AFI FEST 2013 returns the historic, newly restored TCL Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Agnès Varda, considered “the Mother of French New Wave cinema,” will serve as Guest Artistic Director Trained as an artist, without formal cinematic training, she created her film production company Ciné-Tamaris in 1954 to write and direct her first feature “La Pointe Court” often considered the unofficial first New Wave film. After several documentaries, she released her acclaimed nouvelle vague film CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7 (CLÉO DE 5 À 7) in 1962.
Varda, a seminal force in art cinema, directed over 30 films and receiving many accolades, including the César Award for best documentary for THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (LES PLAGES D’AGNÈS) and the Golden Lion for VAGABOND (SANS TOIT NI LOI). In 2003, Varda went back to her artistic roots and has been focusing on the visual arts, including installations, videos and photography. In 2013 she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“They suggested that I pick some films that have influenced me” said Agnès Varda. “Alas, I can’t. When I wrote and shot my first film in 1954, LA POINT COURTE, I had hardly seen 10 films. My culture was books, painting and theatre. Alain Resnais, who edited my film, was the one who told me about cinema and suggested that I go to the Cinemathèque, which I had not approached before. If I had seen the masterpieces that I discovered later I certainly would not have dared to create a film at 26. My ignorance gave me freedom and audacity. “
As Guest Artistic Director, Varda has selected films that have inspired her throughout her six-decade career: PICKPOCKET (DIR Robert Bresson, 1959), A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (DIR John Cassavetes, 1974), THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN (DIR Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1979) and AFTER HOURS (DIR Martin Scorsese, 1985). In addition, the festival will be screening a selection of Varda’s films, including restored versions of CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (CLÉO DE 5 À 7) and DOCUMENTEUR. Varda’s hybrid film DOCUMENTEUR, (which features archival material from her life and a performance by Varda’s son Mathieu as the young son of typist Emilie Cooper, played by the film’s editor, Sabine Mamou) will screen at the Chinese 5 11/10/2013, 4:30 p.m.
There will be a red carpet Gala each night of the festival. All Galas will be presented in the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.
OPENING NGHT GALA: SAVING MR. BANKS: Thursday, November 7, TCL Theatre.
USA. North American Premiere.
Inspired by true events, the film tells the extraordinary, untold story of how Walt Disney’s classic MARY POPPINS made it to the screen – and the testy relationship between the legendary Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers that almost derailed it. DIR John Lee Hancock. SCR Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith. CAST Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, Colin Farrell.
CENTERPIECE GALAS:
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY: USA
Friday, November 8, TCL Theatre
A dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house where they grew up, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.
DIR John Wells. CAST : Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney and Sam Shepard.
OUT OF THE FURNACE: USA. World Premiere Saturday, November 9, TCL Theatre
A gripping and gritty drama about family, fate, circumstance, and justice. DIR Scott Cooper. SCR Scott Cooper, Brad Ingelsby. CAST Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard.
THE LAST EMPEROR 3D North American Premiere Sunday, November 10, TCL Theatre.
THE LAST EMPEROR 3D – Winner of nine Oscars®, this visually sumptuous drama has been transformed into 3-D by director Bernardo Bertolucci and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. This presentation will be the North American Premiere of the 3D version of the film. DIR Bernardo Bertolucci. SCR Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci. CAST John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole. China, Italy, UK, France.
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NEBRASKA : USA. Monday, November 11, TCL Theatre.
featuring a Tribute to Bruce Dern: After receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail, a cantankerous father thinks he’s struck it rich and wrangles his son into taking a road trip to claim the fortune. Shot in black and white across four states, the film tells the stories of family life in the heartland of America. DIR Alexander Payne. SCR Bob Nelson. CAST Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Stacy Keach, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk.
LONE SURVIVOR – USA. World Premiere. Tuesday, November 12, TCL Theatre.
Based on The New York Times bestselling true story of heroism, courage and survival, the film tells the incredible tale of four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative who are ambushed by the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan. Faced with an impossible moral decision, the small band is isolated from help and surrounded by a much larger force of Taliban ready for war. As they confront unthinkable odds together, the four men find reserves of strength and resilience as they stay in the fight to the finish. DIR/SCR Peter Berg. CAST Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Ali Suliman, Alexander Ludwig, Eric Bana.
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY: USA. Wednesday, November 13, TCL Theatre.
