Posted by Larry Gleeson

Presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by columnist and blogger Scott Feinberg, the annual Indie Contenders Roundtable at AFI FEST presented by Audi will feature a 90-minute discussion with major artists who have done standout work in independent film this year.

The eight performers who will appear at the 2019 panel are: Awkwafina (THE FAREWELL); Emmy® winner Sterling K. Brown (WAVES); Tony and Grammy® winner Cynthia Erivo (HARRIET); Jimmie Fails (THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO); Emmy® winner Jon Hamm (THE REPORT); Florence Pugh (FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY and MIDSOMMAR); Emmy® nominee Kerry Washington (AMERICAN SON); and Oscar® nominee Alfre Woodard (CLEMENCY).

The 90-minute panel will take place Nov. 17 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s historic Blossom Room, the site of the first Academy Awards ceremony.

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Festival to Honor THE CROWN Creator Peter Morgan With A Tribute To His Career

Season Three Award-Winning Cast to Also Appear 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— October 17, 2019, Los Angeles, CA — Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced that AFI FEST 2019 presented by Audi will host An Evening With Peter Morgan which will include a conversation with Academy Award^®-nominated, Emmy Award^®-nominated and Golden Globe^®-winning writer and producer in tribute to his celebrated career, followed by a Gala screening of the highly anticipated third season of Netflix’s THE CROWN. In attendance alongside Morgan will be season three cast members; Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Josh O’Connor and Erin Doherty. The event will be held on Saturday, November 16, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

“Peter Morgan has an unmatched talent in creating some of the most engaging historical dramas,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals. “With the bold and brilliant move of introducing a new cast for season three of THE CROWN, Morgan takes us deeper into the politics, pageantry and personalities of the British royal family.”

THE CROWN tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world – Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown. Olivia Colman takes over the iconic role as Queen Elizabeth in season three. The new season also features Tobias Menzies as Prince Phillip, Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret and newcomers Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles and Erin Doherty as Princess Anne.

Peter Morgan is an international award-winning writer for stage, screen and film. As well as receiving Oscar^®and BAFTA Award nominations for his screenplay for Stephen Frears’ THE QUEEN starring Helen Mirren, Morgan won a host of international awards including Golden Globe, British Independent Film and Evening Standard British Film Awards. The award-winning and Tony-nominated play FROST/NIXON received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic before being adapted into a multi Academy Award®-nominated film of the same name. The film garnered five Oscar^®nominations, including Best Screenplay. Morgan’s many other film credits include the award-winning THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, THE DAMNED UNITED and RUSH, directed by Ron Howard. His extensive television credits include THE LOST HONOUR OF CHRISTOPHER JEFFRIES, the critically acclaimed THE DEAL – the first part of Morgan’s Tony Blair Trilogy (BAFTA Award for Best Drama) – THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP and LONGFORD. Morgan wrote the award-winning West End play THE AUDIENCE starring Helen Mirren.

AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

AFI FEST 2019 takes place November 14-21, 2019, at historic theaters in Los Angeles.  Screenings, Galas, and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Hollywood Roosevelt and will open on Thursday, November 14 with the World Premiere of AFI Conservatory alumna Melina Matsoukas’s QUEEN & SLIM.  Academy Award^®winner Clint Eastwood’s RICHARD JEWELL will have its World Premiere as a Gala screening on Wednesday, November 20 and the festival will close with the World Premiere of George Nolfi’s THE BANKER on Thursday, November 21. The World Cinema and Documentary sections can be found here. The full festival lineup and schedule will be unveiled later this month.

Audi returns for the 16th year as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST, enabling the festival to host the very best of world cinema. Audi and their visionary support reflect a continuing commitment to create opportunities for equality in film and television. Audi also supports AFI through the Audi Fellowship for Women, a full-tuition scholarship created in 2017 to support promising female directors entering the AFI Conservatory. This Fellowship is part of the Audi commitment to drive progress and a landmark investment in the future of the storytelling community.

Audi is the exclusive presenting sponsor of AFI FEST 2019. Additional top sponsors include AT&T and American Airlines, the official airline of AFI.

Passes are available at AFI.com/AFIFESTand individual tickets will be available for purchase for AFI members beginning October 29 and for the general public on October 30.

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

About AFI FEST presented by Audi

Now in its 33^rdyear, AFI FEST presented by Audi is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe to captivated audiences in Los Angeles. With a diverse and innovative slate of programming, the eight-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices. World premieres, Galas and other special events take place at iconic LA locations, such as the historic TCL Chinese Theatre and the glamorous Hollywood Roosevelt. This year’s edition takes place November 14-21, 2019. Additional information about AFI FEST is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST.

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, delivering about 1.812 million vehicles globally in 2018. In the U.S., Audi of America sold nearly 224,000 vehicles in 2018. 2019 marks 50 years for the brand in the U.S. Visit audiusa.comor media.audiusa.comfor more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.

