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The fall festival season continues to take shape. Next up: Los Angeles’ own AFI Fest, which will open with the world premiere of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut, “Tick Tick Boom”. The Netflix feature is based on the autobiographical musical by “Rent” playwright Jonathan Larson and stars Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield. The film is written by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson and produced by Academy Award and Emmy winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Entertainment, Julie Oh, and Miranda. The Opening Night screening will take place at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre.

The festival experimented with an October festival berth and virtual festival last year during the pandemic; after three years running both AFI Fest and AFI Docs, director Michael Lumpkin retired in March, 2021. He is yet to be replaced; for the moment the woman in charge is Sarah Harris, who moved...

Documentaries will play a more prominent role than ever before at the AFI Fest, which kicks off Nov. 14.

While AFI Fest 2018 featured 15 documentary features playing in various categories, this year’s edition of Los Angeles-based fest will play host to 22 feature docs, 16 of which will screen in the fest’s new documentary section.

“When documentaries were part of other sections in years past we felt like attendees were having trouble finding them,” says festival director Michael Lumpkin, who took the reins last year from previous AFI head Jacqueline Lyanga. “People go to see documentaries with a clear interest in them, so by incorporating this new section, we are helping audiences find exactly what they’re looking for.”

AFI Fest director of programming Lane Kneedler adds that the nonfiction genre’s recent big-ticket acquisitions and impressive box-office receipts made the addition of the section a no-brainer.

“Just a few years ago,...

Chuck Todd’s quest to bring “Meet the Press” to the movies continues.

The third annual Meet the Press Film Festival, held in collaboration with the American Film Institute, will take place on October 6 and 7 in Washington, D.C., and remains a haven for issue-focused documentary shorts. Todd believes the event serves a critical mission: making NBC News’ long-running Sunday program more relevant to a rising generation of video streamers.

“When I took over ‘Meet the Press,’ one thing was crystal clear to me It can’t just be a Sunday show any more,” says Todd in an interview, particularly as younger news aficionados are gravitating to new forms of content. During his tenure, “Meet the Press” has expanded to encompass a podcast as well as a weekday program on MSNBC. “I’m obsessed with figuring out how to get ‘Meet the Press’ to more people, rather than bringing more people to ‘Meet the Press,...

The AFI Docs Festival has selected the Steven Bognar-Julia Reichert documentary “American Factory” as its centerpiece film, screening on June 21.

The event will take place at the Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

“American Factory” centers on the aftermath of the 2014 purchase of a General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio, which had closed in 2008. A Chinese billionaire reopened the facility as Fuyao Glass America, with the promise of giving work to more than 2,000 local residents, along with bringing hundreds of Chinese workers to Ohio. Tensions mount among the Americans due to low wages and concerns about safety.

The festival revealed its full slate of films Wednesday for the 2019 edition, the 17th year, with 72 films representing 17 countries. The festival runs June 19–23 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Md.

As previously announced, the festival will open with the world premiere of...

AFI Docs has raised the curtain on its 2019 slate — 68% of which are films produced by women and nearly half that feature a female helmer. The lineup features 72 documentaries from 17 countries, including six world premieres.

The films will unspool from June 19-23 in Washington, D.C., and Silver Spring, MD. See the full program for the fest below.

This year’s Centerpiece film will be American Factory, directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, which examines the culture clash resulting from the takeover of a Dayton, Oh, factory by a Chinese company. It will screen on Friday, June 21.

“Each year, the AFI Docs slate includes a variety of films exploring topical issues, intriguing personalities and compelling voices,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director of AFI Festivals. “This year’s festival offers audiences a chance to discover new perspectives on familiar topics and unique stories they may be hearing for the first time — demonstrating...

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

Welcome to a new Oscar season of Notes on the Season, my weekly column and roundup of various events and interviews from the endless awards circuit. For the next few months, right up to Oscar night February 24, look to this space for all kinds of fun stuff — that is if you are an awards junkie like me.

AFI Fest Launches In Supreme Style

The fall film festival season that started with Venice, Telluride and Toronto in early September winds down this week with the AFI Fest, the American Film Institute’s annual November, gala-heavy movie showcase that grabs the films breaking late in the game this month and over the holidays. It opened last night with the anticipated world premiere of Focus Features’ Ruth Bader Ginsburg “origin” story On the Basis Of Sex.

Veteran helmer Mimi Leder directs the film which was warmly received,...

In June, a mere five months before the American Film Institute’s 32nd annual film festival, Michael Lumpkin took over the reins from fest director Jacqueline Lyanga, who exited after eight years at the helm.

Despite the short turnaround time, Lumpkin, already head of the AFI Docs festival in Washington, D.C., was determined to make this year’s Los Angeles-based fest a diverse mix of cinema with a focus on new auteurs, international filmmakers, the best work from 2018’s earlier festivals and, of course, potential Oscar players. He didn’t disappoint.

From 4,000-plus submissions, the fest will screen 83 features, four episodic shows and 47 shorts for a grand total of 134 titles from 45 countries. Selected films are dispersed into eight categories that include galas, world cinema and cinema legacy.

The festival — which kicks off Nov. 8 at Tcl Chinese Theatre — boasts five world premieres: Susanne Bier’s “Bird Box,” Mimi Leder’s...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– Frameline, the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema, is pleased to announce that Frameline41, the San Francisco International Lgbtq Film Festival, will take place June 15-25, 2017 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Festival celebrates the spectrum and intersection of identities that make up the worldwide Lgbtq community.

