Monthly Archives: January 2025

television

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES AFI FEST 2025 PRESENTED BY CANVA TO TAKE PLACE OCTOBER 22-26

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Posted. by Larry Gleeson

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES

AFI FEST 2025 PRESENTED BY CANVA TO TAKE PLACE

OCTOBER 22-26

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, January 29, 2025 — Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced the dates for AFI FEST 2025 presented by Canva. The 39th edition of the Institute’s annual film festival will take place October 22–26 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood and feature a curated selection of Red Carpet Premiere screenings, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films.

 

“For nearly 40 years, AFI FEST has been the place for artists and audiences to gather in the heart of Hollywood to celebrate the very best of global cinema,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST. “In these challenging times for our community, AFI promises to fill the fall with films that will prove the power of the art form to inspire hope, empathy and joy.”

 

AFI FEST is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®. AFI FEST is also a qualifying festival for consideration for the British Short Film categories of both the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

 

Entries for the AFI FEST 2025 Short Film Competition program open today. Short films that have been completed after October 1, 2024, are eligible for submission to AFI FEST 2025. Filmmakers are invited to submit fiction, documentary and animated short films.

 

SHORT FILM SUBMISSION DATES

Early Deadline – March 1, 2025

Official Deadline – April 12, 2025

Final Deadline – May 31, 2025

 

Learn more about submitting to AFI FEST at FEST.AFI.com or submit via Film Freeway at https://filmfreeway.com/AFIFEST. Filmmakers can email fest.programming@AFI.com for more information about the submissions process for short films.

 

Program highlights from AFI FEST 2024 presented by Canva included screenings of nine Best International Oscar® Submissions (including I’M STILL HERE and THE SEED OF THE SECRET FIG), ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, HARD TRUTHS, HERETIC, JUROR #2, MARIA, MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS, NICKEL BOYS, NIGHTBITCH, A REAL PAIN, THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, SEPTEMBER 5, THE SUMMER BOOK, UNSTOPPABLE, WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL and more. Of the official selections 48% were directed by women and non-binary filmmakers and 26% were directed by BIPOC filmmakers. The festival also presented two special events: Directors Spotlight: Robert Zemeckis in Conversation with Tom Hanks and Pitch Perfect: Crafting Impactful Visual Decks from a Storyteller’s Perspective. Guests at the festival included JJ Abrams, Amy Adams, Paul Bettany, Leslie Bibb, Jacqueline Bisset, Laurent Bouzereau, Tommy Chong, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Jennifer Connelly, Ryan Coogler, Merlin Crossingham, Ted Danson, Julie Delpy, Zoey Deutch, Mati Diop, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Nicholas Hoult, Ron Howard, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Barry Jenkins, Jharrel Jerome, Angelina Jolie, Caleb Landry Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Pablo Larraín, Philippe Lesage, Jennifer Lopez, John Magaro, Cheech Marin, Charlie McDowell, Malcolm McDowell, Selton Mello, Rachel Morrison, Mark Mothersbaugh, Nick Park, RaMell Ross, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Schrader, Jurnee Smollet, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Fernanda Torres, John Turturro, Lulu Wang, Robert Zemeckis, Wallace & Gromit and more.

 

AFI is a nonprofit, donor-powered organization. Join AFI’s Premiere Circle to support the American Film Institute and enjoy access to exclusive one-of-a-kind opportunities at AFI events, including AFI FEST. To learn more, email Advancement@AFI.com.

 

Canva, the all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform, returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST 2025. Designed to empower entertainment professionals to visualize their ideas into impactful film and TV projects, Canva will be integrated throughout AFI FEST including hosting industry networking events, hands-on training workshops for filmmakers, and powering the festival’s digital and printed materials. Entertainment professionals can explore resources to pitch projects, plan shoots, and bring creative visions to life at canva.com/entertainment.

 

About the American Film Institute (AFI)

The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked as one of the top film schools in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm, TikTok.com/@americanfilminstitute and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

 

About AFI FEST
Now in its 39th year, AFI FEST is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. This year’s edition takes place in Los Angeles from October 22-26, 2025. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. AFI FEST includes high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for movie fans. Additional information is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI’s film festival at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram/AmericanFilmInstitute, TikTok/@AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.

 

About Canva

Launched in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers, and students in more than 190 countries worldwide.

 

Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by the world’s most comprehensive library of designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.

