AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi FULL SLATE OF FILMS

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Thursday, 22 October 2015 07:41

Written by AFI

The American Film Institute announced the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema's Legacy programs at AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi. AFI FEST will take place November 5–12, 2015.

Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt, located in the heart of Hollywood.

World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema.

World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award^®consideration. This year's Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo, producer Keith Calder and the British Film Commission's Tara Halloran.

The AFI FEST program features 127 films (74 features, 53 shorts), representing 45 countries. The breakdown by section is: Galas/Tributes (5), Special Screenings (7), American Independents (9), New Auteurs (11), World Cinema (29), Midnight (3), Breakthrough (5), Cinema's Legacy (5) and Shorts (53), and includes 38 films directed/co-directed by women, 17 documentaries, 10 official Foreign Language Film Oscar^®submissions and 10 animated short films.

The program will also present 18 films from 39 AFI Conservatory Alumni including THE 33 writer Michael Thomas (AFI Class of 1978); 45 YEARS editor Jonathan Alberts (AFI Class of 2001); ANOMALISA director/producer Duke Johnson (AFI Class of 2006), cinematographer Joe Passarelli (AFI Class of 2006); CAROL editor Affonso Gonçalves (AFI Class of 1993); FREE IN DEED cinematographer Ava Berkofsky (AFI Class of 2013); FUNNY BUNNY director Alison Bagnall (AFI Class of 1994); LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT director/writer Rodrigo García (AFI Class of 1986); SON OF SAUL cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (AFI Class of 2005); and more. A complete list of AFI Conservatory Alumni at AFI FEST can be seen here.

AFI FEST 2015 will also showcase the four films by AFI Conservatory filmmakers from the Class of 2014 that were finalists in the Narrative category of this year's Student Academy Awards, including the three that made history by sweeping all medal placements in the category: Henry Hughes' gold medal winner DAY ONE, silver medal winner THIS WAY UP by Jeremy Cloe, bronze medal winner STEALTH directed by Bennett Lasseter and finalist AGAINST NIGHT by Stefan Kubicki.

Many films by returning AFI FEST directors are also featured this year, including CHEVALIER by Athina Rachel Tsangari, CHRONIC by Michel Franco, THE CLAN by Pablo Trapero, DHEEPAN by Jacques Audiard, FREE IN DEED by Jake Mahaffy, FUNNY BUNNY by Alison Bagnall, HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT by Kent Jones, THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos, MACBETH by Justin Kurzel, QUEEN OF THE DESERT by Werner Herzog, RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN by Hong Sang-soo, TALE OF TALES by Matteo Garrone, THE TREASURE by Corneliu Porumboiu, A WAR by Tobias Lindholm, THE WHITE KNIGHTS by Joachim Lafosse and NO HOME MOVIE by the late Chantal Akerman.

As previously announced, the Opening Night Gala will be the World Premiere of BY THE SEA (DIR Angelina Jolie Pitt) on Thursday, November 5. Among the Centerpiece Galas will be WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (DIR Michael Moore) on Saturday, November 7; THE 33 (DIR Patricia Riggen) on Monday, November 9; and the World Premiere of CONCUSSION (DIR Peter Landesman) on Tuesday, November 10.

The Closing Night Gala will be the World Premiere of THE BIG SHORT (DIR Adam McKay) on Thursday, November 12. Also previously announced are the nine films in the American Independents section, which represents the best of independent filmmaking this year, and 11 films in the New Auteurs section, which highlights first and second-time narrative feature film directors from around the world.

AFI FEST remains the only global event of its caliber to offer free individual tickets to screenings and events as a gift to the community. These free tickets will be available to the general public online at AFI.com beginning Monday, October 26. Available for purchase now at AFI.com are AFI FEST Patron Packages and Express Passes — which can include access to sold-out Galas and other high-demand films and events.

As part of their membership benefit, AFI members will receive a complimentary AFI FEST Cinepass, which allows access to all regular screenings at this year's festival. Additionally, AFI members at the Two-Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all AFI FEST Patron Packages and Express Passes. Information about AFI membership is available at AFI.com/membership and AFI FEST Packages and Passes may be purchasedhere.

For the 12th consecutive year, AFI FEST is proud to have Audi as the presenting sponsor. Additional top sponsors include AT&T; American Airlines, the official airline of AFI; and VIZIO, the official home theater sponsor of AFI. The festival's venue sponsors include TCL Chinese Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Hollywood & Highland Center, The Hollywood Roosevelt and the Egyptian Theatre. Official media sponsor Time Out LA will once again offer its online AFI FEST guide of their film picks, where to dine and drink in Hollywood and much more.