Los Angeles, December 11, 2011 – The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the official selections of AFI AWARDS 2011 – the awards season event favored by artists and entertainment executives for its intimacy and collaborative recognition – that records the year’s most outstanding achievements in film, television and other forms of the moving image arts.
AFI AWARDS is the only national recognition that honors the community’s creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form. Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image; enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form; inspire audiences and artists alike; and/or make a mark on American society.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
BRIDESMAIDS
THE DESCENDANTS
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
THE HELP
HUGO
J. EDGAR
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
MONEYBALL
THE TREE OF LIFE
WAR HORSE
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
BREAKING BAD
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
GAME OF THRONES
THE GOOD WIFE
HOMELAND
JUSTIFIED
LOUIE
MODERN FAMILY
PARKS AND RECREATION
AFI SPECIAL AWARDS
THE ARTIST
THE HARRY POTTER SERIES
“AFI AWARDS represents the proudest of moments in the Institute’s calendar of events,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “The event brings together the year’s top artists in a celebration of community, not competition. We’re further honored that Verizon supports the event by creating scholarships in the name of each honoree for the next generation of storytellers at the AFI Conservatory.”
Marking the twelfth chapter in the American Film Institute’s 21st century almanac, AFI AWARDS 2011 selections are made through AFI’s unique jury process in which scholars, film and television artists,
critics and AFI Trustees determine the most outstanding achievements of the year, as well as provide a detailed rationale for each selection. This year’s juries – one for film and one for television – were chaired by producers and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for the movies and Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television, and included Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg; film historian Leonard Maltin; scholars from prestigious universities across the nation (AFI Conservatory, Georgia Institute of Technology, USC and Wesleyan); prominent and award-winning producers and directors; AFI Board of Trustees; and critics from leading media outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly,
Rolling Stone, Time Magazine and USA Today.
In addition to the top ten AFI AWARDS for movies and television, AFI SPECIAL AWARDS are given to
outstanding achievements in the moving image that do not match AFI’s standard criteria as
summarized below:
Feature-Length Motion Picture
Narrative fiction format, over 60 minutes in length.
American
Motion picture with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States. The
motion picture need not be presented in the English language if it is incontrovertibly American.
Theatrically-Released
Motion pictures originally released between January 1 and December 31, 2011, which have been
publicly exhibited in a commercial theater in Los Angeles for paid admission and screened for at least
seven consecutive days.
AFI will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on
Friday, January 13, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
Verizon Digital Media Services is the presenting sponsor of the event. Sponsorship includes scholarship
support for the AFI Conservatory, which was named the # 1 film school in the world by The Hollywood
Reporter and is renowned for its advanced training of the next generation of storytellers in six
filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and
Screenwriting.
Audi of America is an official sponsor of the event. Additional sponsors include Stella Artois and
American Airlines, the official airline of the American Film Institute, providing travel support
throughout the year.
Additional information, awards criteria and the AFI video recap of the honorees can be found at
AFI.com/AFIAWARDS later this afternoon.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Press coverage of the AFI AWARDS luncheon is very limited and by invitation only. Photos and video
footage will be available through AFI and The Mesulam Group by 4:00 p.m. immediately following the
event on January 13, 2012.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their
work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.
AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage
the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of
Feature Films and Archive, the AFI Life Achievement Award, now in it’s 40th year, AFI Awards,
honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, AFI Fest presented
by Audi, celebrating its 25th edition this fall, AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, AFI Silver Theatre
and the AFI Conservatory, which was named the # 1 film school in the world by The Hollywood
Reporter.
Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.
About Verizon Digital Media Services
Verizon Digital Media Services is a first-of-its-kind, end-to-end digital media solution that automates
previously manual workflow processes associated with formatting, managing and delivering digital
media to virtually any device or platform on a large scale. By leveraging Verizon’s global IP backbone,
data center infrastructure and leading managed security capabilities, Verizon offers content owners
and digital media retailers superior content-to-consumer delivery and game-changing business
economics.