January 14, 2016
Congrats to AFI’s 2016 Oscar Nominees
Four AFI Conservatory alumni have been nominated for 2016 Academy Award® — in the Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Best Live Action Short and Best Cinematography categories. Director/writer Henry Hughes’ (AFI Class of 2014) AFI Conservatory thesis film DAY ONE received a Live Action Short nomination following an awards season winning streak that included the gold medal at…
January 8, 2016
The AFI AWARDS 2015 March of Time Video Is Here
The annual AFI AWARDS luncheon opens with the Institute’s signature March of Time montage. This unique chronicle of the evolution of the moving image weaves the year’s most outstanding films and television into the history of the medium, from 1895 to present day. Here’s this year’s March of Time video:
January 7, 2016
Remembering Legendary Cinematographers Haskell Wexler and Vilmos Zsigmond
Two of cinema's greatest legends died recently: cinematographers Haskell Wexler (93) and Vilmos Zsigmond (85). Both Oscar®-winning iconoclasts of the medium, their worked spanned decades since the 1960s, lensing groundbreaking New Hollywood classics, many of which are featured on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies lists. A master of black-and-white and color, Wexler's filmography includes WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA...
December 18, 2015
The AFI Interview: SON OF SAUL Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély
László Nemes’s harrowing portrait of a Sonderkommando in the final days of Auschwitz, SON OF SAUL stunned Cannes upon its world premiere, landing the festival’s Grand Jury Prize and making the festival rounds before playing at AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi. We spoke with cinematographer and AFI Conservatory alumnus Mátyás Erdély about how he…
December 15, 2015
Here Are the AFI AWARDS 2015 Official Selections
It’s once again time for AFI AWARDS, an annual celebration of outstanding achievements in the moving image arts that recognizes the year’s most culturally and artistically significant works of both film and television. And what a stellar year it has been. AFI AWARDS aren’t like other accolades about the art form — they acknowledge the importance of…
December 14, 2015
From the Archives: George Lucas Tells the STAR WARS Origin Story
With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS hitting theaters this week, we dug up a vintage American Film™ magazine interview with George Lucas published just before the release of the first STAR WARS film in 1977. Long before the space opera franchise would land in the hands of director J.J. Abrams, Lucas started developing STAR WARS in the early 1970s, even…
December 10, 2015
The AFI Interview: UNREAL Creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (AFI DWW, Class of 2012) continues to receive acclaim and accolades as co-creator of the Lifetime original series UNREAL, which grew from her AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) short SEQUIN RAZE. AFI spoke with Shapiro about her series’ meteoric success story, and how her AFI DWW experience shaped her…
December 8, 2015
AFI and Lifetime Team Up to Employ Female Filmmakers
AFI and Lifetime will join forces next year to create and offer production jobs for each graduate of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) throughout the A+E Networks’ portfolio of platforms starting with the Class of 2015. The alliance is part of Lifetime's Broad Focus initiative to provide women with more opportunities to write, develop,...
December 2, 2015
Four Documentary Projects Receive First-Ever AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants
This week, AFI announced the four documentary projects that will receive funding from the first-ever AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants. The grants will support the outreach and social action campaigns for the projects, which screened at AFI DOCS 2015 and participated in the inaugural AFI DOCS Impact Lab, a two-day filmmaker workshop that engaged participants with policymakers pursuing…
December 1, 2015
The AFI Interview: MR. ROBOT Creator Sam Esmail
Sam Esmail graduated from the AFI Conservatory in 2004. Since then, he's directed a feature film and created a hit television series beloved by critics and viewers alike. Here's our interview with the AFI alum. Please introduce yourself. My name is Sam Esmail. I was born to Egyptian parents in the lovely city and state of Hoboken,...
November 24, 2015
Look Back at AFI FEST 2015’s Cultural Supporters
This year, many cultural supporters helped celebrate AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi. These guests included consul generals, cultural representatives and filmmakers hailing from 15 countries, proving that the love of world cinema can speak one language. Events such as the Awards Brunch, the Filmmaker Welcome Dinner, the Francophone reception and the YOUTH reception for…
November 20, 2015
Ridley Scott Reveals the Opening to the BLADE RUNNER Sequel
Ridley Scott appeared at AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi to not only talk about his many notable past projects and his current film – THE MARTIAN –but also about his upcoming sequel to BLADE RUNNER, in which Harrison Ford is set to return as Rick Deckard and will also star Ryan Gosling. Read the transcription of his very special…
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