AFI Awards 2020 Honorees Announced

Details: Category: Entertainment News; Published on Monday, 25 January 2021 14:16; Written by AFI

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the recipients of AFI AWARDS 2020. AFI's movie club to showcase official selections with new and exclusive content featuring filmmakers and stars. Honors culminate with a virtual benediction on February 26, 2021.

AFI's global Movie Club program will showcase the official selections beginning in February, with new and exclusive content released daily, including special guests from the honored works introducing the titles and AFI "Behind the Scene" conversations with filmmakers and actors.

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AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

DA 5 BLOODS
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
MANK
MINARI
NOMADLAND
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…
SOUL
SOUND OF METAL
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

BETTER CALL SAUL
BRIDGERTON
THE CROWN
THE GOOD LORD BIRD
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY
THE MANDALORIAN
MRS. AMERICA
THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT
TED LASSO
UNORTHODOX

AFI SPECIAL AWARD

HAMILTON

"For 20 years, AFI AWARDS has been a moment to gather artists in one room with a singular goal – to create community over competition," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. "This year we cannot gather but will instead celebrate each honoree by creating exclusive content to be shared with a global audience through AFI Movie Club, shining a proper light on excellence."

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On February 26, the AFI AWARDS tributes will culminate with a virtual benediction premiering on YouTube.com/AFI and AFI.com.

The AFI AWARDS celebration will be sponsored by Audi, a supporter of AFI programs for the past 17 years. To commemorate each of the AFI AWARDS recipients, Audi has created the AFI AWARDS Audi Scholarships initiative providing scholarships in the name of the honorees to women and BIPOC Fellows at the AFI Conservatory – for a total contribution of $250,000.

Celebrating film and television arts' collaborative nature, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole, recognizing those in front of and behind the camera. AFI AWARDS honorees include 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year's most significant achievements in the art of the moving image. AFI also recognizes HAMILTON with an AFI Special Award, designated for a work of excellence outside the Institute's criteria for American film and television.

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All of the honored works advance the art of the moving image, inspire audiences and artists alike, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America's art form and make a mark on American society. When placed in an historical context, these stories provide a complex and rich visual record of our modern world.

AFI AWARDS selections are made through a jury process where AFI Trustees, artists, critics and scholars determine the year's most outstanding achievements and provide artistic and cultural context for the selection of each honoree.

This year's jury featured acclaimed artists including Debbie Allen, Cynthia Erivo, Rian Johnson, David Mandel, Marlee Matlin, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Wes Studi and Lulu Wang; renowned authors and scholars representing prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts and television programs; film historians Mark Harris, Molly Haskell and Leonard Maltin; the AFI Board of Trustees; and film and television critics from media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, TV Guide and The Washington Post. The jury was chaired by AFI Board of Directors member Jeanine Basinger (Chair Emerita and Founder of the Film Studies Department, Wesleyan University) and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chair Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).

Honorees will be celebrated across all AFI platforms leading up to the benediction on Feb. 26.

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The 2020 recipients join a distinguished group of previous AFI AWARDS honorees whose works define the art form and contribute to our rich cultural legacy. View all past AFI AWARDS honorees here.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)

Established in 1967, the American Film Institute is the nation's non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present and future of the moving image. AFI's pioneering programs include filmmaker training at the AFI Conservatory; year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and at AFI Festivals across the nation; workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community; honoring today's masters through the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI AWARDS; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films that uphold film history for future generations.

Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/American Film and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

About Audi of America
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, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand's first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron – one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050.

Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.