The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.

Leadership

The institute is composed of leaders from the film, entertainment, business, and academic communities. The board of trustees is chaired by Kathleen Kennedy and the board of directors chaired by Robert A. Daly guide the organization, which is led by President and CEO, film historian Bob Gazzale. Prior leaders were founding director

George Stevens Jr. George Cooper Stevens Jr. (born April 3, 1932) is an American writer, playwright, director, and producer. He is the founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award, and co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors. H ...

(from the organization's inception in 1967 until 1980) and Jean Picker Firstenberg (from 1980 to 2007).

History

The American Film Institute was founded by a 1965 presidential mandate announced in the Rose Garden of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

by Lyndon B. Johnson—to establish a national arts organization to preserve the legacy of American film heritage, educate the next generation of filmmakers, and honor the artists and their work. Two years later, in 1967, AFI was established, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distri ...

and the Ford Foundation. The original 22-member Board of Trustees included actor

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

as chairman and actor Sidney Poitier as vice-chairman, as well as director Francis Ford Coppola, film historian

Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. (; born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger; October 15, 1917 – February 28, 2007) was an American historian, social critic, and public intellectual. The son of the influential historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. and a spe ...

, lobbyist Jack Valenti, and other representatives from the arts and academia. The institute established a training program for filmmakers known then as the Center for Advanced Film Studies. Also created in the early years were a repertory film exhibition program at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films — a scholarly source for American film history. The institute moved to its current eight-acre Hollywood campus in 1981. The film training program grew into the

AFI Conservatory The AFI Conservatory is a private not-for-profit graduate film school in the Hollywood Hills district of Los Angeles. Students (called "Fellows") learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on stor ...

, an accredited graduate school. AFI moved its presentation of first-run and

auteur films An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...

from the Kennedy Center to the historic AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, which hosts the AFI DOCS film festival, making AFI the largest nonprofit film exhibitor in the world. AFI educates audiences and recognizes artistic excellence through its awards programs and 10 Top 10 Lists.

List of programs in brief

AFI educational and cultural programs include: * American Film Institute Awards – an honor celebrating the creative ensembles of the most outstanding motion picture and television programs of the year * AFI Catalog of Feature Films and AFI Archive – the written history of all feature films during the first 100 years of the art form – accessible free online *

– a film school led by master filmmakers in a graduate-level program * AFI

Directing Workshop for Women The AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) is an innovative program in the American Film Institute (AFI) that has been offering free training workshops and the opportunity to direct short films that has helped to launch several successful careers. T ...

– a production-based training program committed to increasing the number of women working professionally in screen directing * AFI Life Achievement Award – a tradition since 1973, a high honor for a career in film * AFI 100 Years... series – television events and movie reference lists * AFI's two film festivals – AFI Fest in Los Angeles and AFI Docs in Washington, D.C. and

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, in practice it is an edge cit ...

* AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center – a historic theater with year-round art house, first-run and classic film programming in Silver Spring, Maryland * '' American Film'' – a magazine that explores the art of new and historic film classics, now a blog on AFI.com

AFI Conservatory

In 1969, the institute established the

for Advanced Film Studies at Greystone, the Doheny Mansion in Beverly Hills,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. The first class included filmmakers Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel, and Paul Schrader. That program grew into the

, an accredited graduate film school located in the hills above Hollywood, California, providing training in six filmmaking disciplines:

cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of Film, motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens (o ...

, directing,

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, ...

, producing,

production design In film industry, film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions an ...

, and screenwriting. Mirroring a professional production environment, Fellows collaborate to make more films than any other graduate level program. Admission to AFI Conservatory is highly selective, with a maximum of 140 graduates per year. In 2013, Emmy and Oscar-winning director, producer, and screenwriter James L. Brooks ('' As Good as It Gets'', '' Broadcast News'', '' Terms of Endearment'') joined as the artistic director of the AFI Conservatory where he provides leadership for the film program. Brooks' artistic role at the AFI Conservatory has a rich legacy that includes

Daniel Petrie, Jr. Daniel Mannix Petrie Jr. (born November 30, 1951) is a Canadian-American producer, writer, and director of film and television. He is best known for pioneering the sub-genres of action comedy and buddy cop films through films like ''Beverly Hill ...

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director and Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture for h ...

, and Frank Pierson. Award-winning director Bob Mandel served as dean of the AFI Conservatory for nine years. Jan Schuette took over as dean in 2014 and served until 2017. Film producer Richard Gladstein was dean from 2017 until 2019, when Susan Ruskin was appointed.

Notable alumni

AFI Conservatory's alumni have careers in film, television and on the web. They have been recognized with all of the major industry awards—Academy Award, Emmy Award,

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

awards, and the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

. Among the alumni of AFI are Andrea Arnold ('' Red Road'', '' Fish Tank''),

Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...

('' Requiem for a Dream'', '' Black Swan''), Carl Colpaert ('' Gas Food Lodging'', '' Hurlyburly'', '' Swimming with Sharks''),

Doug Ellin Douglas Reed Ellin (born April 6, 1968) is an American podcaster, screenwriter and film and TV director, known best for creating the HBO television series '' Entourage''. Ellin also served as executive producer, director, head writer and support ...

('' Entourage''), Todd Field ('' In the Bedroom'', '' Little Children''), Jack Fisk ('' Badlands'', '' Days of Heaven'', '' There Will Be Blood''),

Carl Franklin Carl Franklin (born April 11, 1949) is an American filmmaker. Franklin is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, and continued his education at the AFI Conservatory, where he graduated with an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986. Early ...

