Written by Jonah Azurin
American Film Institute (AFI) is currently holding this year’s AFI Fest online, starting on October 15 through the 22nd. Celebrating their 34th year, AFI FEST (presented by Audi) has a diverse selection of screenings, panels, tributes, and special presentations.
The event kicked off with a live screening of I’m Your Woman (2020), directed by Julia Hart; it will conclude with the World Premiere of My Psychedelic Love Story (2020), directed by Errol Morris. In between, AFI Fest’s rich schedule featured over 40 screenings of shorts, documentaries, narratives, and animated work combined. This year will include four special Tributes: Kirby Dick, Mira Nair, Rita Moreno, and Sophia Coppola. These tribute screenings are free and will be streaming from Oct. 17-22. Be sure to check their festival schedule for special details such as one-night-only screenings.
AFI Fest also has panels and inspiring conversations at the AFI Summit, a daily series that features filmmakers, industry executives, and leaders where they discuss appropriate and necessary topics within the entertainment industry and beyond. Included in this program are a conversation about supporting BIPOC filmmakers through ARRAY with acclaimed producer, writer, and director Ava DuVernay; a discussion with Dr. Stacy L. Smith of Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, who will lead the conversation on centering characters with mental health issues; a “Doc Roundtable” where directors explore the art and challenges of documentaries; and so much more. AFI Fest also included one drive-in event in Pasadena, California featuring Director Regina King’s One Night in Miami (2020), based on the award-winning play of the same name.
Still shot from Regina King’s One Night In Miami.
AFI is a non-profit organization that leads creatives and audiences through a variety of programs and events that influence the power of motion pictures. Their programs include: AFI Conservatory, AFI Life Achievement Award, AFI Awards, AFI Catalog of Feature Films, a variety of workshops, and more! This year, Audi returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor alongside additional top sponsors AT&T and Apple.
Check out the festival details at Fest.AFI.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for more information.
Take a glimpse at a few of the films that are streaming during the virtual AFI Fest:
The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020)
Directors: Joel Bakan, Jennifer Abbott
106 minutes, Documentary
Logline: Exposes how companies are desperately rebranding as socially responsible – and how that threatens democratic freedoms.
Still from The Intruder.
The Intruder (2020)
Director: Natalia Meta
95 minutes, Narrative
Logline: The story of Inés, a young woman who after a traumatic episode during a trip with her partner begins to confuse herself between the real and the imaginary.
Tape (2019)
Director: Jojo Erholtz
15 minutes, Short
Logline: A 16-year-old ice hockey player on an all girls’ high school team tries to repair her relationship with her teammate, while preparing for the team’s pre-qualifying game.
Poster for the film Wolfwalkers.
Wolfwalkers (2020)
Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
140 minutes, Animation
Logline: A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.
Farewell Amor (2020)
Director: Ekwa Msangi
101 minutes, Narrative
Logline: Reunited after 17 years, an Angolan immigrant is joined in the U.S. by his wife and daughter. Now strangers sharing a one-bedroom apartment, they discover a shared love of dance that may help them overcome the distance between them.