Latest in AFI

The American Film Institute’s board of trustees said Friday that Julie Andrews will receive the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award next year. The award will be presented April 25, 2020 at a gala in Los Angeles. Andrews, the star of screen and stage, won the Best Actress Oscar for Mary Poppins in her feature film debut…

Perhaps it is telling us something about the history of the film industry that Denzel Washington, last night’s highly deserving honoree for the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award, is only the third African American to ever receive it, and before Morgan Freeman was honored in 2011, Sidney Poitier in 1992 was the…

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has been elected chair of the American Film Institute Board of Trustees. Kennedy will lead the AFI Trustees to set the Institute's priorities and guide its national education programs. Kennedy succeeds Sir Howard Stringer, who served as chair of the AFI Board of Trustees since…

EXCLUSIVE: The American Film Institute (AFI) and the Russo Brothers’ AGBO Films have teamed for the AGBO/AFI Conservatory Development Grant, and have named Angela Chen (AFI Class of 2018) as this year’s recipient. This new program awards $25K to a recent AFI Conservatory graduate to develop at least one project, with…

The American Film Institute said that film, TV and music video artist Melina Matsoukas will be this year’s recipient of the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, which honors creative talents of AFI Conservatory alumni who embody the qualities of the filmmaker for which it is named after. The medal, which recognizes…

The American Film Institute has received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (to for an unprecedented study of gender parity in the history of American film. Named for director Lloyd Bacon’s lost 1928 film, the Women They Talk About initiative will explore how gender parity nearly was…

A column covering events and conversations on the awards circuit One day off for New Year’s and it was back into the swing of the season – BIG TIME. Kicking off a week’s end with non-stop awards-related events, you can safely use the word “whirlwind” to describe it all, as the annual Palm Springs Film Awards Gala…

The AFI has released its annual list of 10 top TV programs of the year, with FX scoring four mentions, HBO two and NBC’s This Is Us representing broadcast solo. Of the Big 3 streamers, only Hulu was shut out. Check out the list below. The top 10 is heavy with rookie series including Barry, Pose, the Emmy-winning The Ma…

The American Film Institute unveiled the 10 movies on its annual AFI Awards list on Tuesday, with a broad swath of titles from tentpoles like Disney/Marvel’s Black Panther and Warner Bros’ A Star Is Born to indie hits like A24’s Eighth Grade and First Reformed. Among others with expected mentions were Universal’s Green…

Richard Gladstein, who has served as dean of the American Film Institute’s AFI Conservatory for the past 18 months, is exiting his post, the organization said Monday. The graduate film school’s Michael Chung, Vice Dean of Administration, and Tom Engfer, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, have been appointed Co-Interim…

In the wake of the devastating Southern California wildfires, Netflix has canceled its second AFI red carpet for the Sandra Bullock movie Bird Box out of respect to the victims and those battling the tragedy. The screening for the movie will go on as planned at the TCL Chinese Theatre tonight at 7:30PM. Last night…

The American Film Institute said this morning that Denzel Washington will receive the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award. The honor will be presented to the two-time Oscar winner on June 6, 2019 at the AFI’s annual gala tribute. “Denzel Washington is an American icon,” said Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of…