Press contact:

American Film Institute: Shari Mesulam, shari@themesulamgroup.com

American Film Institute

AFM® is coming back to Los Angeles for its 46th edition (November 11-16, 2025)

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

 

AFM® is coming back to Los Angeles for its 46th edition (November 11-16, 2025).

 

After an extensive evaluation of multiple venues across Los Angeles to meet the industry’s specific needs and size, the IFTA® Board of Directors has selected the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City as the new home of the  American Film Market (AFM).  It is ideally situated just minutes from Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Westwood and next door to the AMC Century City 15 for screenings. Newly renovated, the Fairmont is a perfect blend of prestige, accessibility, amenities, and pricing consistent with recent years.

(Photo courtesy of Fairmont Century Plaza)
(Photo courtesy of Fairmont Century Plaza)

AFM’s return to Los Angeles holds special significance in the aftermath of the recent devastating fires. It will be heartening to gather as colleagues here once again, where AFM started, and in doing so to take part in the rebuilding of the city that is a vital hub of our industry.

Over the decades, AFM has evolved from solely a transactional space into an essential event where industry leaders come together to launch the latest films and projects, assess the marketplace, share insights, and stay abreast of the rapid changes shaping our business. Your feedback has underscored the importance of AFM as a gathering space and of Los Angeles as the optimal location. The Fairmont offers the location that best responds to that call for an elegant setting that maximizes convenience and encourages productivity.

Details about exhibition opportunities, registration, and the event’s agenda will be available shortly.

 

 

(News release courtesy of Jennifer Garnick)

Jennifer Garnick | VP, Communications
Independent Film & Television Alliance
jgarnick@ifta-online.org | +1.310.446.1006
Documentary, Slamdance, World Premiere

Cameron Mitchell’s DISPOSABLE HUMANITY set to make its World Premiere at Slamdance 2025

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Written by John Wildman

Cameron Mitchell’s DISPOSABLE HUMANITY set to make its World Premiere at Slamdance 2025

 

Disposable Humanity which looks at the dark history of the Nazi Aktion T4 program, where hundreds of thousands of disabled individuals deemed “unworthy of life” were systematically exterminated. will make its world premiere at Slamdance 2025.

With Sundance around the corner, the brand new appearance of the Slamdance Film festival in Los Angeles has begun to give rise to announcements of films set to make their debuts at the fest in February. One of those anticipated world premieres will be Cameron Mitchell’s poignant documentary feature Disposable Humanity which looks at the dark history of the Nazi Aktion T4 program, where hundreds of thousands of disabled individuals deemed “unworthy of life” were systematically exterminated.

Executive produced by Steve Way (Co-star of Hulu’s Ramy), Disposable Humanity follows Cameron Mitchell’s family, Disability Studies scholars and filmmakers who have researched the Nazi Aktion T4 program since the 1990s. Through conversations with memorial directors, disabled people, and relatives of T4 victims, they uncover the horrifying truth: that the Nazi Aktion T4 program, was in fact the program where the Nazis trained killing staff and designed the apparatus of mass murder that led to the Holocaust. Disabled people were the first victims to be killed under the Third Reich and in this investigative documentary, we see how this history has been covered over and erased from international public memory.

In Disposable Humanity, an investigative documentary, we see how this history has been covered over and erased from international public memory.

Mitchell said, “We are thrilled to be making our debut at a film festival, like Slamdance, which is noted for showcasing work that goes beyond basic expectations, challenges audiences on the perspectives of disability they had prior to entering the theater and offers opportunities to foster vigorous discussion about that work and the films’ subjects.” He added, “Disposable Humanity is not just a film; it is a film counter-monument. By confronting the brutal legacy of the Aktion T4 program, we seek to raise awareness about the contemporary implications of viewing individuals through a lens of disposability. It is crucial to confront these histories of erasure to ensure that such atrocities never occur again and to continue to question the dividing lines between people with disabilities and those without.”

 

Disposable Humanity features a diverse array of international voices (Robert Jay Lifton, author of the Nazi Doctors; Patricia Heberer Rice, Senior Historian at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum; and Susanne Knittel, author of The Historical Uncanny among them)

The documentary features a diverse array of international voices (Robert Jay Lifton, author of the Nazi Doctors; Patricia Heberer Rice, Senior Historian at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum; and Susanne Knittel, author of The Historical Uncanny among them) articulating the lived experiences of individuals facing societal neglect, including those living with disabilities, mental health conditions, and systemic discrimination. With powerful testimonials and striking visuals, Disposable Humanity underscores the urgent need for compassion and understanding in evaluating human worth.

