Jeanine Basinger
Jury Co-ChairWesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Frank
Jury Co-ChairProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Debbie Allen
Actor/Director/Producer/Choreographer/ Dancer/Singer/Songwriter
Shawn Edwards
African American Film Critics Association
Cynthia Erivo
Actress/Singer/Songwriter
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Mark Harris
Historian
Molly Haskell
Historian
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
Rian Johnson
Director/Producer/Writer
Lisa Kennedy
Critic/Journalist
Debra Lee
AFI Board of Trustees
David Mandel
Producer/Writer
Marlee Matlin
Actress/Producer
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Claudia Puig
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Maureen Ryan
Critic/Journalist
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Director/Producer/Writer
Wes Studi
Actor/Producer
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Lulu Wang
Director/Producer/Writer
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducer AFI Board of Trustees
John Amos
Actor
Aymar Jean Christian
Northwestern University
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Lesli Linka Glatter
Director/Producer
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Debra Lee
AFI Board of Trustees
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Maureen Ryan
Critic/Journalist
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Betty Thomas
Actor/Director/Producer
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducer AFI Board of Trustees
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Renee Graham
The Boston Globe
Mark Harris
Historian
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
Annette Insdorf
Historian
Callie Khouri
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Delroy Lindo
Actor/Producer
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Amy Nicholson
NPR
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Courtney B. Vance
Actor/Producer
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Sonia Saraiya
Vanity Fair
Maureen Ryan
Critic/Journalist
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Debra Lee
AFI Board of Trustees
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ernest Dickerson
Director/Cinematographer
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
David Benioff
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Paris Barclay
Director/Producer
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Alfre Woodard
Actor/Producer
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Claudia Puig
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Amy Nicholson
NPR
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
Mark Harris
Historian
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Joan Chen
Actor/Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Janet Staiger
University of Texas, Austin
Maureen Ryan
Variety
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Debra Lee
BET Networks AFI Board of Trustees
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Jennifer Getzinger
Director
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Gabrielle Carteris
SAG-AFTRAAFI Board of Trustees
David Bianculli
NPR
Paris Barclay
Director/Producer
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Amy Nicholson
NPR
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Ann Hornaday
The Washington Post
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Jamie Lee Curtis
Actor/Director/Producer
Jay Cassidy
Editor
Halle Berry
Actor/ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Judd Apatow*
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducer AFI Board of Trustees
Diane English
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Maureen Ryan
Variety
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Lori McCreary
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Debra Lee
BET NetworksAFI Board of Trustees
Michelle King
Screenwriter/Producer
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Darnell Hunt
University of California, Los Angeles
Jon Hamm
Actor/Director/Producer
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Patricia Riggen
Director
Amy Nicholson
MTV News
Rachel Morrison
Cinematographer
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Mark Harris
Historian
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Robert Benton
Director/Screenwriter
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Elizabeth Banks
Actor/Director/Producer
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Michael Wright
DreamWorks StudiosAFI Board of Trustees
Matt Williams
Screenwriter/Producer
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Renee Tajima-Peña
Director/ProducerUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Maureen Ryan
Variety
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Mary McNamara
The Los Angeles Times
Michelle MacLaren
Director/Producer
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Harvard University
Neal Baer
Screenwriter/ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Emma Thomas
Producer
John Ridley
Director/Screenwriter
Carrie Rickey
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bennett Miller
Director
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Molly Haskell
Historian
Mark Harris
Historian
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Michael Wright
Michael WrightAFI Board of Trustees
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Chris Silbermann
ICM PartnersAFI Board of Trustees
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Maureen Ryan
The Huffington Post
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Phylicia Rashad
Actor
James Poniewozik
TIME
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Vince Gilligan
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Anne Garefino
Producer
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone Magazine
