The American Film Institute (AFI) is gearing up for its annual Los Angeles festival, presented by Canva, which runs from October 23-27. This year’s festival will feature six red carpet-premieres and a lineup of diverse films from around the world.
New additions to the festival lineup include Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, and Samir Oliveros’ The Luckiest Man in America. Documentary highlights include Zurawski v Texas, an abortion rights film produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Jennifer Lawrence, and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada.
This year’s festival offers an expansive program with 12 special screenings, 13 films selected by industry luminaries, 15 discovery films, 12 world cinema features, and 14 documentaries. Standout titles include Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse with Chloë Sevigny, David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds starring Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger, and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope. The documentary lineup is equally compelling, featuring Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie and No Other Land, a film by a Palestinian-Israeli collective about the destruction of the West Bank’s Masafer Yatta region.
Todd Hitchcock, director of AFI FEST, shared his excitement about this year’s selections, saying, “We are thrilled to bring the best of global cinema to Los Angeles. This festival is a celebration of diverse stories that will captivate audiences of all ages.”
Other notable films on the schedule include Robert Zemeckis’ Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2, and Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. On October 24, AFI will pay tribute to Zemeckis with a special conversation between him and Tom Hanks, reflecting on his influential career.
Tickets and passes for the festival are now available, with Fiji Water as the official sponsor and Canva as the presenting sponsor. Media partners include The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety.
– Virág Vida –