The filmmaking team consists of accomplished Disability Studies scholars, artists, and activists who bring both academic rigor and personal passion to the project. According to David T. Mitchell, a producer, writer, and original researcher of the film, “The expertise of the diverse participants ensures that the film will educate viewers about people in psychiatric institutions and the historical injustices they face and also engage them in critical conversations around the rights and indignities spawned by societal neglect, abuse, and extermination involving disabled individuals today.”

Mitchell, Way, additional participants in the film, and advocates for the right of people with disabilities, will attend the screening and participate in a post-screening discussion that will be aimed to use the post-screening Q&A to promote a call-to-action toward a community-driven approach to addressing human rights and social justice.

The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on emerging artists. The annual week-long festival takes place, February 20-26, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif., and is the main event organized by the year-round Slamdance organization, which also hosts a screenplay competition, workshops, screenings throughout the year and events with an emphasis on independent films with budgets under US$1 million. 

 

television

PARAMOUNT PICTURES ANNOUNCES ENSEMBLE CAST OF CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE, BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NEW YORK TIMES YA NOVEL

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

PARAMOUNT PICTURES ANNOUNCES ENSEMBLE CAST OF CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE, BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NEW YORK TIMES YA NOVEL

HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 22, 2024) _Paramount Pictures today announced the principal cast of the feature film, Children of Blood and Bone. Leading the action fantasy film are Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) as Zelie; Amandia Stenberg (The Hate U Give) as Amari; Damson Idris (“Snowfall”) as Inan; and Tosin Cole (“Supacell”) as Tzain. The movie, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), is based on the #1 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi. The movie releases January 15th, 2027 in IMAX.

Also confirmed are Academy Award® winner Viola Davis (The Woman King, G20) as Mama Agba; Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) as Admiral Kaea; Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as Lekan; Lashana Lynch (Bob Marley: One Love) as Jumoke; and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as King Saran.

Regina King (Photo cr. Tym Shutchai Buacharern)

In negotiations are Academy Award® winner Regina King (Shirley) as Queen Nehanda; Diaana Babnicova (Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot) as Folake; and Bukky Bakray (Rocks) as Binta.

Forthcoming will be additional castings from an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria.

Production is set to begin filming in South Africa in the coming weeks.

Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill Entertainment, together with Karen Rosenfelt of Sunswept Entertainment – the filmmaking team behind the Twilight series – will produce, alongside Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures. Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood will executive produce. Adeyemi and Prince-Bythewood co-wrote the script.

Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins, along with Motion Picture Group Presidents Daria Cercek and Mike Ireland, acquired the rights to the trilogy in a highly competitive bidding war.

Said Prince-Bythewood, “I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life. Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”

In Children of Blood and Bone, in an African fantasy kingdom, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.

The book series has become an instant classic, with the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy spending a combined 175 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, including four weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Blood and Bone; five weeks at #1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list for Children of Virtue and Vengeance; and one week at #1 on the Children’s & Young Adult Series list for Children of Anguish and Anarchy. In total, the series has sold almost three million copies worldwide and garnered critical acclaim, with Children of Blood and Bone being featured as a Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time; a New York Times Notable Children’s Book; and a Kirkus Prize Finalist, among other distinctions.

About Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Paramount Pictures has some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

 

#AFI, #AFIDOCS, television

Jimmy Carter, Rock and Roll President, Revisited

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Another year has gone by, as another year has arrived offering promise and hope. As the late great Jimmy Carter has recently passed (December 29, 2024), I felt it apropos to revisit the 2020 AFI DOCS closing night film, Jimmy Carter, Rock and Roll President with hope and optimism for the coming year.

Jimmy Carter, left, and Willie Nelson

Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President featured testimonial interviews, poetry readings, and archival  performances from musical legends Bob Dylan, Nile Rodgers, Roseanne Cash, Chuck Leavell, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Ray Charles, Mihaela Jackson, Tom T. Hall, Jimmy Buffet, Bono, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, and Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers Band. Moreover, Ambassadors to the United Nations, Madeline Albright and Andrew Young, as well as Special Assistants to the President, Jim Free and Tom Beard, shared their respect and admiration for President Carter with direct interviews. Chip Carter, son and Presidential driver, added verisimilitude to the film’s revelatory narrative.