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Matthew Libatique
Cinematographer
Kasi Lemmons
Director/Actor
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
Patty Jenkins
Director/Screenwriter
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Mark Harris
Historian
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Noah Wyle
Producer/Actor
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Chris Silbermann
ICM PartnersAFI Board of Trustees
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Maureen Ryan
The Huffington Post
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
Frederick S. Pierce
AFI Board of Trustees
Jeff Nunokawa
Princeton University
Melissa Maerz
Entertainment Weekly
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Dorothy Fontana
ScreenwriterSenior Lecturer, AFI Conservatory
Jon Avnet
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone Magazine
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Nancy Meyers
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Leonard Maltin
Historian
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Mark Harris
Entertainment Weekly
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Roman Coppola
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Anne V. Coates
Editor
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Janet Staiger
University of Texas at Austin
Chris Silbermann
International Creative ManagementAFI Board of Trustees
Katey Sagal
Maureen Ryan
The Huffington Post
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
James Poniewozik
Time Magazine
Mary McNamara
Los Angeles Times
L.S. Kim
University of California, Los Angeles
Marta Kauffman
Producer/Screenwriter
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Chris Carter
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone Magazine
Octavia Spencer
Actor
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Leonard Maltin
"Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide"
Lisa Kennedy
The Denver Post
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Mark Harris
Entertainment Weekly
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Brad Bird
Director/Screenwriter
Angela Bassett
Actor
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Ken Tucker
Entertainment Weekly
Betsy Thomas
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Chris Silbermann
International Creative ManagementAFI Board of Trustees
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
James Poniewozik
Time Magazine
Fred Pierce
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Janet Murray
Georgia Institute of Technology
Stephen Kronish
Producer/Screenwriter
Marde Gregory
University of California, Los Angeles
Tim Goodman
The Hollywood Reporter
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Anna Everett
University of California, Santa Barbara
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone Magazine
Suzanne Todd
Producer
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Diana Ossana
Producer/Screenwriter
Leonard Maltin
"Leonard Maltln's Movie Guide"
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Jim Hosney
Jim Hosney
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Mark Harris
Entertainment Weekly
Whoopi Goldberg
Actor
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Board of Trustees
AFI JURY FOR MOTION PICTURES
Tom PollockProducerChair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
Janet Staiger
University of Texas at Austin
John Shaffner
Academy of Television Arts & SciencesProduction DesignerAFI Board of Trustees
Maureen Ryan
AOL
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
James Poniewozik
Time Magazine
Mary McNamara
Los Angeles Times
Anna McCarthy
New York University
Henry Jenkins
Henry Jenkins
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Producer/Actor
Marshall Herskovitz
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Steven Bochco
Producer/Screenwriter
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Michael Wood
Princeton University
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Elvis Mitchell
THE TREATMENT
Leonard Maltin
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT"Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide"
Akira Mizuta Lippit
University of Southern California
Bob Gazzale
American Film Institute
Jane Gaines
Columbia University
Lee Daniels
Producer/Director
Diablo Cody
Producer/Screenwriter
Donn Cambern
Editor
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan University
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Robert J. Thompson
Syracuse University
John Shaffner
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Maureen Ryan
Chicago Tribune
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
CCH Pounder
Actor
Lisa Parks
University of California, Santa Barbara
David Milch
Producer/Screenwriter
Brian Lowry
Variety
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Bambi Haggins
Arizona State University
Stanley Brooks
Producer
Neal Baer
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionProducer/Screenwriter
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Richard Schickel
Historian/Author/Documentary Filmmaker
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Chon Noriega
University of California, Los Angeles
Elvis Mitchell
THE TREATMENT
Leonard Maltin
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Patty Jenkins
Producer/Director
Mark Harris
Entertainment Weekly/New York MagazineAuthor
Leo Braudy
University of Southern California
Dustin Lance Black
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Sean Astin
Actor
Norman Jewison
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducer/Director
Tony To
Producer/Director
Beretta E. Smith-Shomade
University of Arizona
John Shaffner
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Del Reisman
AFI Conservatory Screenwriter
James Poniewozik
Time Magazine
Kathleen Nolan
Actor