('' One False Move'', '' Devil in a Blue Dress'', '' House of Cards''), Patty Jenkins ('' Monster'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...

''), Janusz Kamiński ('' Lincoln'', ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel '' Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film ...

'', '' Saving Private Ryan''), Matthew Libatique (''

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5� ...

'', ''Black Swan''), David Lynch ('' Mulholland Drive'', '' Blue Velvet''), Terrence Malick ('' Days of Heaven'', '' The Thin Red Line'', '' The Tree of Life''), Melina Matsoukas (

Queen and Slim ''Queen & Slim'' is a 2019 American romance film, romantic road film, road crime drama film directed by Melina Matsoukas (in her feature directorial debut) and with a screenplay by Lena Waithe from a story by James Frey and Waithe. The film's sto ...

), Rachel Morrison (

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

Fruitvale Station ''Fruitvale Station'' is a 2013 American biographical drama film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It is Coogler's feature directorial debut and is based on the events leading to the death of Oscar Grant, a young man killed in 2009 by B ...

), Victor Nuñez, ('' Ruby in Paradise'', '' Ulee's Gold''), Wally Pfister ('' Memento'', '' The Dark Knight'', '' Inception''), Robert Richardson (''

Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, secur ...

''), Ari Aster ('' Hereditary'', '' Midsommar''), and many others.

AFI programs

AFI Catalog of Feature Films

The AFI Catalog, started in 1968, is a web-based filmographic database. A research tool for film historians, the catalog consists of entries on more than 60,000 feature films and 17,000 short films produced from 1893 to 2011, as well as AFI Awards Outstanding Movies of the Year from 2000 through 2010. Early print copies of this catalog may also be found at local libraries.

AFI Life Achievement Award

AFI Awards

Created in 2000, the AFI Awards honor the ten outstanding films ("Movies of the Year") and ten outstanding television programs ("TV Programs of the Year"). The awards are a non-competitive acknowledgment of excellence. The awards are announced in December, and a private luncheon for award honorees takes place the following January.

AFI Maya Deren Award

AFI 100 Years... series

The AFI 100 Years... series, which ran from 1998 to 2008 and created jury-selected lists of America's best movies in categories such as Musicals, Laughs and Thrills, prompted new generations to experience classic American films. The juries consisted of over 1,500 artists, scholars, critics, and historians. '' Citizen Kane'' was voted the greatest American film twice.

AFI film festivals

AFI operates two film festivals: AFI Fest in Los Angeles, and AFI Docs (formally known as Silverdocs) in

, and Washington, D.C.

AFI Fest

AFI Fest is the American Film Institute's annual celebration of artistic excellence. It is a showcase for the best festival films of the year and an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in the movie capital of the world. It is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public. The

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

recognizes AFI Fest as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. The festival has paid tribute to numerous influential filmmakers and artists over the years, including Agnès Varda,

Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narra ...

and David Lynch as guest artistic directors, and has screened scores of films that have produced Oscar nominations and wins.

AFI Docs

Held annually in June, AFI Docs (formerly Silverdocs) is a documentary festival in Washington, D.C. The festival attracts over 27,000 documentary enthusiasts.

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a moving image exhibition, education and cultural center located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Anchored by the restoration of noted architect John Eberson's historic 1938 Silver Theatre, it features 32,000 square feet of new construction housing two stadium theatres, office and meeting space, and reception and exhibit areas. The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center presents film and video programming, augmented by filmmaker interviews, panels, discussions, and musical performances.

The AFI Directing Workshop for Women

The

is a training program committed to educating and mentoring participants in an effort to increase the number of women working professionally in screen directing. In this tuition-free program, each participant is required to complete a short film by the end of the year-long program. Alumnae of the program include Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Dyan Cannon, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Getzinger, Lesli Linka Glatter, Lily Tomlin, Susan Oliver and Nancy Malone.

AFI Directors Series

AFI released a set of hour-long programs reviewing the career of acclaimed directors. The Directors Series content was copyrighted in 1997 by Media Entertainment Inc and The American Film Institute, and the VHS and DVDs were released between 1999 and 2001 on Winstar TV and Video. Directors featured included: * John McTiernan (WHE73067) * Ron Howard (WHE73068) * Sydney Pollack (WHE73071) * Norman Jewison (WHE73076) * Lawrence Kasdan (WHE73088) * Terry Gilliam (WHE73089) *

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

(WHE73090) * Barry Levinson (WHE73093) * Miloš Forman (WHE73094) * Martin Scorsese (WHE73098) * Barbra Streisand (WHE73099) * David Cronenberg (WHE73101) * Robert Zemeckis (WHE73131) * Robert Altman * John Frankenheimer * Adrian Lyne * Garry Marshall * William Friedkin * Clint Eastwood * David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker *

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, director, screenwriter, and Film producer, producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive style of crime drama. His most acclaimed works include ...

* James Cameron * Rob Reiner *

Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. He ...

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spi ...

* Wes Craven

References

External links

* *
AFI Los Angeles Film Festival – history and information
{{authority control Arts organizations based in California Cinema of Southern California Culture of Hollywood, Los Angeles Los Feliz, Los Angeles Organizations based in Los Angeles 1967 establishments in California Organizations established in 1967 FIAF-affiliated institutions