On Wednesday, November 1, AFI celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Gala dinner in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC — commemorating the Institute’s roots in the nation’s capital, and 50 years of partnership with the Library of Congress (LOC). See photos below.

The evening’s program included remarks from Morgan Freeman (2011 AFI Life Achievement Award recipient); Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; AFI Founding Director George Stevens, Jr; and AFI President & CEO Bob Gazzale.  The event also served to highlight the AFI Collection at the Library of Congress, an archive of more than 37,000 motion pictures safely preserved by AFI and the LOC.

“Preserving America’s motion picture legacy is a vital component of our great nation’s collective memory,” said George Stevens, Jr. “Without two generations of artists, philanthropists, members of Congress, archivists, as well as foundations, studios and four Librarians of Congress, our mission to retain and restore this great American art form would not have been possible.”

The 50th Anniversary celebration brought together some two dozen Congressional leaders and filmmakers such as Bradley Cooper, Christopher Nolan, Lesli Linka Glatter, Lori McCreary, Jon Avnet and Grace Guggenheim.  Also in attendance were Sir Howard Stringer, the Chairman of the AFI Board of Trustees; Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI President Emerita; former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan; NBC’s Andrea Mitchell; NPR’s Cokie Roberts; and philanthropist Buffy Cafritz.

The anniversary featured a special presentation on the enduring power of the motion picture, including great works now stored in the AFI Collection at the Library of Congress. Read more about the AFI Collection.

See the full list of the event’s Congressional attendees.

AFI Founding Director George Stevens, Jr., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Bradley Cooper and AFI President & CEO Bob Gazzale Christopher Nolan and AFI Board of Trustees Chairman Sir Howard Stringer AFI President & CEO Bob Gazzale, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Morgan Freeman Filmmaker and AFI Trustee Lori McCreary; former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; NBC journalist Andrea Mitchell; filmmaker and AFI Trustee Jon Avnet Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, Andrea Mitchell and Morgan Freeman Filmmaker and AFI Directing Workshop for Women alumna Lesli Linka Glatter