Mary McNamara
Los Angeles Times
Jean Picker Firstenberg
AFI President Emerita
John Caldwell
University of California, Los Angeles
Neal Baer
Producer/Screenwriter
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionAFI Trustee Emeritus
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Robert Towne
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Anne Thompson
Variety
Vivian Sobchack
AFI Trustee EmeritaUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Richard Schickel
Time Magazine
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Elvis Mitchell
THE TREATMENT
Rick Jewell
University of Southern California
Jim Hosney
American Film Institute
Mark Harris
Entertainment WeeklyAuthor
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan University
Leonard Maltin
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Rich Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionAFI Board of Trustees
Dick Askin
Academy of Television Arts & SciencesAFI Board of Trustees
Neal Baer
Producer/Screenwriter
Anna Everett
University of California, Santa Barbara
Nancy Franklin
The New Yorker
Barry Garron
The Hollywood Reporter
Melissa Gilbert
Producer/Director/ActorAFI Trustee Emerita
Horace Newcomb
University of Georgia
Del Reisman
AFI ConservatoryScreenwriter
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Maureen Ryan
Chicago Tribune
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Ron Underwood
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Kristal Brent Zook
Hosftra University
Gary Winick
Producer/Director
Richard Schickel
Time Magazine
Tom Pollock
AFI Board of Trustees
David Picker
ProducerAFI Trustee Emeritus
Diana Ossana
Producer/Screenwriter/Novelist
Tara McPherson
University of Southern California
Leonard Maltin
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Lawrence Kasdan
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Trustee Emeritus
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Donn Cambern
AFI ConservatoryDirector/Editor
David Ansen
Newsweek
Frank Pierson
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesAFI ConservatoryDirector/Screenwriter
Dick Askin
Academy of Television Arts & SciencesAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionAFI Board of Trustees
Steven Bochco
Producer/Screenwriter
Kevin S. Bright
Producer/Director
Paul Brownfield
Los Angeles Times
Michael Dinner
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Barry Garron
The Hollywood Reporter
Amanda D. Lotz
University of Michigan
Brian Lowry
Variety
Tara McPherson
University of Southern California
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Vivian Sobchack
University of California, Los AngelesAFI Board of Trustees
Kristal Brent Zook
Columbia University
Robert G. Rehme
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Michael Apted
Directors Guild of AmericaProducer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Roger Birnbaum
Spyglass EntertainmentAFI Board of Trustees
Leo Braudy
University of Southern California
James L. Brooks
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Jane Gaines
Duke University
Elvis Mitchell
National Public Radio
Diana Ossana
Producer/Screenwriter
David V. Picker
ProducerAFI Trustee Emeritus
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Anne Thompson
The Hollywood Reporter
Marshall Herskovitz
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionChair, AFI Jury for TelevisionAFI Board of Trustees
Dick Askin
Academy of Television Arts & SciencesTribune Entertainment CompanyAFI Board of Trustees
Lionel Chetwynd
Producer/Screenwriter
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Tony Jonas
Producer
Jeffrey Kramer
Producer
Melanie McFarland
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Tara McPherson
University of Southern California
James Poniewozik
Time Magazine
Dorothea Petrie
Producer
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Del Reisman
AFI Conservatory
Robert G. Rehme
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Martha Coolidge
Director
David Denby
The New Yorker
Anna Everett
University of California, Santa Barbara
Norman Jewison
Producer/Director
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Jay Roach
Producer/Director
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Vivian Sobchack
University of California, Los AngelesAFI Board of Trustees
David Thomson
Film Historian
Stephen Ujlaki
San Francisco State University
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Laura Ziskin
Laura Ziskin
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionThe FirmAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Askin, Jr.
Academy of Television Arts & SciencesTribune Entertainment Company AFI Board of Trustees
Neal Baer
Producer/Screenwriter
David Bianculli
The Daily News
Alex Ben Block
Television Week
Barbara Corday
Producer/Screenwriter
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Melanie McFarland
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Tara McPherson
University of Southern California
Janet Murray
Georgia Institute of TechnologyAFI Board of Trustees
Horace Newcomb
University of GeorgiaGeorge Foster Peabody Awards
Jerry Offsay
Producer
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Roger Ebert
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesChicago Sun-TimesEBERT & ROEPER
David Ansen
Newsweek
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Trustee Emerita
Leo Braudy
University of Southern California
James Cromwell
Actor
Naomi Foner
Producer/Screenwriter
Joan Micklin Silver
Director/Screenwriter
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Robert G. Rehme
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Richard Schickel
Time MagazineProducer/Director/Screenwriter
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Michael Wood
Princeton University
Janet Yang
Producer
Diane Werts
Newsday
Dean Valentine
Former President & CEO, UPN