(Source: AFI Press)

Posted by Larry Gleeson

THE BANKER, Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, set as Closing Night Film for 33rd Edition of AFI FEST

The 33rd edition of AFI FEST presented by Audi will close with the World Premiere of Apple’s new film THE BANKER, directed by George Nolfi (THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU) on Thursday, November 21 at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

BUY A PASS TO AFI FEST 2019

Director of AFI Festivals, Michael Lumpkin said, “THE BANKER joins a remarkable group of films being released this year that openly confront centuries of racism and injustice in our country, while celebrating the brave individuals whose activism has created real change.”

Based on a true story, THE BANKER stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as two African American entrepreneurs who attempt to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and quietly provide housing loans to the black community in Jim Crow Texas. Jackson and Mackie have reunited for the film after starring in Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise together.

THE BANKER joins recently announced Opening Night film QUEEN & SLIM, directed by AFI alumna Melina Matsoukas (Class of 2005), which also tackles institutionalized racism in America, in the festival lineup.

Based on a true story, THE BANKER centers on revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racist establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garret’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire — while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built. The drama is directed by George Nolfi and produced by Joe Viertel. Brad Feinstein produced under his Romulus Entertainment banner, alongside producers Nolfi, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Baker, David Lewis Smith and Anthony Mackie. The executive producers are Joseph F. Ingrassia, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Greenfield, David Gendron and Ali Jazayeri. THE BANKER is written by Niceole Levy, George Nolfi, David Lewis Smith and Stan Younger from a story by David Lewis Smith, Stan Younger and Brad Caleb Kane.

THE BANKER opens in theaters on December 6, 2019, before it debuts on Apple TV+, a new home for the world’s most creative storytellers in January 2020.

Individual tickets will be available for purchase for AFI members beginning October 29 and for the general public on October 30.

(Source: AFI FEST news release)

Posted by Larry Gleeson

New to AFI FEST this year, the inaugural Documentary Films section presents some of the most engaging and powerful real-life stories depicted in global non-fiction cinema. With subjects and themes both profound and impactful, the section includes two-time Academy Award^®-winning director Barbara Kopple’s DESERT ONE, a film that revisits the 1980 secret mission by the Army’s elite Delta Force to rescue US hostages held captive in Tehran.

Additional documentaries include Academy Award^® winner Alex Gibney’s CITIZEN K, Ric Burns’ OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE, Shengze Zhu’s WAN MEI XIAN ZAI SHI and more.

BUY A PASS TO AFI FEST 2019

AFI FEST 2019 takes place November 14-21, 2019, at historic theaters in Los Angeles. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Hollywood Roosevelt. The full festival lineup and schedule will be unveiled later this month.

DOCUMENTARY FILMS SECTION

BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

Capitalizing on yoga’s growing popularity, the charismatic Bikram Choudhury, founder of Bikram Yoga, built an empire of yoga studios and teaching programs. Eva Orner’s stunning documentary exposes Choudhury’s dark secret — he was abusing his position of authority, preying on women and creating a cult-like atmosphere that gave him virtual immunity. DIR Eva Orner. USA

CHEZ JOLIE COIFFURE

Inside a bustling Brussels hair salon, manager Sabine can be seen braiding hair and lending support to a vibrant group of African migrants. In this lovely observational chamber piece, filmmaker Rosine Mbakam offers an affectionate tribute to Sabine and her community. Despite the traumas of migration, their enduring charm and laughter are testament to human resilience. DIR Rosine Mbakam. SCR Rosine Mbakam. Belgium

CITIZEN K

Hero or villain? Mikhail Khodorkovsky is perhaps a unique blend of both. In this gripping documentary, Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney charts the fascinating rise and fall of the former Russian oil tycoon whose story bears witness to Putin’s ruthlessness and to the changing fortunes of those who dared to oppose him. DIR Alex Gibney. SCR Alex Gibney. FEATURING Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Leonid Nevzlin, Igor Malashenko, Anton Drel, Maria Logan, Alexei Navalny, Tatyana Lysova, Derk Sauer, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Martin Sixsmith, Arkady Ostrovsky. USA

DESERT ONE

Two-time Academy Award®-winning director Barbara Kopple revisits the 1980 secret mission by the Army’s elite Delta Force to rescue US hostages held captive in Tehran. Using previously unused archival material and featuring riveting interviews with the principals, Kopple’s breathtaking account paints an unforgettable portrait of American heroism — and its profound cost. DIR Barbara Kopple. SCR Francisco Bello. FEATURING Jimmy Carter, Ted Koppel, Walter Mondale. USA

