Grant Establishes the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center to Support Alumni Career Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Los Angeles, CA, April 22, 2020 – Today, the American Film Institute announced it has received a $3 million gift from AFI Trustee Emeritus Lawrence Herbert, which will establish the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center on the AFI Campus located in Los Angeles, CA, as well as a digital portal, AFI Backlot, to magnify the center’s global reach to AFI alumni.

The leadership gift from Herbert is part of AFI’s “Focus on the Future” campaign to ensure AFI alumni have every opportunity to continue their successes into the future. The grant will enable AFI to increase its Alumni Affairs staff capacity, technical infrastructure and physical resources. The center’s programs will provide career development resources for AFI alumni, engage AFI’s powerful network of mentors to support alumni and champion the ongoing global accomplishments of AFI alumni.

“This gift will prove transformational for AFI alumni – and for the future of the art form,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO. “Mr. Herbert’s continued commitment to AFI will inspire the careers of America’s next generation of storytellers.”

“Film is the universal language of our modern day,” said Lawrence Herbert. “And the AFI Conservatory is educating new and inspiring voices. At this time in history, it is my honor to create a place at AFI that will drive the future of this global connection between all of us who love a story well-told.”

Herbert joined the AFI Board of Trustees in 1987 and served until 2017. Former chairman and CEO of Pantone, Inc., Herbert developed the revolutionary Pantone^® Matching System^®, the global standard for communication of color, and is often celebrated as one of the world’s visionary entrepreneurs.

About the AFI Conservatory 

The AFI Conservatory opened its doors in 1969 to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. In a collaborative production environment, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Fellows actively participate in the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition.

Alumni of this elite program, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form, include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison and Wally Pfister, among others.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)
Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation’s non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI’s pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today’s masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media
at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
American Film Institute: Stacy Adamski, 323.856.7759, [email protected]