Penelope Spheeris
Director
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Dorothea Petrie
Producer
Horace Newcomb
University of GeorgiaGeorge Foster Peabody Awards
Brian Lowry
Variety
Helaine Head
University of Southern California
Ted Harbert
Producer
Chuck Fries
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Irby Brown
University of Richmond
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for TelevisionIntegrated Entertainment PartnersAFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Anne V. Coates
Editor
Vivian Sobchack
University of California, Los AngelesAFI Board of Trustees
Leonard Schrader
AFI ConservatoryDirector/Screenwriter
Richard Schickel
Time MagazineProducer/Director/Screenwriter
Ted Perry
Middlebury CollegeAFI Trustee Emeritus
Curtis Marez
University of Southern California
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine
Kirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood Reporter
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan UniversityAFI Trustee Emerita
John Badham
Director
Leonard Maltin
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Richard Frank
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Neema Barnett
Director
Barbara Corday
Producer
Lesli Linka Glatter
Producer/Director
Kay McFadden
The Seattle Times
Horace Newcomb
University of GeorgiaGeorge Foster Peabody AwardsAFI Trustee Emeritus
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Producer/Director/ScreenwriteAFI Board of Trustees
Victoria Riskin
Writers Guild of AmericaScreenwriter
Matt Roush
TV Guide
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Anthony Thomopoulos
Former President, ABC EntertainmentMedia Arts Group, Inc.AFI Trustee Emeritus
Ken Tucker
Entertainment Weekly
Peter Werner
DirectorAFI Trustee Emeritus
Tom Pollock
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
David Ansen
Newsweek
Jeanine Basinger
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion PicturesWesleyan UniversityAFI Trustee Emerita
Julie Dash
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Lindsey Doran
Producer
Leonard Maltin
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Fay Kanin
ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Jim Hosney
Film Historian/Scholar
Ted Perry
Middlebury CollegeAFI Trustee Emeritus
Bob Rehme
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Carrie Rickey
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Tom Schatz
University of Texas, Austin
Saul Zaentz
Producer
Barrie Lawson Loeks
Loeks-Star Theatres
Lucy Liu
Actor
Brian Lowry
Los Angeles Times
Sidney Lumet
Director
Shirley MacLaine
Actor
Delbert Mann
Director
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Kay McFadden
The Seattle Times
Joyce Millman
Salon.com
Dennis Muren
Digital Effects Artist
Chon Noriega
University of California, Los Angeles
Beverly O’Neill
California Institute of the Arts
Ted Perry
Middlebury College
Polly Platt
Producer/Production Designer
Dale Pollock
N.C. School of the Arts
Dorothy Rabinowitz
The Wall Street Journal
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
Ken Ralston
Digital Effects Artist
Robert Richardson
Cinematographer
Howard Rosenberg
Los Angeles Times
Laurence Rosenthal
Composer
Gena Rowlands
Actor
Leah Rozen
People Magazine
Eva Marie Saint
Actor
Edgar Scherick
Producer
Lisa Schwartzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Jan Scott
Production Designer
John Singleton
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Robert Sklar
New York University
Barbara Smith
American Cinematheque
Penelope Spheeris
Director
Steven Spielberg
Producer/Director/ScreenwriterAFI Board of Trustees
Rod Steiger
Actor
Jon Storm
Philadelphia Inquirer
Mary Sweeney
Producer/Screenwriter/Editor
Anne Thompson
Premiere Magazine
Robert Thompson
Syracuse University
Richard Sylbert
Production Designer
Steve Tisch
Producer
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles TimesCinematographer
Amy Vincent
Cinematographer
Peter Werner
Director
Joanne Weintraub
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
Ethel Winant
Producer
David Wolper
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Eugenio Zanetti
Production Designer
David Zurawik
Baltimore Sun
Hans Zimmer
Composer
Saul Zaentz
Producer
Debbie Allen
Producer/Director/ActorAFI Board of Trustees
Dede Allen
Editor
David Ansen
Newsweek
Darren Aronofsky
Director/Screenwriter
Alan Ball
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Neema Barnette
Director
Ron Bass
Producer/Screenwriter
Robert Benton
Director/Screenwriter
Bob Boyle
Production Designer
Pieter Jan Brugge
Producer
Henry Bumstead
Production Designer
Michelle Byrd
Independent Features Project
Marcy Carsey
Producer
Mary Schmidt Campbell
NYU's Tisch School
Anne V. Coates
Editor
Richard Corliss
Time Magazine
Leslie Dilley
Production Designer
Richard Edlund
Digital Effects Artist
Nora Ephron
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Steven Farber
Movieline
Milos Forman
Director
Stephen Gaghan
Screenwriter
Leslie Linka Glatter
Director
Jerry Goldsmith
Composer
Gary David Goldberg
Producer/Screenwriter
Tim Goodman
San Francisco Examiner
Mary Ann Grasso
National Assoc. of Theatre Owners
Christopher Guest
Director/Screenwriter/Actor
Amy Heckerling
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Leonard Hill
Producer
Foster Hirsch
Scholar/Historian
Tina Hirsch
Editor
Winnie Holzman
Producer/Screenwriter
Kirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood Reporter
Dawn Hudson
Independent Feature Project West
Greg Hoblit
Producer/Director
Annette Insdorf
Columbia University
Mark Johnson
Producer
Spike Jonze
Director/Actor
Shirley Jones
Actor
Glenn Jordan
Producer/Director
Janusz Kamiński
Cinematographer
James Katz
Preservationist
Rita Kempley
The Washington Post
Kathleen Kennedy
ProducerAFI Board of Trustees
Callie Khouri
Screenwriter
James V. Kimsey
AFI Board of Trustees
Arnold Kopelson
Producer
Alan Ladd, Jr.