Ben Stiller directs and stars as Walter Mitty in James Thurber’s classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker is threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. DIR Ben Stiller. SCR Steven Conrad. CAST Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn.
CLOSING NIGHT GALA: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS: USA. TCL Theatre
Thursday, November 14, TCL Theatre.The film follows a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. DIR/SCR Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. CAST Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake.
“Our Centerpiece Galas reflect the diverse cinematic experience at AFI FEST, from our smaller independent films to larger studio releases. We are thrilled to have the World Premiere of OUT OF THE FURNACE; to honor the legendary Bruce Dern for his outstanding career and his brilliant performance in NEBRASKA; and to take the audience on a journey with THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, AFI FEST Festival Director.
AFI FEST presented by Audi is a celebration of global cinema and today’s Hollywood, a showcase for the best festival films of the year and an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in the movie capital of the world. AFI FEST is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public.
“The American Film Institute honors the past, the present and the future of the motion picture arts. Now in its 27th year, AFI FEST remains the place to experience Hollywood now – a place that lives in the mythology of the movies, but also the dynamic global stories of today,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale.
“Our line-up of programming, from opening to closing, reflects what Hollywood is today: a broad spectrum of stories from studio and independent filmmakers, and having Agnès Varda as Guest Artistic Director was a conscious decision to recognize the global influence of an icon of the French New Wave,” said Festival Director Jacqueline Lyanga. “The blending of studio, independent, foreign and auteur films and the artists who made them is the embodiment of AFI FEST.”
SPECIAL TRIBUTE: AN EVENING WITH DAVID O. RUSSELL
Egyptian Friday11/08/2013, 9:00 p.m.
A conversation with award-winning director David O. Russell celebrating his acclaimed work and new film AMERICAN HUSTLE. The tribute presentation will feature scenes from Russell’s body of work and AMERICAN HUSTLE. Like Russell’s previous films, AMERICAN HUSTLE defies genre, hinging on raw emotion, and life and death stakes.
Three-time Academy Award®-nominee David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE, which he also co-wrote, reunites the director with four actors he has directed to an Academy Award® nomination or win: Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Russell wrote and directed SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012), a box office sensation that earned eight Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and acting nominations in all four categories — Best Actor for Bradley Cooper, Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence, Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro and Best Supporting Actress for Jacki Weaver. Lawrence took home the Oscar®.
Russell directed THE FIGHTER (2010), which earned seven Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale and two Best Supporting Actress nods for Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, and Oscar® wins for Bale and Leo. Prior films include I HUCKABEES (2004), THREE KINGS (1999), FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (1996) and SPANKING THE MONKEY (1994).
Russell is a longtime board member of the Ghetto Film School, an organization that supports the growth and education of young black and Latino filmmakers in the South Bronx.
Special Screenings:
HER (DIR Spike Jonze) USA From the singular perspective of Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) comes HER, an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world. Set in Los Angeles in the near future, the film follows Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice (Scarlett Johansson) who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. DIR/SCR Spike Jonze. CAST Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde.
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN –(DIR Ralph Fiennes). Nelly (Felicity Jones), a happily married mother and schoolteacher, is haunted by her past. Her memories, provoked by remorse and guilt, take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. DIR Ralph Fiennes. SCR Abi Morgan. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas. United Kingdom.
JODOROWSKY’S DUNE (DIR Frank Pavich) USA
The story of legendary cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s staggeringly ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel DUNE. DIR Frank Pavich.
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (DIR Justin Chadwick) South Africa
Based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country’s once segregated society. DIR Justin Chadwick. SCR William Nicholson. CAST Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Jamie Bartlett, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Terry Pheto, Deon Lotz. South Africa.
THE PAST (LE PASSÉ) (DIR Asghar Farhadi) France, Iran, Italy.
Following a four-year separation, Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) returns to Paris from Tehran, upon his estranged French wife Marie (Bérénice Bejo)’s request, in order to finalize their divorce procedure so she can marry her new boyfriend Samir (Tahar Rahim). During his tense brief stay, Ahmad discovers the conflicting nature of Marie’s relationship with her teenage daughter Lucie (Pauline Burlet). Ahmad’s efforts to improve this relationship soon unveil a secret from their past. DIR/SCR Asghar Farhadi. CAST Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet.
PHILOMENA (DIR Stephen Frears) United Kingdom.
Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee,” PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock, something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of, and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into the son’s whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son. DIR Stephen Frears. SCR Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope. CAST Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Michelle Fairley, Barbara Jefford, Anna Maxwell Martin, Mare Winningham, Sophie Kennedy Clark. United Kingdom.
THE UNKNOWN KNOWN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DONALD RUMSFELD (DIR Errol Morris)
The latest from Errol Morris focuses on former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Probing and insightful, Morris is the unequalled master of unpacking and contextualizing our recent shared history. DIR Errol Morris. USA.
The New Auteurs section highlights first and second-time feature film directors from around the world and the Shorts selections present wildly diverse points of view from a variety of countries around the world. Both sections are juried and are available for Grand Jury Awards. This year’s New Auteurs jury features Peter Debruge (Variety), Karina Longworth (author and critic), Amy Nicholson (LA Weekly) and Betsy Sharkey (Los Angeles Times). The Shorts jury features Alejandro De Leon (producer), Kitao Sakurai (filmmaker), Jordan Vogt-Roberts (filmmaker) and Heidi Zwicker (shorts programmer).
“I left Los Angeles eleven months ago and traveled to over half a dozen film festivals to curate the New Auteurs section and find the 10 finest films from first and second-time filmmakers,” said Lane Kneedler, Associate Director of Programming, AFI FEST. “It is heartening to see new filmmakers take such bold and courageous steps so early in their careers, and it is thrilling to see the reactions of our audiences as they experience the works of this talented group of artists.”
NEW AUTEURS SELECTIONS (10 titles)
THE FAKE (DIR Yeon Sang-ho.) South Korea. In this controversial animated drama from South Korea, a rural village in danger of a flood turns to a church that promises salvation. DIR Yeon Sang-ho. SCR Yeon Sang-ho. CAST Yang Ikjune, Oh Jungse, Kwon Haehyo, Park Heevon.
HARMONY LESSONS –(DIR Emir Baigazin). Kazakhstan, Germany, France.
This captivating Kazakh drama follows an adolescent boy who faces schoolyard bullying – part of a hierarchy of village corruption – who resolves to plot revenge. DIR Emir Baigazin. SCR Emir Baigazin. CAST Timur Aidarbekov, Aslan Anarbayev, Mukhtar Anadassov, Anelya Adilbekova.
IN BLOOM –(DIR Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Gross.) Georgia, Germany, France. Official Oscar Submission .A powerful story about two 14-year-old girls who challenge patriarchal expectations in 1992 Tbilisi, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. DIR Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Gross. SCR Nana Ekvtimishvili. CAST Lika Babluani, Mariam Bokeria, Zurab Gogaladze.
MY DOG KILLER – (DIR Mira Fornay) Slovakia, Czech Republic. Official Oscar Submission
This simmering drama follows a lonely young adult living in rural Slovakia, where bubbling ethnic tensions and inner turmoil lead to dark consequences. DIR Mira Fornay. SCR Mira Fornay. CAST Adam Mihal, Marian Kuruc, Irena Bendova, Libor Filo.
NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN –(DIR Katrin Gebbe) Germany.
A new member of a fundamentalist Christian group moves in with a family, but soon descends into a vortex of dogmatism, heresy and violence. DIR Katrin Gebbe. SCR Katrin Gebbe. CAST Julius Feldmeier, Sascha Gersak, Swantje Kohlhof, Annika Kuhl.
THE OWNERS – (DIR Agustín Toscano & Ezequiel Radusky.) North American Premiere. Argentina A comic look at class struggle, this Argentine tale of estate workers and their employers makes full use of its ensemble cast to explore the difficulty of sustaining a lie. DIR Agustín Toscano & Ezequiel Radusky. SCR Agustín Toscano & Ezequiel Radusky. CAST Rosario Blefari, Germán De Silva, Sergio Prina, Cynthia Avellaneda.
THE SELFISH GIANT –(DIR Clio Barnard.) United Kingdom. In this memorable example of British realism, feisty menace Arbor and his friend Swifty are expelled from school and turn to illegal means of making money. DIR Clio Barnard. SCR Clio Barnard. CAST Connor Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder, Rebecca Manley.
A SPELL TO WARD OFF THE DARKNESS – (DIR Ben Rivers & Ben Russell.) France, Estoria.