Bob Dylan (center) and Jimmy Carter (right)

Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President, directed by Mary Wharton, provided an artistic view into the influence of music on Jimmy Carter’s upbringing and its influence on the Carter Presidency. The work also provides an intimate look inside the former United States President who made peace, human rights, and healing the nation a priority. Carter was swept into the Presidency after narrowly defeating Gerald Ford and Bob Dole and after  Richard M. Nixon disgraced himself and the country with the Watergate scandal. Carter brought a sense of morality while giving the nation a sense of hope for the future pardoning Vietnam draft evaders on his second day in office. Carter would go on to create a new national energy policy using new technologies, price controls and conservation while establishing the Department of Energy. Furthermore, Carter secured peace with his Camp David Accords and the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (nuclear non-proliferation between the United States and the Former Soviet Union).

The film’s producer, Chris Farrell, was researching and gathering artifacts for an Allman Brothers documentary, he was referred to a “bunch of guys” who began sharing stories of Gregg Allman and Jimmy Carter. Then Bob Dylan. Then Willie Nelson. And so it went. Ad Infinitum. Interestingly, Allman was the first guest of President Carter to dine in the White House. The two had become friends during Carter’s years as the Governor of the State of Georgia. In an archival interview, a clean and sober Allman tells the story of Jimmy coming out in front of a group of musicians  and claiming the Presidency was his for the winning. Mr. Allman claims the pronouncement came as the two heavyweights put a large dent in a bottle of J & B Scotch Whiskey. Carter contested Allman’s claim. Jimmy claimed to have limited himself to one drink a day at most!

And, Jimmy Carter did become President. The road wasn’t easy. He struggled immensely until musicians like the Allman Brothers and Jimmy Buffet put on concerts in Rhode Island and Oregon respectively, galvanizing the youth vote. Even gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson was impressed with Jimmy Carter. Thompson was covering Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy’s national campaign for the Democratic Party nomination when he witnessed the verve of Carter. Carter would go on to win the nomination and the election. Kennedy would go on to have one of the longest and most influential careers in the history of the United States Senate championing a wide-range of legislative issues including the civil rights of the disabled, immigration, education, and health care reform and would bear the moniker, Lion of the Senate, for his Senatorial prowess,

Once Jimmy Carter became President, White House Lawn gatherings became regular events organized by the First Lady Rosalynn Carter. And Wharton provides spot-on footage, voice-overs, and montages of stills photographs to perfection. Yet, all was not perfect in the Camelot of the South. The longtime U.S. friend and ally, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had been facing opposition demonstrations and civil resistance when he fled the country leaving the opposition party’s Prime Minister in charge.

The Shah of Iran had cancer and sought exile and treatment in the United States. This would become the defining moment of the Carter Administration. Carter, the humanitarian, allowed the Shah into the U.S. for treatment. The Iranian government fell and was taken over by the religious Grand Ayatollah Khomeini. The country quickly became an Islamic republic with a theocratic-republican constitution while student radicals took 52 American hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran. Former President Richard Nixon and Republican foreign policy hawks wanted swift military action against Iran. President Carter chose peace and dialogue in negotiating a release.

The U.S. economy had inflation, exorbitant interest rates, and gasoline shortages that resulted in huge lines at the pumps when gas was available. The country was in a spiritual malaise. Carter would lose his re-election bid in a landslide to Ronald Reagan, the movie actor, and Governor of California. Carter states on camera if he had it all to do over again, he’d do it the same way. The day Reagan was sworn in all the hostages were released after being held captive for 444 days. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter said their goodbyes, boarded Air Force One (where they received word of the hostages leaving Iranian airspace) and returned to small-town life in Plains, Georgia. The Carter Administration had significant foreign policy and domestic achievements with the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, humanitarian work around the world and the new energy policies at home, including environmental protection, and major educational programs under the new Department of Education.

Jimmy Carter, the Naval Officer, author, poet, a nuclear physicist, and a peanut farmer from small-town Plains, Georgia, would go on to lead a life of service negotiating peace deals (winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002), advocating for voter rights, and building homes for the less fortunate following his White House years. Carter was 100 years old, the oldest living President, and the longest-lived President at the time of his passing.

Jimmy Carter, Rock and Roll President, is highly recommended and currently streaming on MAX and is available to rent on Apple TV.

Until next time, I’ll see you at the cinema!