Producer
Martin Landau
Actor
Tom Pollock
Chair, AFI 2000 JuryAFI Board of Trustees
David Ansen
Film Journalist/Critic
Jeanine Basinger
Film Scholar
Bill Duke
AFI Board of Trustees
James Katz
Film Preservationist/Historian
Rita Kempley
Film Journalist/Critic
Michael Nesmith
AFI Board of Trustees
Thomas Schatz
Film Scholar
Vivian Sobchack
AFI Board of Trustees
Anne Thompson
Film Journalist/Critic
Saul Zaentz
Filmmaker
Steven Zaillian
Filmmaker
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
…is a modern movie miracle. Aglow in the wonderment of time, the film captures the poetry and pain of life with such originality that audiences may not want to awake from the dream the film casts upon them. Working from a screenplay by Eric Roth, David Fincher clocks in again as one of the most exciting voices in American film, and his extraordinary use of technology, often the enemy of performance, serves only to enhance Brad Pitt’s brilliant turn in the title role. Pitt’s chemistry with Cate Blanchett creates one of film history’s most powerful screen romances, reminding us all of the preciousness of each passing moment. Read the AFI Catalog entry
THE DARK KNIGHT
…leapt from the screen and into the zeitgeist of a nation desperate for a savior, but wary of the consequences of rushing to action. At once brave and bravura, this epic studio presentation succeeds as blockbuster entertainment and true artistic expression from Christopher Nolan, who devised the story with David S. Goyer and co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal lead a stellar cast marked forever in time by Heath Ledger’s re-imagining of “The Joker.” THE DARK KNIGHT is a movie that leaves your heart and mind racing as it redefines heroism for a new generation. Read the AFI Catalog entry
FROST/NIXON
…brings history to life with such dramatic intensity that audiences feel eyewitness to a duel of titans from the worlds of politics and journalism. Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan, working in perfect harmony, have reinvented Morgan’s stage play in cinematic terms, making it a dynamic ensemble piece where warring camps ready for battle. Tour de force performances by Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost command the screen with all the power of a Shakespeare play. This is not only a film about an historic event, but also the blinding light of hubris and the fight for how one is to be remembered. FROST/NIXON will be remembered as a classic. Read the AFI Catalog entry
FROZEN RIVER
…challenges audiences to witness the strength and the character of America’s underclass — and, ultimately, asks if they have what it takes to endure such hardship. First-time feature filmmaker Courtney Hunt tells the story of two women from different worlds who stand together in an astoundingly bleak landscape — unlikely partners on economic thin ice. Their struggle unfolds with such authenticity — free from the comfort endemic to most American films — that the pain and power of the story are palpable. The performances of Melissa Leo and Misty Upham stand among this year’s finest. Read the AFI Catalog entry
GRAN TORINO
…is a cultural landmark in the grand and glorious career of an American master — Clint Eastwood. As director and leading man, Eastwood examines his own iconography to tell a timely tale of crossing cultural boundaries, the enduring legacy of racism and the cost of poverty in our country’s neglected industrial cities. Though born from “Harry Callahan,” Eastwood’s “Walt Kowalski” reflects a more complicated definition of what it is to be a hero in today’s world. Watching a screen legend embody the times and triumph with such comic, tragic and cinematic flair is a thrill audiences will long remember as witness to film history. Read the AFI Catalog entry
IRON MAN
…smashes through the cinematic stratosphere to take its rightful place among the leading superhero sagas in American film. Witty and bold, this dynamic film is a shining example of summer entertainment that can both entertain and enlighten. Jon Favreau’s dynamic direction delights in the medium, using visual effects with a light touch and in perfect service to the story. Robert Downey, Jr.’s inspired interpretation lifts the title role off the pages of a comic book with great respect — and his own indelible quirkiness — launching it into the future as audiences cheer both a hero and their own humanity. Read the AFI Catalog entry
MILK
…is here to recruit you — and all audiences who yearn for stories of hope and inspiration. The film is a time capsule that comes to life through Sean Penn’s transformative performance, adding another chapter to the volumes this great American artist has written for the ages. His work here holds the center of a spectacular ensemble led by Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco. In a year when America went to the polls seeking change, director Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black crafted a story that soars above the biopic genre by illuminating the thrill of activism, celebrating the theater in America’s political process and extolling Milk’s legacy through his simple message — “You gotta give ’em hope.” Read the AFI Catalog entry