With an expected attendance of 65,000 at its five venues, including a full week of programming in the East Bay, Frameline41 will draw film lovers, media artists, and Lgbtq communities from across the globe to discover the best in queer cinema among its 147 films. More than 19 countries will be represented, including Armenia, Cuba, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The 2017 slate proudly comprises 40 percent of films from women directors.

“Frameline41’s films shine a...

The Oscar and Peabody award-winning documentarian will be receive the Charles Guggenheim award on June 16.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that AFI Docs will pay tribute to Laura Poitras.

The director of Risk and Citizenfour will be the festival’s 2017 Charles Guggenheim Symposium honouree.

The symposium will take place at the Newseum on June 16 and will include an in-depth conversation with Poitras along with clips from her films.

Poitras’ latest film Risk, a six-year project following WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, was released by Neon earlier this month and will air on Showtime this summer.

Poitras’ documentary catalogue also includes The Oath, Flag Wars, which was Emmy nominated and won a Peabody Award, and My Country, My Country, which was nominated for a best documentary feature Oscar.

In 2015, Poitras won the Academy Award for Citizenfour. That same year, Poitras co-founded Field of Vision, an entity that commissions and creates original short-form nonfiction films about global events...

Laura Poitras won an Oscar for Edward Snowden documentary Citizenfour The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced AFI Docs will pay tribute to Laura Poitras — the director of Risk, about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and the Academy Award®-winning Edward Snowden portrait Citizenfour (2014) — as the festival's 2017 Charles Guggenheim Symposium honoree.

Each year, the AFI Docs Charles Guggenheim Symposium honours a master of the nonfiction art form. Taking place at the Newseum on June 16, the Symposium will include an in-depth conversation with Poitras along with clips from her work, which includes The Oath, My Country, My Country and Flag Wars.

AFI Docs director Michael Lumpkin said: "Poitras has the extraordinary instinct and ability to put her camera in the heart of history as it unfolds, regardless of the risk. Using her keen eye, Poitras reveals worlds just beyond what we can see. We are honored to celebrate her remarkable career and dedication to the documentary form.

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017, a five-day documentary celebration in the nation’s capital. Each year, the festival is committed to providing artists with the opportunity to present powerfully told, artfully constructed stories — and to connect audiences and filmmakers with policy leaders. AFI Docs 2017 runs June 14 – 18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.

“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI Docs’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.

AFI Docs’ 15th edition will open with Icarus and close with Year Of The Scab.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017.

Spotlight screenings include Peter Bratt’s Dolores, Su Rynard’s Mosquito, and Whitney: “Can I Be Me” from Nick Broomfield.

Feature film selections include Bill Nye: Science Guy from David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg, Sundance grand jury prize-winner Dina from Antonio Santini and Daniel Sickles, and Cine Sao Paulo from Ricardo Martensen and Felipe Tomazelli.

The festival will also feature nine virtual reality films including After Solitary by Cassandra Herrman and Lauren Mucciolo.

AFI Docs will showcase 103 films representing 28 countries in the festival set to run from June 14-18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Maryland.

As previously announced, the fetival will open with Icarus and close with Year Of The Scab.

Additonal highlights are the AFI Docs Forum open to festival-goers, and the Impact...

Bryan Fogel’s Icarus, the Netflix film about sports doping, will open AFI Docs, the American Film Institute’s annual documentary festival, June 14 at Washington D.C.’s Newseum. Year of the Scab, the Espn Films doc about the 1987 NFL strike, directed by John Dorsey, will close the fest June 18 at the same venue. "Filmmakers Bryan Fogel and John Dorsey tell two very different David-and-Goliath tales,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Remarkable — even unthinkable…...

Bryan Fogel’s Icarus, the Netflix film about sports doping, will open AFI Docs, the American Film Institute’s annual documentary festival, June 14 at Washington D.C.’s Newseum. Year of the Scab, the Espn Films doc about the 1987 NFL strike, directed by John Dorsey, will close the fest June 18 at the same venue. "Filmmakers Bryan Fogel and John Dorsey tell two very different David-and-Goliath tales,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Remarkable — even unthinkable…...

Festival runs from June 14-18 in Washington DC and Silver Spring, Maryland.

The East Coast premiere of Netflix’s Icarus and Espn FIlms’ Year Of The Scab bookend the 15th annual edition of AFI Docs.

Icarus (pictured), directed by Bryan Fogel, premiered at Sundance this year. Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports.

His journey to outsmart performance-enhancing drug tests transforms into a real-life thriller involving the biggest scandal in sports history - the cover-up of doping activities among Russian Olympians.

John Dorsey’s Year Of The Scab chronicles the 1987 NFL strike and the Washington Redskins’ team of substitute players who overcame tremendous odds to defeat the best teams in the NFL, ultimately leading the Redskins to victory and helping to end the strike.

“We are thrilled to have two extraordinary films, Icarus and Year Of The Scab, open and close AFI Docs 2017,” AFI Docs director Michael Lumpkin said. “Filmmakers [link=nm...

The North American premiere of Alex Gibney’s Zero Days and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You bookend the five-day event.

Zero Days premiered in Berlin in February and focuses on the Stuxnet, a self-replicating computer worm discovered in 2010 that was commissioned by the Us and Israeli governments to sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme. It screens on June 22.

Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You premiered in Sundance in January and chronicles the life and work of the TV writer and producer behind All In The Family, The Jeffersons and Maude.

“With At&T’s continued support, we are thrilled to kick off and close AFI Docs 2016 with two remarkable films that remind us why documentaries are essential viewing for all who love film,” said festival director Michael Lumpkin.

“To have this trio of film-makers — Alex Gibney, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady — bookend the festival is a true honour.”

AFI...