Celebrity Photos: Amy Adams, Martin Scorsese, Emma Stone, Denzel Washington Among the Artists Honored At AFI Awards 2016 Luncheon

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America's finest film and television artists were among the guests honored today by the American Film Institute (AFI) at its annual AFI AWARDS 2016 luncheon. With no winners or losers, AFI AWARDS celebrates the creative ensembles behind the year's most outstanding storytelling.

Along with the 20 honorees of 2016, AFI recognized the documentary O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA with an AFI Special Award.

Additionally, event sponsor Audi announced the Audi Fellowship at the AFI Conservatory. Beginning August 2017, this new, pivotal scholarship program will support the entire two-year AFI Conservatory enrollment for one promising female director. As an enduring supporter of the motion picture arts — and of AFI and its programs for 14 years — Audi is taking this vital next step to expand opportunities for female storytellers.

AFI also revealed its official rationales (below) for all honorees, providing the cultural and artistic context to mark these outstanding creative endeavors as the year's notable milestones. Additionally, attending artists contributed to the Institute's ongoing almanac of excellence in response to the question of how they want audiences to remember their work. Serving as a metaphoric time capsule for future generations of audiences, a video compilation of these interviews will be published on AFI.com on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

Closing the event, Denzel Washington delivered the annual benediction in tribute to the honorees and their remarkable achievements in film and television.

Representing their creative teams at the luncheon were guests such as: Amy Adams (ARRIVAL); Denzel Washington (FENCES); Andrew Garfield, Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn (HACKSAW RIDGE); Jeff Bridges, David Mackenzie and Chris Pine (HELL OR HIGH WATER); Damien Chazelle, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (LA LA LAND); Kenneth Lonergan and Michelle Williams (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA); Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris and Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT); Issey Ogata, Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (SILENCE); Clint Eastwood (SULLY); Ginnifer Goodwin (ZOOTOPIA); Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (THE AMERICANS); Donald Glover (ATLANTA); Vince Gilligan (BETTER CALL SAUL); Claire Foy, Reed Hastings, John Lithgow and Peter Morgan (THE CROWN); David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (GAME OF THRONES); Riz Ahmed, Richard Price and Steve Zaillian (THE NIGHT OF); Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ryan Murphy, Sarah Paulson and John Travolta (THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY); Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer (STRANGER THINGS); Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia (THIS IS US); David Mandel and Frank Rich (VEEP); and Ezra Edelman (O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA).

AFI AWARDS 2016 boasted a strong AFI Conservatory alumni presence, with 25 alumni among the storytellers behind the year's most outstanding movies and TV series. Conservatory alumni in significant positions of achievement who received AFI AWARDS recognition included: THE NIGHT OF cinematographers Frederick Elmes (AFI Class of 1972) and Robert Richardson (AFI Class of 1977) and editor Jay Cassidy (AFI Class of 1976); THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY executive producers Dante Di Loreto (AFI Class of 1991) and Brad Falchuk (AFI Class of 1994); and more.

AFI Board of Trustees in attendance included: AFI Board of Trustees Chair Sir Howard Stringer, AFI Board of Directors Chair Bob Daly, Jon Avnet, Roger Birnbaum, Jim Breyer, John Burke, Christopher J. Dodd, Jean Picker Firstenberg, Richard Frank, Jim Gianopulos, Brad Grey, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Jon Jashni, Kathleen Kennedy, Lori Lee, Edward James Olmos, Rich Ross, Chris Silbermann, George Stevens, Jr., Anne Sweeney and Kevin Tsujihara.

The AFI AWARDS luncheon was sponsored by Audi. The event's Patron of the Arts was Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, Vice President and Director of the Annenberg Foundation and founder of GRoW @ Annenberg. The event was also sponsored by American Airlines, the official airline of AFI.

Leonard Maltin, the esteemed film historian and member of the film jury, recognized the film honorees with a reading of the official rationales. Richard Frank, chair of the television jury and an AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chair, similarly acknowledged the TV honorees. The following rationales were recorded into the American Film Institute's almanac for 2016:

AFI AWARDS 2016 – FILM RATIONALES

ARRIVAL signals cinema's unique ability to bend time, space and the mind. Denis Villeneuve's cerebral celebration of communication — fueled by Eric Heisserer's monumental script – is grounded in unstoppable emotion. As the fearless few who step forward for first contact, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker prove the imperative for finding a means to connect — with awe-inspiring aliens, nations in our global community and the knowledge that even the inevitable loss that lies ahead is worth living.

