ABOUT THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Founded in 1967, AFI serves as a point of national focus and coordination for the many individuals and institutions which make up the film and television community.
Setting the standard for screen education since its inception, AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, counting many of the world's most prominent filmmakers as alumni, including Darren Aronofsky, Jon Avnet, Scott Frank, Todd Field, Amy Heckerling, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, Terrence Malick and Ed Zwick. In addition, through its K-12 Screen Education Center, AFI helps educators and K-12 students master 21st century skills using the tools of filmmaking for teaching core academic subjects.
As the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the US, AFI ON SCREEN encompasses the annual AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival and SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, while also offering year-round programming at ArcLight Hollywood, the Skirball Cultural Center and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Anchored by the rehabilitation of the historic 1938 Silver Theatre, the AFI Silver is a state-of-the-art three theatre complex located seven miles from the White House, offering an unsurpassed, richly eclectic program of international first-run and repertory cinema 365 days a year.
AFI coordinates the preservation of America's great film heritage through the work of the AFI Catalog, the definitive online source for accurate information on the entire history of American film. Additionally furthering these goals, the AFI Collection serves as a vital and indispensable part of the Library of Congress archive with over 27,500 titles, consisting primarily of theatrical features and shorts, as well as substantial numbers of newsreels, documentaries and television programs.
AFI raises the standard for creative opportunities made possible by digital technologies, interactive TV, film, games and next generation media. AFI's Digital Content Lab is a year-round research and development center that works with top entertainment companies to envision and build new digital applications.
AFI is perhaps most recognizable to the public through its annual, nationally televised Life Achievement Award, the highest honor given for a career in film and television. On June 12, 2008, Warren Beatty will receive the 36th AFI Life Achievement Award.
In 1998, AFI began its AFI's 100 Years… series, an ongoing celebration of the first centennial of American movies, which raises worldwide interest in classic American cinema. The next installment of this series, AFI's 10 Top 10, will air on CBS on June 17, 2008. AFI AWARDS—established in 2000 as an almanac to record the current century in film arts—is the institute's annual recognition of outstanding motion pictures and television programs along with the year's moments of significance.
AFI is guided by a prestigious Board of Trustees—chaired by Sir Howard Stringer—and a Board of Directors—chaired by Jon Avnet and John F. Cooke—which is comprised of key figures from the entertainment, business and academic communities. It is led by President and CEO Bob Gazzale.