Filmmakers Ben Russell and Ben Rivers team up for the first time to create this experimental triptych of stories revolving around a silent protagonist. DIR Ben Rivers & Ben Russell. SCR Ben Rivers & Ben Russell. CAST Robert A.A Lowe, Taraka Larson, Nimai Larson, Nick Turvey.
THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT – (DIR Ramon Zürcher) Germany.
A whimsical exploration of the tensions and pleasures of everyday life is made in a cramped Berlin apartment overflowing with adults, children and pets. DIR Ramon Zürcher. SCR Ramon Zürcher. Jenny Schily, Anjorka Strechel, Mia Kasalo, Luk Pfaff.
WE ARE MARI PEPA – (DIR Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo.) Mexico
This comic love letter to the loss of innocence follows a Guadalajara teenager with fun summer expectations who must come to terms with growing responsibilities. DIR Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo. SCR Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo & Sofía Gómez Córdova. CAST Alejandro Gallardo, Arnold Ramírez, Jaime Miranda, Moisés Galindo.
WORLD CINEMA SELECTIONS (32 titles)
This section presents new work by many of the world’s most renowned filmmakers.
BABY BLUES – DIR/SCR Kasia Rosłaniec. Poland.
BETHLEHEM – DIR Yuval Adler. SCR Yuval Adler, Ali Waked. Isarel. Official Oscar Submission
BORGMAN – DIR/SCR Alex van Warmerdam. Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark. Official Oscar Submission
CHILD’S POSE – DIR Călin Peter Netzer. SCR Răzvan Rădulescu, Călin Peter Netzer. Romania.
Official Oscar Submission
CLOSED CURTAIN – DIR Jafar Panahi, Kamboziya Partovi. SCR Jafar Panahi. Iran.
THE CONGRESS – DIR/SCR Ari Folman. Israel, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg.
AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER – DIR/SCR Danis Tanovic. Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Slovenia. Official Oscar Submission
EXHIBITION – DIR/SCR Joanna Hogg. United Kingdom.
GABRIELLE – DIR/SCR Louise Archambault. Canada. Official Oscar Submission
GLORIA – DIR Sebastián Lelio. SCR Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza. Chile, Spain. Official Oscar Submission
GRAND CENTRAL – DIR Rebecca Zlotowski. SCR Gaëlle Mace, Rebecca Zlotowski. France, Austria.
THE GREAT BEAUTY – DIR Paolo Sorrentino. SCR Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contarello. Italy, France. Official Oscar Submission
HALF OF A YELLOW SUN – DIR/SCR Biyi Bandele. Nigeria, United Kingdom.
HELI – DIR Amat Escalante. SCR Amat Escalante, Gabriel Reyes. Mexico, France, Germany, Netherlands. Official Oscar Submission
JUVENILE OFFENDER – DIR Kang Yi-kwan. SCR Kang Yi-kwan, Park Joo-young. South Korea.Official Oscar Submission
LA JAULA DE ORO – DIR Diego Quemada-Diez. SCR Diego Quemada-Diez, Gibrán Portela, Lucía Carrera. Mexico, Spain.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON – DIR/SCR Hirokazu Kore-eda. Japan.
THE LUNCHBOX – DIR/SCR Ritesh Batra. India, France, Germany.
MANAKAMANA – DIR Stephanie Spray, Pacho Velez. Nepal, USA.
MANUSCRIPTS DON’T BURN – DIR Mohammad Rasoulof. Iran.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS – DIR Thomas Imbach. SCR Thomas Imbach, Andrea Štaka, Eduard Habsburg. Switzerland, France.
THE MISSING PICTURE – DIR Rithy Panh. SCR Christophe Bataille. Cambodia, France.
Official Oscar Submission
MOEBIUS – DIR/SCR Kim Ki-duk. South Korea.
OMAR – DIR/SCR Hany Abu-Assad. Palestine.Official Oscar Submission
OUR SUNHI – DIR/SCR Hong Sang-soo. South Korea.
THE ROCKET – DIR/SCR Kim Mordaunt. Australia.Official Oscar Submission
STRANGER BY THE LAKE – DIR/SCR Alain Guiraudie. France.=
TOM AT THE FARM – DIR Xavier Dolan. SCR Xavier Dolan, Michel Marc Bouchard. Canada, France.
VIC + FLO SAW A BEAR – DIR/SCR Denis Côté. Canada.