FENCES towers among the essential tales of America. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis' thundering performances infuse lightning into the words of August Wilson's iconic stage play, sparking emotion to leap from the screen and live in the heart. Washington's sure direction adds layers of cinematic nuance to embrace a family that stands tall and together in a world demanding happiness and hardship be earned, not asked for — and responsibility resonate in the struggle to "take the crookeds with the straights."

HACKSAW RIDGE explodes the conceit of heroism in this epic American war movie with hope at its beating heart. Mel Gibson commands an army of artists in this true tale of World War II combat medic Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector whose weapon of choice was faith. Andrew Garfield's wondrous resolve is a bright light amidst the unforgiving imagery of the battle scenes — a dance macabre choreographed to plant the seeds of humanity with each living soldier who descends from the heavens – and the hell of Hacksaw Ridge.

HELL OR HIGH WATER holds up the classic American western to new heights. From a lean, mean script by Taylor Sheridan, David Mackenzie directs this cowboy crime story for a new generation — one that lives in debt to the economic collapse of modern times. Embodying the dusty desperation of men with nothing left to lose, Chris Pine and Ben Foster are brilliant as brothers seeking justice at any expense, as Jeff Bridges' weathered lawman defends the order — and the disorder of moral ambiguity.

LA LA LAND reaches for the Hollywood heavens like a rainbow — glowing incandescent with color, song and dance, and infectious energy that channels a time gone by to inspire today. Damien Chazelle's valentine to "the ones who dream" beats to the music of Justin Hurwitz and leaps to the stars through the triple-threat talents of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. As it takes a final bow after an emotional encore, the film is an ode to all storytellers — and a timely toast to the art they create.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA ebbs and flows in silence to unleash a vast ocean of loss, grief and regret. This powerful tale of a life lived in flashback etches Kenneth Lonergan's name in stone alongside the great American auteurs, and achingly nuanced performances from Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams embody deep humanity and warm hearts that yearn to blossom even in the most frigid of life's ill winds.

MOONLIGHT illuminates the peerless power of cinema to inspire empathy for others and embrace a greater understanding of ourselves. Barry Jenkins' poetic tour de force presents a deeply emotional triptych — the journey of boy to man searching for connection amidst the labyrinth of societal boundaries. An extraordinary ensemble lights the way in this sublime realization of a world where the question "Who is you?" echoes in the pain of dreams deferred and the strength of an inner truth.

SILENCE reigns as a booming testament to the passion of an American master. Martin Scorsese's eternal search for a light that guides began on the mean streets of New York and continues deep into the jungles of 17th-Century Japan — where interpretations of the divine catalyze mortal conflict. The journey is illuminated by soulful performances from Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson as they test their faith in what lies beyond and demand answers that resonate today.

SULLY soars into the cinematic history of heroism — demanding attention be paid not only for the actions of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, but for the strength to defend decisions made under inhuman pressure. Two American treasures bring this film to flight — Clint Eastwood guides the breathless story to its miraculous landing with the sure hand of a master craftsman, and Tom Hanks' effortless embodiment of valor stands tall as a testament to his endlessly inspiring talents.

ZOOTOPIA illustrates a tale for our times — and for all time. This animated exploration of atavism is presented with cuddly characters in confectionary colors, but laced with savage insights into issues of race and class. Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore paint a rich canvas with rapid-fire comedy and heart-pounding action in a masterful balance between family entertainment and the darkness beneath the American ideal "where anyone can be anything."

AFI AWARDS 2016 – TELEVISION RATIONALES

THE AMERICANS bleeds with empathy for idealism on both sides of the wall, tapping into an unsettling common humanity with the enemy next door. Joe Weisberg's taut thriller has set the table with secrets now shared, and in its fourth year serves up just desserts —‚ including increasingly deadly decisions driven by the compromised loyalties of Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys' Soviet spies and Holly Taylor as their all-American daughter.

ATLANTA pulses with music, comedy and drama — masterfully mixed and managed with the assured voice of an auteur. Creator and star Donald Glover lays down the laughs with shock and awe to present a universal story of artistic ambition rooted in raw realism, social urgency and a perspective utterly unique.