THE HUMAN FACTOR

Dror Moreh’s (THE GATEKEEPERS) fair-minded and highly dramatic documentary delivers vivid recollections from American diplomatic envoys who have witnessed — and shaped —the most tenuous negotiations of the Middle East peace process. Their insights into world leaders, including Arafat, Rabin and Clinton, leave a devastating impression about what could have been… and still isn’t. DIR Dror Moreh. SCR Dror Moreh, Oron Adar. FEATURING Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, Gamal Helal, Aaron Miller, Daniel Kurtzer, Robert Malley. UK, Israel

I AM NOT ALONE

Capturing the fury, emotion and spontaneous expressions of freedom that overtook the streets of Armenia in 2018, Garin Hovannisian’s fascinating eye-witness documentary affords a unique glimpse into a revolution-in-the-making by offering unprecedented access to the grassroots movement that dared to challenge an entrenched regime, as well as the regime’s leaders themselves. DIR Garin Hovannisian. SCR Garin Hovannisian. FEATURING Nikol Pashinyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Valeriy Osipyan, Anna Hakobyan, Raffi Hovannisian, Armen Sarkissian, Chalo the Dog. Armenia

OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE

Famed neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks (“The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat”), who died in 2015, led an extraordinary life. Master filmmaker Ric Burns granted intimate access in Sacks’ final months, paints a deeply moving portrait that captures his remarkable life and reveals the enormity of his spirit. DIR Ric Burns. USA

PRESENT.PERFECT. (WAN MEI XIAN ZAI SHI)

Winner of the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival, Zhu Shengze’s found-footage documentary compiles live streaming footage from over 800 hours of material. Its hosts are those with disabilities, the marginalized and the working-class, who poetically demonstrate the need to seek out or create global communities and the threat this poses to state control. DIR Shengze Zhu. SCR Shengze Zhu. USA, Hong Kong

READY FOR WAR

Andrew Renzi’s startling documentary tells the heartbreaking immigration story of veterans of the Armed Services who, after having fought for the U.S. as a path to legal citizenship, find themselves not only without citizenship but being deported instead. For some, in a cruel twist, once in Mexico, the drug cartels pressure them to join their ranks. DIR Andrew Renzi. FEATURING Hector Barajas, Miguel Perez, Nathan Fletcher, Tammy Duckworth, Esperanza Perez. USA

SEARCHING EVA

For 25-year-old Eva, complex emotions surrounding adolescence, family, body, art and sex work are processed publicly through unflinchingly personal photos and writing posted on social media. In an attempt to capture the essence of this elusive personality, Pia Hellenthal’s extraordinary feature debut is a cinematic portrait that unfolds as a blitz of sound and image. DIR Pia Hellenthal. SCR Pia Hellenthal, Giorgia Malatrasi. FEATURING Eva Collé. Germany

SOUTH OXFORD, ALL IOWA LAWN TENNIS CLUB, MARAVILLA, SERVE

Filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe returns to the screen with a series of intimate nonfiction shorts exploring America’s culture and passion for tennis and handball. Four stories, warmly crafted with both archival and original materials, illustrates the great humanity of society and the powerful, soulful bond we experience through sports. DIR Darius Clark Monroe. FEATURING Richard Northern, Ann Northern, Mark Kuhn, Denise Kuhn, Amanda Perez, Hyacinth Yorke. USA

Featured Photo: Oliver Sacks: His Own Life (Courtesy of AFI.com)

(Sourced from: AFI.com)

Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI announced today the films that will play in the World Cinema section of AFI FEST 2019 presented by Audi. Showcasing the best in cinema from the US and around the globe, this section presents the depth and diversity of human culture as seen through the universal language of the motion picture.

BUY A PASS TO AFI FEST 2019

The section features 16 titles representing 19 countries, as well as five official International Feature Film Oscar^® submissions: Sweden’s AND THEN WE DANCED (DIR Levan Akin), Canada’s ANTIGONE (DIR Sophie Deraspe), Poland’s CORPUS CHRISTI (BOŻE CIAŁO) (DIR Jan Komasa), Italy’s THE TRAITOR (DIR Marco Bellocchio), and Romania’s THE WHISTLERS (DIR Cornlieu Porumboiu). And Terrence Malick’s latest film A HIDDEN LIFE will have its Los Angeles premiere in the World Cinema section. The film, a historical drama about Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter who refused to fight for the Nazis during World War II, is set to be released in the United States on December 13, 2019.

AFI FEST 2019 takes place November 14-21, 2019, at historic theaters in Los Angeles. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Hollywood Roosevelt and will open with the World Premiere of AFI Conservatory alumna Melina Matsoukas’ QUEEN & SLIM and close with World Premiere of George Nolfi’s THE BANKER. Clint Eastwood’s RICHARD JEWELL will also have its World Premiere at AFI FEST on Wednesday, November 21, 2019. The full festival lineup and schedule will be unveiled later this month. Stay tuned!

(Source: AFIFest news release)