
November 7, 2017
AFI FEST’s American Independents Filmmakers Pick Their Top Five Films From the Last 50 Years
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST filmmakers in the American Independents section shared with us their five favorite films from the past 50 years — from 1967 and onwards. Below, their responses.

February 17, 2017
The AFI FEST Interview: Director Mike Ott on CALIFORNIA DREAMS
Mike Ott is a four-time AFI FEST alumnus with his feature films LITTLEROCK (AFI FEST 2010), PEARBLOSSOM HWY (AFI FEST 2012) and ACTOR MARTINEZ (AFI FEST 2016), and the short film LANCASTER, CA (AFI FEST 2015). We caught up with Ott to talk about his latest feature, CALIFORNIA DREAMS, which just had its world premiere…

November 8, 2016
AFI FEST: Six Films That Blur the Line Between Documentary and Fiction
AFI FEST 2016 presented by Audi features four documentary features, but at least six more that are impossible to define in these terms: FIRE AT SEA, A DRAGON ARRIVES!, ACTOR MARTINEZ, THE FUTURE PERFECT, FEAR ITSELF and FRAUD. The most basic assurance any live-action film can offer is that for a moment in time, what…

October 23, 2016
The AFI FEST Interview: ACTOR MARTINEZ Directors Mike Ott and Nathan Silver
AFI FEST alums Mike Ott and Nathan Silver collaborate on a film that follows an actor, Arthur Martinez, as he hires two indie filmmakers (Ott and Silver playing themselves) to make a film with him as the star. Once on set, the filmmakers decide to scrap the movie that Arthur had planned to instead explore…

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