November 6, 2:00 PM
• Marwan Hamed (Egypt) THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING - November 6, 6:00 PM, and November 7, 3:00 PM
• Zhang Jiarui (China) THE ROAD - November 5, 9:15 PM, and November 6, 3:00 PM
• Danny Lerner (Israel) FROZEN DAYS - November 2, 9:30 PM, and November 5, 4:00 PM
• Chad Lowe (USA) BEAUTIFUL OHIO - November 10, 7:00 PM, and November 11, 1:30 PM
• Norman Maake (South Africa) HOMECOMING - November 10, 7:30 PM, November 11, 1:30 PM
• Mohammed Naqvi (Canada/Pakistan) SHAME - November 9, 6:30 PM, and November 10, 4:30 PM
• Ngozi Onwurah (Nigeria/UK) SHOOT THE MESSENGER - November 5, 9:30 PM, and November 6, 1:15 PM
• Jafar Panahi (Iran) OFFSIDE - November 8, 7:30 PM, and November 9, 4:45 PM
• Jean Bertrand (Rwanda/UK) BACK HOME - November 5, 6:45 PM, and November 6, 5:00 PM
• Julie Stevens (USA) LIFE AFTER TOMORROW - November 11, 6:45 PM, and November 12, 3:30 PM
• Yukihiko Tsutsumi (Japan) MEMORIES OF TOMORROW - November 2, 6:45 PM, and November 3, 3:30 PM
• Lucy Walker (UK) BLINDSIGHT - November 6, 7:15 PM, and November 7, 1:00 PM
• Amie Williams (USA) NO SWEAT - November 7, 9:45 PM, and November 8, 5:30 PM