By Rebecca Brando x The Big Magazine
The American Film Institute (AFI) celebrated the 2024 AFI AWARDS honorees at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on Thursday night.
Harrison Ford, honored with an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, garnered an early standing ovation after Larson. He was present to represent the AppleTV+ comedy "Shrinking," with co-stars Jason Segel and Jessica Williams initiating the applause.
The audience included stars from Oscar contending movies "Wicked," "A Complete Unknown," "The Brutalist," "Sing Sing," "Conclave," "A Real Pain" and "Emilia Pérez." Among them were Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, Adrien Brody, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Eisenberg, Adriana Paz and Zoe Saldaña.
In opening remarks, AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale spoke about the power of art to inspire empathy and hope, and how AFI AWARDS is a unique opportunity for everyone to appreciate and show their love for each other’s work. “It’s about community, it’s about camaraderie – never about competition.”
AFI then revealed its official rationales, provided below, for all 21 honorees, providing the cultural and artistic context to mark these outstanding creative endeavors as the year’s notable milestones. AFI AWARDS honorees include 10 outstanding motion pictures and 10 outstanding television programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.
An additional honoree was selected for an AFI Special Award, designated for works of excellence that fall outside of AFI AWARDS’ eligibility criteria. All the honored works advance the art of the moving image, inspire audiences and artists alike and enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form.
The ceremony opened and closed with tributes to David Lynch by George Stevens, Jr., filmmaker, author and AFI’s Founding Director. In his address, Stevens remembered the unique artistry of David Lynch (AFI Class of 1970), who passed away earlier this year. Addressing the honorees and guests, Stevens said, “Let’s remember the remarkable legacy of cinematic creativity that David left for us – the mystical beauty we found in living his dreams. And as we leave this ceremony with David in our hearts, let us dedicate ourselves to restoring our devastated movie capital – and to making certain that ‘the movies’ in all their forms – not be afraid of grace and beauty and rise to new heights to entertain and enlighten the world.”
AFI also announced that the Richard Frank Scholarship Fund at the AFI Conservatory, which was established in 2024, will award scholarships to AFI Fellows in the name of each of the 21 AFI AWARDS honorees. The scholarships will provide financial assistance to empower and amplify the voices of young storytellers.
The AFI AWARDS luncheon also featured the Institute’s signature March of Time montage – a unique cross-section of cinematic milestones from decades past, which places the motion picture and television program honorees into a historical context and provides a perspective on the evolution of the narrative arts.
Among the stars from the acclaimed TV shows were Kristen Bell, Adam Brody ("Nobody Wants This"), Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti ("The Penguin"), Mark Indelicato ("Hacks"), Jodie Foster, Kali Reis ("True Detective: Night Country"), Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri ("The Bear"), and Hiroyuki Sanada ("Shogun").
Photos: AFI Awards 2024
The directors included were Sean Baker ("Anora"), Denis Villeneuve ("Dune: Part Two"), RaMell Ross ("Nickel Boys"), and Edward Berger ("Conclave").
AFI AWARDS 2024 OFFICIAL RATIONALES:
AFI MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR
ANORA fractures the modern fairy tale with an explosion of originality. Sean Baker continues his pursuit of the untold stories of America, driven forward with force by Mikey Madison’s Brooklyn sex worker. This breakout performance shatters stereotype in a complex embodiment of hilarity and heartbreak while providing a crisp look at the modern world’s obsession with money, class and power – and the elusive nature of happily ever after.
THE BRUTALIST forges an upside-down American dream on the layered foundations of love, class and the darkest pains of the past. Brady Corbet’s opus stands as a monument to the power of the art form – brilliantly manifesting the age-old clash between artistic expression and the greed inherent in capitalism. At the cornerstone of this epic tale are tour-de-force performances from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, who demand audiences answer the question: is the destination worth the journey?
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN enters the American cinematic songbook through the mind and music of Bob Dylan. At the heart and soul of James Mangold’s time capsule stands Timothée Chalamet, whose embodiment of Dylan’s superhuman genius – and his human frailties – brings electric life to an iconic enigma. Explosive inner conflicts are grounded in the masterful supporting performances of Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning, each of whom answer the question with their eyes – “How does it feel…to be on your own?”