WALL•E
…proves to this generation and beyond that the film medium’s only true boundaries are the human imagination. Writer/director Andrew Stanton and his team have created a classic screen character from a metal trash compactor who rides to the rescue of a planet buried in the debris that embodies the broken promise of American life. Not since Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” has so much story — so much emotion — been conveyed without words. When hope arrives in the form of a seedling, the film blossoms into one of the great screen romances as two robots remind audiences of the beating heart in all of us that yearns for humanity — and love — in the darkest of landscapes. Read the AFI Catalog entry
WENDY AND LUCY
…is a precisely observed portrait of life on the edge in America, where every dollar is measured and daily decisions are high drama. Director, co-writer and co-editor Kelly Reichardt trusts the simplicity of a well-plotted, emotional story to reach its audience, infusing this minimalist movie about a woman and her dog with quiet moments that do not beg for sympathy. Michelle Williams’s heroic performance is the center of this powerful poem about friendship — what it is to care, to give and to let go — as the wail of a distant train calls for a better life. Read the AFI Catalog entry
THE WRESTLER
…is a cinematic smackdown that slams audiences head first into the harsh and harrowing world of professional wrestling. Director Darren Aronofsky and writer Robert D. Siegel transcend the sports genre, and fearlessly explore the dream-ravaged landscape of a performer whose time has come and gone. Mickey Rourke’s towering performance as “Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson” stands firmly in the pantheon of great American performances on film — and his tag team of Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood prove once again that they are among the finest actors of their generation. Read the AFI Catalog entry
AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR - OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
BREAKING BAD
is combustible television — a bold enterprise that illuminates how high the stakes are for “everyman” in modern-day America. Marked by an explosive mixture of dark comedy and pure savagery, this allegorical examination of a man in crisis springs from the mind of writer/director/creator Vince Gilligan, and together with his creative ensemble, they set the moral compass spinning. Bryan Cranston proves once again that he is one of the true talents of television as the tragic high school chemistry teacher who is faced with mortality, a desire to provide for his family and no easy answers along the way.
IN TREATMENT
redefined “appointment television” for 2008. The show’s innovative format presents a new episode every weeknight, each a daring one-act-play that sets a standard for dynamic drama via verbal combat. Writer/director/producer Rodrigo Garcia and his talented team expertly weave together the intimate stories of six patients and their psychotherapist with questions and answers that are not always what they — or we — want to hear. Gabriel Byrne leads this weekly master class on acting, with a standout performance by Mia Wasikowska as “Sophie,” the young gymnast. With IN TREATMENT, when your time is up…you want more.
JOHN ADAMS
is an act of heroism in the history of long-form television. This epic seven-part miniseries was born from the pages of David McCullough’s book, nurtured by the masterful rhythm and timbre of Kirk Ellis’s writing, and shaped and sculpted like a work of art by Tom Hooper’s extraordinary vision of America’s founding fathers. Never bowing to pageantry, this work presents an historical tale greater than unfolding events, articulating ideas that continue to echo across time. With a superb cast led by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, JOHN ADAMS is a gift to today’s generation, one most resonant in a year when American ideals were discussed and debated in the glow of televisions around the world.
LIFE
breathes new life into the classic cop show. The hallmark of Rand Ravich’s beautifully realized drama is the emergence of an original character in homicide detective “Charlie Crews,” a man reclaiming his life in a profession that brings him in touch with death each day on the beat. Compelling and insightful, this stylish procedural is not solely about solving a crime, but also about a range of adult, emotional issues not traditionally observed in the genre — including an arresting exploration of what it is to achieve transcendence.
LOST
found itself further solidifying its place in television history as one of America’s most addictive and audacious dramas. Now in its fourth year, each new episode defied convention with such authority that the show exemplified the term “surrender television,” transporting audiences beyond the boundaries of a remote island and back and forth across time. LOST is a wildly imaginative adventure series, and this year, time was not only of the essence — it was the essence — redefining the very possibility of storytelling on television.