WE ARE THE BEST! – DIR/SCR Lukas Moodysson. Sweden.
WHEN EVENING FALLS ON BUCHAREST OR METABOLISM – DIR/SCR Corneliu Porumboiu. Romania, France.
THE WIND RISES – DIR/SCR Hayao Miyazaki. Japan.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS SELECTIONS (6 titles)
Featuring work by emerging U.S. filmmakers.
AWFUL NICE – DIR Todd Sklar. SCR Todd Sklar, Alex Rennie. USA.
BLUE RUIN – DIR/SCR Jeremy Saulnier. USA.
BREATHE IN – DIR Drake Doremus. SCR Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones. USA.
CAUCUS – DIR AJ Schnack. USA.
CHARLIE VICTOR ROMEO – DIR Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, Karlyn Michelson. SCR Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, Irving Gregory. USA.
WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE – DIR Zeke Hawkins, Simon Hawkins. SCR Dutch Southern. USA.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
HER-DIR Spike Jonze
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN-DIR Ralph Fiennes
JODOROWSKY’S DUNE-DIR Frank Pavich
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM-DIR Justin Chadwick
THE PAST-DIR Asghar Farhadi Official Oscar Submission
PHILOMENA-DIR Stephen Frears
BREAKTHROUGH SELECTIONS (4 titles)
B FOR BOY – DIR/SCR Chika Anadu. Nigeria. North American Premiere.
CONGRATULATIONS! – DIR/SCR Mike Brune. USA.
LITTLE BLACK SPIDERS – DIR Patrice Toye. SCR Ina Vandewijer, Patrice Toye. Belgium.
MY AFGHANISTAN – LIFE IN THE FORBIDDEN ZONE – DIR/SCR Nagieb Khaja. Denmark.
MIDNIGHT SELECTIONS (5 titles)
This section showcases comedy and horror programming worth staying up late for.
BIG BAD WOLVES – DIR/SCR Navot Papushado, Aharon Keshlaes. Israel.
THE GREEN INFERNO – DIR Eli Roth. SCR Eli Roth, Guillermo Amoedo. USA, Chile.
R100 – DIR/SCR Hitoshi Matsumoto. Japan.
THE SACRAMENT – DIR/SCR Ti West. USA.
THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS – DIR/SCR Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani. Belgium, France, Luxembourg.
CINEMA’S LEGACY SELECTIONS (3 titles)
THE COURT JESTER (1955) – DIR/SCR Norman Panama, Melvin Frank. USA.
MARY POPPINS (1964) – DIR Robert Stevenson. SCR Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi. USA.
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) – DIR/SCR Jacques Demy. France.
PRESENTATIONS SELECTIONS (2 titles)
The Whitewater Films Roundtable
Micro-Budget Filmmaking – The New Paradigm
Producer and Director Rick Rosenthal brings the famed Whitewater Films roundtable to AFI FEST for a conversation about how micro-budget filmmaking has emerged as the new paradigm for independent filmmakers. The conversation will be followed by a screening of Rosenthal’s micro-budget film DRONES.
DRONES – DIR Rick Rosenthal. SCR Matt Witten. USA.
Michael Stevens presents HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE
Special guests join director Michael Stevens for a panel discussion about the influence of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block. The conversation will be followed by a screening of Stevens’ HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE.
HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE – DIR Michael Stevens. SCR Sara Lukinson, Michael Stevens. USA.
For a complete listing of the shorts programs go to http://afifest.afi.com and search sections or go directly to http://afifest.afi.com/search-bar/perform-search.
For the fifth consecutive year, AFI FEST will offer free tickets to all screenings, but only the The Star Patron Package and Marquee Patron Package will provide reserved seating for the festival’s announced galas and special screenings These and other AFI FEST Passes are on sale now at AFI.com/AFIFEST.
Free individual tickets to AFI FEST screenings and galas will be available to AFI members on Monday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 29 in a 48-hour advance window before they become available to the general public on Wednesday, October 30 and Thursday, October 31. In addition, AFI members at the Two-Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes. Information about AFI membership is available at AFI.com/membership.
For the 10th year, Audi returns as the festival’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, the official airline of AFI; The American Film Market (AFM); AT&T; Coca Cola; The Egyptian Theatre; Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; National Geographic Channel; Stella Artois and TCL Chinese Theatre, among many others.