THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE’S ANNUAL POWER LUNCH HONORS TODAY’S FINEST FILM AND TELEVISION ARTISTS AT AFI AWARDS 2012
Ben Affleck, Judd Apatow, Kathryn Bigelow, Louis C.K., George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Bryan Cranston, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Damian Lewis, Steven Spielberg, Chris Tucker and Many More Honorees Attend Thirteenth Annual Celebration of AFI Almanac
LOS ANGELES, CA, January 11, 2013 – America’s finest film and television artists from in front of and behind the camera were among the attendees honored by the American Film Institute (AFI) during its AFI AWARDS 2012 luncheon sponsored by Verizon Digital Media Services. The awards season event, favored by artists and entertainment executives for its intimacy and collaborative recognition where everyone is a winner, documents the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television, and is the only national recognition that honors the community’s creative ensembles as a whole.
Among the honored artists present were: Ben Affleck, George Clooney and John Goodman (ARGO); Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD); Christopher Nolan (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES); Tom Hooper and Hugh Jackman (LES MISÉRABLES); Ang Lee (LIFE OF PI); Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg (LINCOLN); Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, David O. Russell, Chris Tucker and Jacki Weaver (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK); Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal (ZERO DARK THIRTY); Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD); Jay Roach (GAME CHANGE); Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham (GIRLS); Damian Lewis (HOMELAND); Louis C.K. (LOUIE); Christina Hendricks and Matthew Weiner (MAD MEN); and Julie Bowen (MODERN FAMILY). Bryan Cranston and Anne Hathaway appeared in two AFI AWARDS 2012 honored works, Cranston for ARGO and BREAKING BAD and Hathaway for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and LES MISÉRABLES.
Norman Jewison (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, MOONSTRUCK) delivered the benediction, acknowledging the importance of the American Film Institute as his inspiration for founding the Canadian Film Centre, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Film historian Leonard Maltin, a member of the AFI Jury for Motion Pictures, recognized the film honorees while Richard Frank, Chair of the AFI Jury for Television and an AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chair, acknowledged the small screen honorees.
In addition to Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, other AFI Board of Trustees attending included: AFI Board of Trustees Chair Sir Howard Stringer, AFI Board of Directors Chair Bob Daly, Jon Avnet, Chris Forman, Jim Gianopulos, Alan Horn, Bryan Lourd, Ron Meyer, Wendi Murdoch, Chris Silbermann, George Stevens, Jr.and Anne Sweeney.
Verizon Digital Media Services is the presenting sponsor of the event, underwriting the AFI AWARDS 2012 luncheon and creating 20 scholarships in the name of each honoree for the next generation of storytellers at the AFI Conservatory, which is renowned for its advanced training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. And, AFI Conservatory alumni continue to be represented for their contributions to the art form with 27 AFI Conservatory alumni across 13 of the AFI AWARDS “official selections” among the creative ensembles recognized, including Bradley Buecker, Jay Cassidy, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Affonso Gonçalves, Jennifer Getzinger, Janusz Kamiński, Lesli Linka Glatter, Wally Pfister, Gideon Raff, Robert Richardson and Sharon Seymour.
Audi of America is an official sponsor of the event. Additional sponsors include Stella Artois and American Airlines, the official airline of the American Film Institute, providing travel support throughout the year.
As previously announced in December 2012, the AFI AWARDS 2012 official selections are:
| AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR ARGO BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD THE DARK KNIGHT RISES DJANGO UNCHAINED LES MISÉRABLES LIFE OF PI LINCOLN MOONRISE KINGDOM SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK ZERO DARK THIRTY |
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM BREAKING BAD GAME CHANGE GAME OF THRONES GIRLS HOMELAND LOUIE MAD MEN MODERN FAMILY THE WALKING DEAD |
MAD MEN tops the list as the most recognized AFI AWARDS TV honoree, with the 2012 honor marking its fifth appearance in the AFI almanac, followed closely by BREAKING BAD, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, MODERN FAMILY, THE SOPRANOS and THE WIRE, each with four AFI AWARDS honors since 2001.
Additional information and jury rationales for each selection can be found at AFI.com/afiawards. Event photos are available through Getty Images at gettyimages.com.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts.
AFI preserves the legacy of America’s film heritage for future generations through the AFI Archive, comprised of rare footage from across the history of the moving image and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, an authoritative record of American films from 1893 to the present.
AFI honors the artists and their work through a variety of annual programs and special events, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI Awards. Celebrating its 41st year in 2013, the AFI Life Achievement Award has remained the highest honor for a career in film while AFI Awards, the Institute’s almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year. AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers. And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI offers film enthusiasts a variety of events throughout the year, including AFI Fest presented by Audi, the Institute’s annual year-end celebration of artistic excellence in cinema; AFI Silverdocs, the largest documentary festival in the U.S.; and year-round programming at the AFI Silver Theatre in the Washington, DC, area.
AFI educates the next generation of storytellers at its AFI Conservatory, which has been consistently recognized as one of the world’s top film schools, boasting alumni including Darren Aronofsky, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Heidi Levitt, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Wally Pfister, Robert Richardson, Ed Zwick and so many more. AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling.
For more information about AFI, visit AFI.com or connect with AFI at: facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, twitter.com/AmericanFilm and youtube.com/AFI.
About Verizon Digital Media Services
Verizon Digital Media Services offers a full digital video suite, from content ingest to media delivery on virtually any device and any network. Through the interplay of unique assets – including a global video distribution network, intelligence edge system and a media optimized platform – Verizon Digital Media Services enables content owners, TV Everywhere providers and digital retailers to expand their premium video businesses, services and audiences.
