The American Film Institute (AFI)-the preeminent organization in the United States dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of film, television and other forms of the moving image-today announced the elements of its nationwide film program and exhibition initiative in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Under the umbrella of AFI ON SCREEN, AFI will consolidate its programming mandate to present the finest and most diverse film programming possible. AFI ON SCREEN will be the signature standard for all AFI film programs now becoming widely available to the general public.
"Since its founding, AFI has been committed to setting standards in film exhibition, and today we are proud to announce AFI ON SCREEN as a nationwide program achieving this objective," said James Hindman, Co-Director and COO of AFI. "The communal experience of watching a film-where cinema can be presented in context as a collaborative art form in all of its richness and diversity, and where the best possible viewing circumstances are achieved-is a core value of AFI," said Hindman.
AFI currently presents thousands of individual screenings a year, some through partnerships with other organizations and some in dedicated theatres, making it one of the largest non-commercial organizations presenting film in the United States. These screenings make up the six current core programming and exhibition initiatives of AFI ON SCREEN:
* AFI SILVER THEATRE AND CULTURAL CENTEROpened on April 4, 2003, in Silver Spring, Maryland, the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a 49,000 square foot complex of three theatres (400, 200 and 75 seats)-one a rehabilitation of the historic Art Deco 1938 "Art Moderne" Silver Theatre, as well as two stadium-style contemporary houses-offering independent features, shorts, foreign films, documentaries, classic cinema and screen education programs generally unavailable elsewhere. The AFI Silver represents the $20 million "crown jewel" of the Montgomery County and State of Maryland project to transform the Silver Spring neighborhood into an arts and entertainment destination. (http://www.AFI.com/Silver)
* SILVERDOCS: AFI/DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVALCreated by the American Film Institute in partnership with the Discovery Channel, SILVERDOCS will celebrate, honor and showcase documentaries and the world of ideas they expose and explore. From June 18 - 22, 2003, SILVERDOCS will present over 60 provocative documentary programs in a dynamic setting: the newly restored, state-of-the art AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Because of the AFI Silver's proximity to Washington, DC-home to the most concentrated base of international policy-makers, producing organizations, world journalists, issue experts and activists on the planet-SILVERDOCS is in a unique position to bring together diverse and informed audiences to explore the art and craft of documentary and to examine the content revealed by non-fiction films. (http://www.silverdocs.com)
* AFI NATIONAL FILM THEATERAT THE KENNEDY CENTERThe flagship exhibition program of AFI, the AFI National Film Theater opened on a single screen in 1973 as part of the Kennedy Center's commitment to including a film component as part of our nation's capital performing arts center. For decades, the AFI National Film Theater has provided Washingtonians with the very best in global cinema. (http://www.AFI.com/exhibition)
* AFI FEST 2003: AFI LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALFrom November 6 - 16, 2003, the premier international film festival in Los Angeles, AFI FEST 2003, will feature over 140 films, including an International Competition of first and second-time filmmakers, as well as international competitions for documentaries and shorts. The Festival will also feature ambitious regional showcases of international cinema: Asian New Classics, European Film Showcase, Latin Cinema Series and American Directions, as well as the Made in Germany spotlight. The Festival will also continue its traditions of Opening Night, Centerpiece and Closing Night Premieres, along with the highly anticipated Filmmaker Tribute and Retrospective, which have most recently featured Ang Lee and Michael Caine (http://www.AFI.com/exhibition).
* AFI AT ARCLIGHTEstablished in 2002, AFI at ArcLight is an ongoing program of film series, mini-festivals, retrospectives and special events presented by AFI in partnership with ArcLight Hollywood, a state-of-the-art film arts complex at Sunset and Vine in Los Angeles. AFI at ArcLight has recently presented series like Latin Cinema Milestones and a French Cinema Review, and festivals like the LA Exhibition of Russian Cinema-an ambitious program of classic Russian cinema featuring new 35mm prints and electronic subtitles. Upcoming events include a weekly summer program of Music Documentaries, retrospectives of the films of director Stephen Frears and writer Elmore Leonard and PERSPECTIVES, a film festival and forum promoting understanding and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities (http://www.AFI.com/exhibition).
* CINEMA'S LEGACY: HOW GREAT FILMMAKERS INSPIRE GREAT FILMMAKERSThe second season of CINEMA'S LEGACY marks the continuing collaboration between AFI and the Skirball Cultural Center in a monthly program which examines the influences of our greatest moving picture artists, who screen work they credit with encouraging and shaping their art and discuss the great films and filmmakers who have influenced their own lives and careers. Recent CINEMA'S LEGACY participants have included Rob Reiner, Carl Franklin, Rob Marshall, Will Friedkin and Tom Tykwer. Upcoming guests include Wim Wenders, Paul Schrader, Spike Lee, Lawrence Kasdan and Kathy Bates (http://www.AFI.com/exhibition).
"We look forward to the continuing growth of these efforts," said Hindman. "AFI ON SCREEN sets a standard for all of AFI's future exhibition endeavors."
AFI is the preeminent organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers, coordinates nationwide film preservation efforts and explores new technologies in moviemaking. AFI also presents the best of film through the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST); the AFI National Film Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland; and the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor given for a career in film. AFI's annual almanac for the 21st century, AFI AWARDS, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year. In addition, AFI's 100 Years . . . 100 Movies, 100 Stars, 100 Laughs, 100 Thrills, 100 Passions, and 100 Heroes & Villains (airing June 2003) have ignited extraordinary public interest in classic American movies. More information about AFI can be found by visiting its Web site, located at www.AFI.com.###
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