BETTER CALL SAUL rises to new heights in its second year, if only to illustrate how far its unscrupulous hero can fail, fall and fly again. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould heap endless trials upon Bob Odenkirk's colorful hustler as he wiles his way through clashes with friends, foes and an electric sibling rivalry that proves against the allure of a con, he just can't help himself.

THE CROWN sparkles with epic ambition and emotional nuance. Peter Morgan's pristine production crowns this mannered majesty in a tale of divine right — particularly through Claire Foy's poised performance as Elizabeth, and John Lithgow's portrayal of Winston Churchill as an aging lion clinging to power with a shrewd devotion to the young monarch.

GAME OF THRONES rises from scorched earth and takes to wing toward resurrection, redemption and retribution. Having planted the seeds of Shakespearean tragedy on a scale rarely envisioned in the medium, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss unleash unholy vengeance across the map — delivering vicious ends for those deserving, and glimmers of dark hope even against lengthening shadows of encroaching winter.

THE NIGHT OF shines a stark light on a complex case against a young Muslim man charged with murder — proving that truth may be incidental in the darkness of a system that consumes and corrupts. The revelations of Richard Price and Steven Zaillian's provocative series are illuminated by the wrenching, realistic performances from Riz Ahmed and John Turturro — and, ultimately cast a harsh shadow upon racial prejudice, institutional perversion and criminal injustice.

THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY witnesses the trial of the century as a searing insight into our cultural obsession with celebrity schadenfreude. With an outcome already widely watched around the world, Ryan Murphy serves up surprises amidst the spectacle of this gripping legal theater — aided and abetted by a murderers' row of all-star talent, including Sterling K. Brown, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Sarah Paulson, John Travolta and Courtney B. Vance. The verdict is in: this show is a killer.

STRANGER THINGS unearths a monster built from nightmarish nostalgia — and reveals horrors wholly original. As the series' dungeon masters, the Duffer Brothers turn genre upside down with this homage to the 1980s inhabited by icons of the era — including a masterful, maternal turn by Winona Ryder. At the heart of this heart-pounding mystery, however, is the marvelous motley crew of misfit kids and the indelible arrival of Eleven — played by Millie Bobby Brown.

THIS IS US blossoms with uncynical sentiment to celebrate the emotional complexity of a true modern family. Interwoven with warmth, humor and heartbreak by an ensemble that includes Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore and Sterling K. Brown, Dan Fogelman's big-hearted series jumps through time to explore the infinite — and the universal — catalyzing causes and effects that illustrate the power of storytelling to unite a global audience as if we all share the same birthday.

VEEP proves the power of comedy to parody — and even predict — an American political system in pieces. This consistently incisive satire inspires laughter amidst the horror on both sides of the aisle — remaining urgently relevant and utterly essential to unite a nation in the common belief that America is stronger in stitches. Hail to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the leader of a free world of wonderful talent who never fail to find the funny in the halls of perceived power. 

AFI SPECIAL AWARD 

O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA is an epic indictment of a nation's ideals and a dark reflection of its shattered soul. Ezra Edelman's gripping retelling of infamous events bounds beyond a masterpiece of investigative journalism and scores as a cataclysmic cultural confession. In the spotlight are America's lethal fascinations with power and the cult of personality as well our crippling inability to intellectualize, articulate and act upon the imperative issues of race and justice for all.


About GRoW @ Annenberg
GRoW @ Annenberg is the philanthropic initiative led by Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, Vice President and Director of the Annenberg Foundation. GRoW is dedicated to supporting humanitarian efforts across the globe as well as innovative projects in health, education, the arts and civic & cultural life.

About Audi
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. The Audi Group delivered over 1,800,000 vehicles to customers globally in 2015, and broke all-time company sales records for the 6th straight year in the U.S. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusa.com/newsroom for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.

About the American Film Institute
AFI is America's promise to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.  AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive, which preserve film heritage for future generations; the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film; AFI AWARDS, honoring the most outstanding movies and TV series of the year; AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists, which have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers; year-round and special event exhibition through AFI FEST presented by Audi, AFI DOCS and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; and educating the next generation of storytellers at the world-renowned AFI Conservatory.

For more information about AFI, visit AFI.comor connect with AFI at twitter.com/AmericanFilmfacebook.com/AmericanFilmInstituteinstagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute and youtube.com/AFI.