MAD MEN
unveils a work of art each week — one reminiscent of a modernist painting that invites an audience to find more with each visit. Masterful in its music, costumes and production design, Matt Weiner and his brilliant creative ensemble delve deep below the surface glamour of the sixties and tap the psyche of a generation on the brink of enormous change. Though the show continues to be anchored by the commanding presence of Jon Hamm’s “Don Draper,” this year became a true ensemble piece, one that remains as insightful as a Bob Dylan anthem and as cool as a dry martini.
THE OFFICE
provides a potent tonic for what ails America in 2008. Creating a consistently funny situation comedy is among television’s greatest challenges, and THE OFFICE not only delivers the laughs each week, but grew even stronger this year by peeking into other cubicles and drawing stories from many exceptionally well-realized supporting characters. From flat out farce to touching displays of emotion, THE OFFICE celebrates the maddening dynamics and the embarrassing emotional intimacy of a family — the family we all love and endure at the work place.
RECOUNT
vividly captures an historic moment in America, as well as a reality that can only be appreciated in retrospect — that history is often written by the smallest of decisions, the quietest of conversations and the narrowest of margins. Director Jay Roach presents Danny Strong’s meticulously researched script in the great tradition of classic films like ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN — heart-pounding thrillers with endings well-known. Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary, Laura Dern and Tom Wilkinson lead a flawless acting ensemble, reminding us that truth — especially in politics — can be stranger than fiction.
THE SHIELD
entered its seventh and final season with great expectations and smashed through them with each new episode. Always faithful to the show’s inspired noir roots, Shawn Ryan and the creative ensemble drove the Strike Team through higher levels of dramatic storytelling and complex moral quandaries, with Michael Chiklis’s timeless and tortured “Vic Mackey” always at the rotten core. The season finale is an episodic masterpiece, as extraordinarily satisfying as it was inevitable — the perfect ending to a landmark series.
THE WIRE
captures the decay of an American city by calling upon the forces of many art forms — the novel, the opera, the motion picture — and combining them to present a show like no other on television. David Simon’s wizardry of the word harnesses the unique power of the medium to show the interconnectivity of our complex social and political systems, the consequences of their inability to relate and the dramatic effect on us all. This fifth and final season brought the curtain down on America’s tragic urban landscape — an ending that served as both love song and eulogy to a city, its institutions and its people.
MOMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – A CELEBRATION OF THE GLOBAL FILM
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE stands as a monument to the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling. Danny Boyle’s masterwork is rooted in the worlds of Dickens and Dumas but captures their spirit with a visual and narrative splendor that serves as a cinematic passport to a vibrant, modern India. A love story at its core, the film is also a powerful reminder that our global obsession with money leaves many of the world’s children in need.
Also of significance, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a signpost in America’s search for greater authenticity in its stories. Subtitles — once an inconvenience to American audiences-are now expected and, in fact, demanded to confirm the universality of our daily, global experience.
Other films that reflect this cultural shift include GRAN TORINO, THE VISITOR, AUSTRALIA and television’s HEROES.
TELEVISION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDE A GLOBAL ORACLE FOR AMERICA'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE
America’s historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain mesmerized a global audience like a long-running television series. Television and Web coverage played to each other’s strengths, as every nuance of the long, arduous campaigns was accessible for public celebration and scrutiny.
During this process, Obama not only won the election, but also took his place among those statesmen-from FDR’s “Fireside Chats” on radio to JFK’s telegenic performances in debates and news conferences-whose mastery of a new medium captured the public imagination.
Obama harnessed the power of the Internet for both messaging and fundraising, communicating with e-mails, online videos and social networking. His campaign crescendoed with a 30-minute infomercial that was transmitted simultaneously over several broadcast networks and cable channels in the closing days of the campaign.
New technology also helped to engage American citizens at unprecedented levels, most notably with CNN’s “Magic Map,” which brought a greater understanding of the electoral process to a new generation.
NBC COVERAGE OF SUMMER OLYMPICS BRINGS THE WORLD TOGETHER
For 17 days in August, NBC marshaled the forces of today’s technology to beam the spectacle of the 29th Summer Olympics from Beijing, China, to screens around the world. NBC supplemented their coverage on television with over 2,000 hours of video on-line, creating an immersive media experience that celebrated diverse cultures, as well as each country’s place in a larger, global community.
The Opening Ceremony, directed and staged by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, marked the most significant live event of the year-one staged with breathtaking pageantry and poetry. The Opening Ceremony was seen by nearly 2 billion viewers worldwide, with 70 million viewers in the United States-a record American audience for an Olympics on foreign soil.
