AFI FEST 2022, a hybrid festival, scheduled for November 2-6, will feature both in-person screenings and events in Los Angeles, CA, as well as virtual screenings, showcasing transformative stories from groundbreaking artists. AFI FEST is the longest-running international film festival in Los Angeles.
Each fall, AFI FEST presents the year's most significant films. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community. Featuring international work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters, tributes and red-carpet gala premieres, AFI FEST brings the very best of world cinema to the city of Los Angeles, the film capital of the world. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.
In 2021, AFI FEST presented 119 films from 53 countries - 51% directed by women – with in-person screenings in the heart of Hollywood and select virtual screenings available for a national audience.
Program highlights from AFI FEST 2021 include the Opening Night World Premiere of tick, tick…BOOM!; World Premieres of Halle Berry’s directorial debut BRUISED, SING 2 and SWAN SONG starring Mahershala Ali; Red Carpet Premiers of KING RICHARD directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and starring Will Smith, Pedro Almodóvar’s PARALLEL MOTHERS and THE POWER OF THE DOG directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee; and the Indie Contenders roundtable featuring Caitriona Balfe (BELFAST), Nicolas Cage (PIG), Colman Domingo (ZOLA), Ann Dowd (MASS), Dakota Johnson (THE LOST DAUGHTER) and Simon Rex (RED ROCKET).
AFI FEST winners have consistently been nominated for Academy Awards®, Emmy Awards® and other major recognitions.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.
As the only juried competition of the festival, the Grand Jury Award winners for Live Action and Animated Short will be eligible for the 2022 Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short Academy Awards®.
In addition to the Jury awards, each year, AFI FEST audiences select winners for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short Film.