CONCLAVE sends convention up in smoke in this pulse-pounding papal thriller. Edward Berger’s deft direction proves taut, smart and subversive, as Roman whispers drive this robe and dagger drama forward with force. Rare is the film that endlessly entertains while posing thorny theological questions about faith and doubt – delivered in powerhouse performances from the holy alliance of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini.
DUNE: PART TWO unleashes all the powers of the art form to fulfill the prophecy of its predecessor. Denis Villeneuve’s peerless vision for the epic big screen provides an unparalleled immersive experience where audiences are first-hand witness to both pulse-pounding action and spell-binding artistry. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lead the army of artists who imagine these worlds beyond spectacle and, perhaps most daringly, touch the heart of what is human.
EMILIA PÉREZ smashes the convention of the cinematic crime saga – with song and dance, murder and mayhem, and a thoughtful examination of gender and identity. Defying genre with every fresh step, Jacques Audiard’s stylishly provocative thriller continually explodes its narrative with powder keg performances from Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez – a true triple threat of today’s top talent.
NICKEL BOYS opens our eyes to America – both its capacity for cruelty and its strength and perseverance in the face of adversity. Adapting the acclaimed novel by Colson Whitehead with infinite intimacy, RaMell Ross shines a lyrical light on atrocities in the all-too-recent past. Experiencing the narrative through a floating, first-person lens proves a cinematic magic trick that both breaks and then remakes the rules of the art form – ultimately, illuminating the poetic power of movies as engines of empathy.
A REAL PAIN is a true joy – finding the power of family and friendship amongst the ruins of an inhuman past. Jesse Eisenberg presents this odd couple odyssey as a comic-tragic Kvetch-22, an emotionally impossible journey that finds its way forward through the wildly oscillating moods and manners of Kieran Culkin’s hilariously charismatic performance. Audiences will laugh aloud – and never forget.
SING SING sings a song of Shakespeare within the kingdom of incarceration – proving the capacity of creativity to restore and inspire those who suffer “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Greg Kwedar unlocks the talents of an extraordinary cast, led by Colman Domingo and an unprecedented ensemble of professionals and ex-prisoners who remind audiences, most powerfully, that it is art that will set you free.
WICKED ~PART I~ soars into the stratosphere of cinema history – a modern classic born from an evergreen concoction of cultural landmarks. The screen has rarely seen – or heard – towering performances like those delivered by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, leaving audiences Oz-struck across generations. And with Jon M. Chu the wizard behind the curtain, a brilliant creative ensemble creates an immersive world where one fights for what is right while encouraging us to believe we all can fly beyond the rainbow.
AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY graduates into its third year raising the curve for contemporary comedy. Quinta Brunson’s endearing series unites the most familial and familiar of quick-witted characters and also stands tall as a timely monument to public school teachers and their personal devotion to a brighter future.
THE BEAR earns another AFI star in a season marked by an ever-simmering, often scorching tension between families, finances and fine dining. As temperatures rise in the pursuit of perfection, Christopher Storer’s masterful series calls upon the talents of an extraordinary front and back-of house ensemble to prove the show’s place in the pantheon as a “non-negotiable.”
HACKS raises the curtain on its third year with an audacious ambition – to bring new challenges, new life and new laughter to comedic characters that had fully-evolved in their journey to success. The results are triumphant. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky have created a combustible alchemy in the relationship between Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, who prove yet again that they’re stronger together, in spite of themselves.
A MAN ON THE INSIDE retires old notions about the elderly by injecting a mature mystery into the everyday of a senior living community. Ted Danson proves the value of vintage, bringing an easy, intoxicating charm to Michael Schur’s delightful caper – a wholesome whodunit both light-hearted and life-affirming.
MR. & MRS. SMITH is a killer romance. With domesticity as a false front for secrets and lies, Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover’s globe-trotting thriller celebrates the pulse-pounding similarities between murder and couples therapy. The chemistry between its stars – Glover and Maya Erskine – proves explosive and as the smoke clears, demands we ask how well we know those closest to us.