AFI salutes the athletes from around the world that inspire audiences to reach for more-and to NBC, for capturing this historic event with such glory and grandeur, making us all players in these global games.
"AGE OF ANXIETY" AS BUSINESS MODELS FOR THE ARTS EVOLVE
Though the Writers Guild of America ended its strike in February, the tension between artists and executives continues. The one certainty in these uncertain times is that the film and television communities continue to redefine their business models for the digital age.
A significant moment in the evolution of content delivery was NBC and News Corp’s launch of Hulu, the first popular effort to present premium content in a user-friendly, no-fee, on-line exhibition experience.
Seismic shifts in the television advertising model included NBC’s announcement that THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO would be moving to prime time, marking a dramatic reduction of drama on network television. Meanwhile, narrative fiction on cable television continues to grow and flourish. And in a new twist, DIRECTV-a distributor-funded a third season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, an hour-long high-quality drama supported by an ardent fan base too small for network television.
With the historic downturn in the American economy, these issues weigh even greater than ever-as America looks to the worlds of film, television and digital media for entertainment
TINA FEY — AMERICA'S FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS
TINA FEY — AMERICA’S FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS Tina Fey made the world laugh in 2008-an immeasurable gift in a year marked by ongoing war and an historic economic downturn.
Fey’s impersonation of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin served as a lightning rod for laughs when she appeared on the season premiere of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. As America entered the final months of a long and heated campaign, Fey captivated the country with the wink of an eye.
In addition to regular appearances as Palin on SNL, Fey also continued to serve as writer, producer and star of 30 ROCK, a weekly testament to her talents as America’s first lady of laughs.
INDEPENDENT FILM ARTISTS FACE DISTRIBUTION CRISIS
2008 marked a year when many of the independent film divisions created by the studios-Paramount Vantage, New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse-were closed or folded back into their parent corporations.
Despite the unprecedented availability of filmmaking tools and the explosion of opportunity in on-line exhibition, the challenge for independent voices in American film is perhaps greater than ever. Now, an artist outside the studio system must also master finance and distribution to have their stories told.
This moment is best illustrated in 2008 by BALLAST — by writer/editor/producer/director Lance Hammer. When the heralded film struggled to find an audience through traditional means, Hammer took the movie back from the distributor and embarked on his own campaign to market the film.
FILM CRITICS LOSE VOICE
In 2008, many of the ardent voices of film criticism were silenced. Full-time posts at Time, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice and Newsday, among others, were eliminated as the circulation of newspapers and magazines declined. As a result, writing about film has moved to the Web-a world where authority can be lost among the voice of the masses.
AFI celebrates the global community of film lovers interacting on-line, but also encourages these conversations to honor and appreciate historical context in addition to personal opinion.
The year also marked the passing of iconoclastic film critic Manny Farber. Farber was a champion of genres overlooked by many critics-crime, westerns and horror films-whose raw energy he admired. Among the publications in which his words appeared were The Nation, The New Republic and Film Comment.
DR. HORRIBLE OPERATES IN EXPLOSION OF SHORT FORM
In 2008, director/writer Joss Whedon’s DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG was released as three 13-minute webisodes and quickly became a cult hit. The films mark another moment in the evolution of established artists presenting short films on-line-pioneered last year by Will Ferrell’s THE LANDLORD.
This movement was catalyzed in part by the Writers Guild strike of 2007, when artists from film and television came together in greater numbers to express themselves in the short form, an integral part of the moving-image experience since the dawn of cinema.
AFI AWARDS was created in 2000 to recognize the films and television programs which contribute to our collective cultural legacy. When placed in an historical context, these stories provide a complex, rich, visual record of our modern world. Since then, AFI AWARDS has honored 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding TV programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.
Collectively celebrating the most outstanding film and television programs of the year, AFI AWARDS 2021 honorees will be announced in December 2021.
Unique in its celebration of the art form’s collaborative nature, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole – recognizing those in front of and behind the camera.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Honorees are selected based on works which:
- Advance the art of the moving image
- Inspire audiences and artists alike
- Enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form
A UNIQUE JURY PROCESS
AFI AWARDS selections are made through AFI’s unique jury process – in which scholars, artists, critics and AFI Trustees determine the most outstanding achievements of the year.
For additional information about AFI AWARDS, contact Josh Kushins at [email protected]
AFI is a 501c3 non-profit advancing the art of the moving image by empowering storytellers and inspiring audiences
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