AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi
ANNOUNCES DATES AND CALL FOR ENTRIES
The American Film Institute Celebrates the Year in Global Cinema and is the Only Festival of its Stature Free to the Public
Festival Mixes Nightly Red Carpet Galas of Hollywood Films with New Auteur Works from Around the World
LOS ANGELES, CA, March 29, 2012 – AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi officially announced its dates and call for entries today. The American Film Institute’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings the audience and the entertainment community together to explore the year in global cinema through the new works of film masters, moving image icons and breakthrough talents, and is the only film festival of its stature that is free to the public. AFI FEST will take place November 1 through 8 in Hollywood, California, the movie capital of the world, at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres at the Hollywood & Highland Center, the Egyptian Theatre of the American Cinematheque and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
AFI FEST mixes nightly red carpet galas of Hollywood films with new auteur works from around the world, ensuring that an extraordinary array of foreign filmmaker voices is heard. Last year brought the newest films from established foreign filmmakers to Los Angeles – including Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Asghar Farhadi, Werner Herzog, Hong Sang-soo, Jafar Panahi, Béla Tarr, Lars von Trier and Wim Wenders – so that the city’s film-lovers can access this remarkable body of work.
Emerging in 1987 as a program of the American Film Institute, the festival has paid tribute to numerous influential filmmakers and artists over the years, including Pedro Almodóvar and David Lynch as Guest Artistic Directors, as well as top film talent such as Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle, Catherine Deneuve, Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep, to name a few. In addition, AFI FEST has screened scores of films that have produced Oscar wins including, more recently, THE ARTIST, BLACK SWAN, THE KING’S SPEECH, PRECIOUS, A SEPARATION and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
“Each year, the festival brings over a hundred filmmakers from around the world to Los Angeles to present their films, and to spend eight days with among the most discerning public audiences of movie-lovers in the world and leaders in the entertainment community. We bring filmmakers to Los Angeles, some for the first time, and it all begins with the call for entries,“ said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.
Submissions are now open and filmmakers are invited to submit narrative, documentary, experimental, animated and short films at AFI.com/AFIFEST or through Withoutabox.com. The final submission deadline for short films (under 30 minutes) is July 27, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards®. The final deadline for feature-length films is August 10. Films found solely through the submissions process are presented in the festival’s “Breakthrough” section, providing an opportunity for new filmmakers to share their vision with the world and receive a $5,000 cash award.
“As a programmer, the thrill of watching a blind submission new entry and discovering a new filmmaker is such a rewarding experience. Through our submission process last year, we found new filmmakers in every corner of the globe, including Chile, Iran and Sweden, and we look forward to the talent that awaits us this year,” said Lane Kneedler, Associate Director of Programming, AFI FEST.
Filmmakers can e-mail [email protected] or call 1.866.AFI.FEST for more information about the submissions process.
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 40th year in 2012, 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-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, the largest documentary festival in the U.S., celebrating its 10th edition this year; and year-round programming at the AFI Silver Theatre in the Washington, DC area.
AFI educates the next generation of storytellers at its world-renowned AFI Conservatory, named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter for the quality of its instructors and speakers, and its “glittering parade of alumni.” 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 AFI FEST presented by Audi
The American Film Institute’s annual celebration of artistic excellence, AFI FEST presented by Audi brings the audience and the entertainment community together to explore the year in global cinema through the new works of film masters, moving image icons and breakthrough talents, and it is the only film festival of its stature that is free to the public. AFI FEST mixes nightly red carpet galas of Hollywood films with new auteur works from around the world, ensuring that an extraordinary array of foreign filmmaker voices is heard. Launching awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing audiences with the very best of global cinema, right in the center of the movie-making capital of the world.
Celebrating its 26th year as a program of the American Film Institute, the festival has paid tribute to numerous influential filmmakers and artists over the years, including Pedro Almodóvar and David Lynch as Guest Artistic Directors, and has screened scores of films that have produced Oscar nominations and wins including, most recently, THE ARTIST and A SEPARATION.
AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi will take place November 1 through 8 in the heart of Hollywood. AFI FEST is the only FIAPF-accredited film festival in the United States, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy Awards®.
Audi is the festival’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, the official airline of AFI, and Stella Artois.
Additional information about AFI FEST is available at AFI.com/ AFIFEST. Connect with AFI FEST at facebook.com/AFIFEST, twitter.com/AFIFEST and youtube.com/ AFIFEST.
About Audi
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2011, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies. Visit audiusa.com or audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.
