Today, AFI honored the 2024 AFI AWARDS recipients, bringing together the creative community to shine a light on excellence in the art of the moving image. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole, recognizing the collaborative nature of the work by embracing those in front of and behind the camera.
In opening remarks, AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale spoke about the power of art to inspire empathy and hope, and how AFI AWARDS is a unique opportunity for everyone to appreciate and show their love for each other’s work. “It’s about community, it’s about camaraderie – never about competition.”
AFI then revealed its official rationales providing the cultural and artistic context to mark these outstanding creative endeavors as the year’s notable milestones. AFI AWARDS honorees include 10 outstanding motion pictures and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image. An additional honoree was selected for an AFI Special Award, designated for works of excellence that fall outside of AFI AWARDS’ eligibility criteria. All the honored works advance the art of the moving image, inspire audiences and artists alike and enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form. Read full rationales.
George Stevens, Jr., filmmaker, author and AFI’s Founding Director, delivered the official benediction. In his address, Stevens remembered the unique artistry of David Lynch (AFI Class of 1970), who passed away earlier this year. Addressing the honorees and guests, Stevens said, “Let’s remember the remarkable legacy of cinematic creativity that David left for us – the mystical beauty we found in living his dreams. And as we leave this ceremony with David in our hearts, let us dedicate ourselves to restoring our devastated movie capital – and to making certain that ‘the movies’ in all their forms – not be afraid of grace and beauty and rise to new heights to entertain and enlighten the world.”
AFI also announced that the Richard Frank Scholarship Fund at the AFI Conservatory, which was established in 2024, will award scholarships to AFI Fellows in the name of each of the AFI AWARDS honorees. The scholarships will provide financial assistance to empower and amplify the voices of young storytellers.
The AFI AWARDS luncheon also featured the Institute’s signature March of Time montage – a unique cross-section of cinematic milestones from decades past, which places the motion picture and television program honorees into a historical context and provides a perspective on the evolution of the narrative arts.
Guests in attendance at the AFI AWARDS luncheon included Rose Abdoo, Pam Abdy, Lucia Aniello, Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Stephanie Beatriz, Kristen Bell, Edward Berger, Alan Bergman, Lionel Boyce, Adam Brody, Adrien Brody, Quinta Brunson, Camille, Matt Chessé, Jon M. Chu, Dylan Clark, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Robert A. Daly, Mike De Luca, Colman Domingo, Clément Ducol, Ayo Edebiri, Jesse Eisenberg, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cynthia Erivo, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Colin Farrell, Mona Fastvold, Rhenzy Feliz, Ralph Fiennes, Jean Picker Firstenberg, Harrison Ford, David Foster, Erin Foster, Jodie Foster, Sara Foster, Richard Frank, Jomo Fray, Petra Fried, Dede Gardner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Jeff Goldblum, Neil Goldman, Brett Goldstein, Ariana Grande, David Greenbaum, Jennifer Grey, Jessica Gunning, Justin Halpern, Fred Hechinger, Ethan Herisse, Boyd Holbrook, Moeka Hoshi, Pearlena Igbokwe, Mark Indelicato, Sean ‘Dino’ Johnson, Rachel Kondo, Peter Kujawski, Greg Kwedar, John Landgraf, Donna Langley, Bill Lawrence, Issa López, Justine Lupe, Clarence Maclin, Leonard Maltin, James Mangold, Justin Marks, Nava Mau, Christopher McDonald, Ted McGinley, Yariv Milchan, Cristin Milioti, Hiro Murai, Edward Norton, Deirdre O’Connell, Adriana Paz, Marc Platt, Samantha Quan, Edgar Ramírez, Matt Reeves, Kali Reis, RaMell Ross, Zoe Saldaña, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ted Sarandos, Patrick Schumacker, Michael Schur, Jason Segel, Helen Shaver, Francesca Sloane, Megan Stalter, George Stevens, Jr., Christopher Storer, Peter Straughan, Luke Tennie, Jackie Tohn, Vache Tovmasyan, Michael Urie, Jon-Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez, Denis Villeneuve, Jeremy Allen White, Jessica Williams, Brandon Wilson, Michelle Yeoh, David Zaslav and more.
