May 5, 2021
AFI Movie Club: WITHIN OUR GATES
Born in 1884, Oscar Micheaux was the son of former slaves, and one of 11 siblings who attended segregated schools in Illinois. He began his career by writing novels about homesteading as a Black man. His first feature, THE HOMESTEADER (1919), is now believed lost but his film, WITHIN OUR GATES, released the following year, is considered to be the oldest surviving feature film...
May 4, 2021
Announcing the Date for the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Julie Andrews
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that Julie Andrews will be presented with the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film, at a Gala Tribute on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The event was originally scheduled for April 25, 2020. The…
May 4, 2021
Early Bird Passes Now Available for AFI DOCS 2021
Get your EARLY BIRD PASS – BUY NOW This year’s AFI DOCS, the American Film Institute’s annual documentary celebration, will once again be open to movie fans around the nation – and a Film Pass is the best way to virtually attend! New films and events will be scheduled each day of the festival, with captivating…
May 4, 2021
AFI MOVIE CLUB: STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
For his iconic appearance as an inscrutable avatar of evil in this first sequel expanding that “galaxy far, far away,” Darth Vader appeared at #3 on AFI’s ranking of the greatest villains of all-time. STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK features no fewer than three AFI Life Achievement Award honorees – executive producer (and STAR WARS creator) George Lucas, star Harrison Ford and composer John...
May 3, 2021
AFI Announces Newly Formed AFI Alumni Council
AFI announced today the newly formed AFI Alumni Council, an advisory group of AFI Alumni that will guide career development and community engagement for AFI Alumni and provide leadership to galvanize AFI filmmakers across the industry to work together to affect change. The establishment of the Alumni Council is yet another step in improving the…
May 3, 2021
AFI Movie Club: LAURA
In honor of the launch of The Osborne Collection, a celebration on AFI.com of the life and work of legendary film historian and TCM host Robert Osborne, today’s movie club pick is one of his favorites. New Conversation about Osborne with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz and THR's Scott Feinberg premieres at 2 p.m. on THR Presents....
May 2, 2021
AFI Movie Club Rewind: DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST
This film was originally selected as an AFI Movie Club pick on November 6, 2020. Set on a Navajo reservation, DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST, directed by Sydney Freeland, follows the intertwined lives of three young Native Americans – a soon-to-be father who is about to start basic training, an adopted daughter of Christian missionaries and a transgender...
May 1, 2021
AFI Member Spotlight: Barbara Provus
This month, we spoke with Two-Star member Barbara Provus, who spent her career as an executive recruiter for Fortune 500 Companies before retiring and has been an active member of AFI since 2008. Barbara’s favorite film is Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS, and she and her family have the “AFI movie gene” with her sister even establishing…
May 1, 2021
AFI Alum Constanza Castro Partners With Lena Waithe and Indeed to Launch Rising Voices Initiative
Photo by Tori Time Following her graduation from the AFI Producing Program, Constanza Castro (AFI Class of 2015) founded the production company 271 Films with her sister Domenica and has been at the forefront of creating innovative content including award-winning videos, short films, and commercials. Their eclectic work has been featured on sites such as...
May 1, 2021
“Now Playing”: Projects by AFI Alumni Available to Watch Online in May 2021
Looking for a new film or TV series to watch online? Support AFI alumni by checking out our Now Playing section, which we update regularly each month. Whether it’s a theatrical release now premiering on VOD or a scheduled digital launch, we want to get the word out. New Projects for May 2021 THE…
May 1, 2021
AFI Catalog Spotlight: Anna May Wong
Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the AFI Catalog spotlights America’s first female Asian American movie star, Anna May Wong, who spent her career defying racial stereotypes and paving the road for greater diversity in Hollywood. Growing up in Los Angeles’s Chinatown neighborhood, Anna May Wong secretly skipped classes to pursue a different…
April 30, 2021
Giselle Bonilla is The Next AFI Conservatory Audi Fellowship Recipient
In their continued commitment to expanding opportunities for women in the film industry, AFI and Audi announced today that Giselle Bonilla (Directing Fellow, AFI Class of 2023) has been named as the latest recipient of the Audi Fellowship for Women scholarship. Launched in 2017, the Audi Fellowship program selects one promising female director to receive…
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