NOBODY WANTS THIS is just what the world needs most – a smart, clever, funny romantic comedy that serves as an optimistic inspiration for divided times. Erin Foster’s light-hearted love story imagines “a rabbi and an agnostic walk into a bar,” and what follows lifts audiences’ hearts with the undeniably effervescent chemistry of Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Which begs a toast – “L’Chaim!”
THE PENGUIN elevates pulp comics to prestige drama. Lauren LeFranc’s layered storytelling frames gritty Gotham in shadow, a lawless landscape with mob families battling for power and redemption. Colin Farrell dominates the dark through the sheer power of presence, and with Cristin Milioti as his underworld rival, together they bring both fire and ice to the canon of gangster classics.
SHŌGUN commands an epic vision that sails beyond the boundaries of television. Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks breathe new life into the classic novel from James Clavell – expanding upon its subtleties with rich cultural authenticity. Standing tall at its center is Hiroyuki Sanada – around whose rising sun orbits a stellar ensemble that evokes emotion transcending the barriers of language as they question what it means to seize, wield and hold power.
SHRINKING delves into the complexities of everyday with a fearless smile. Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein’s series provides a couch for audiences to lie and laugh upon – encouraging self-reflection, inspiring discovery and, ultimately, embracing moments of unexpected joy. At the foundation of a brilliant acting ensemble stands Harrison Ford, who transcends his own blockbuster iconography to show it is his heart that has earned his place as an American icon.
TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY shines a blinding light on unknown terrors in the dark – and illuminates a cultural chasm that divides us. Issa López’s heart-pounding mystery makes masterful use of the unseen to immerse audiences in an other-worldly environment that haunts from within. Standing stalwart among the shadows are Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, whose powerhouse performances uncover the unembodied power of greed and its corrosion of the spirit, the soil and the soul.
Guests in attendance at the AFI AWARDS luncheon included Rose Abdoo, Pam Abdy, Lucia Aniello, Jacques Audiard, Sean Baker, Stephanie Beatriz, Kristen Bell, Edward Berger, Alan Bergman, Lionel Boyce, Adam Brody, Adrien Brody, Quinta Brunson, Camille, Matt Chessé, Jon M. Chu, Dylan Clark, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Robert A. Daly, Mike De Luca, Colman Domingo, Clément Ducol, Ayo Edebiri, Jesse Eisenberg, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cynthia Erivo, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Colin Farrell, Mona Fastvold, Rhenzy Feliz, Ralph Fiennes, Jean Picker Firstenberg, Harrison Ford, David Foster, Erin Foster, Jodie Foster, Sara Foster, Richard Frank, Jomo Fray, Petra Fried, Dede Gardner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Jeff Goldblum, Neil Goldman, Brett Goldstein, Ariana Grande, David Greenbaum, Jennifer Grey, Jessica Gunning, Justin Halpern, Fred Hechinger, Ethan Herisse, Boyd Holbrook, Moeka Hoshi, Pearlena Igbokwe, Mark Indelicato, Sean ‘Dino’ Johnson, Rachel Kondo, Peter Kujawski, Greg Kwedar, John Landgraf, Donna Langley, Bill Lawrence, Issa López, Justine Lupe, Clarence Maclin, Leonard Maltin, James Mangold, Justin Marks, Nava Mau, Christopher McDonald, Ted McGinley, Yariv Milchan, Cristin Milioti, Hiro Murai, Edward Norton, Deirdre O’Connell, Adriana Paz, Marc Platt, Samantha Quan, Edgar Ramírez, Matt Reeves, Kali Reis, RaMell Ross, Zoe Saldaña, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ted Sarandos, Patrick Schumacker, Michael Schur, Jason Segel, Helen Shaver, Francesca Sloane, Megan Stalter, George Stevens, Jr., Christopher Storer, Peter Straughan, Luke Tennie, Jackie Tohn, Vache Tovmasyan, Michael Urie, Jon-Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez, Denis Villeneuve, Jeremy Allen White, Jessica Williams, Brandon Wilson, Michelle Yeoh, David Zaslav and more.
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