A week of 137 films from 53 countries starts today! Opening Night of the festival brings Mudbound to the TCL Chinese Theatre, and a special retrospective screening of Robert Altman's The Player at The Egyptian. Then on Friday, there's In the fade, starring Diane Kruger; an On Directing conversation with Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins; a World Cinema Masters Conversation with Agnès Varda; and more!
What's up for AFI 2017? Well, as part of AFI FEST 2017 and the 50th Anniversary of the American Film Institute, the festival is launching a retrospective to celebrate the work of late filmmaker Robert Altman, a true master and icon of American cinema. In Altman on Altman Production designer Stephen Altman talks about his close collaboration with his father, Robert Altman, on films including The Player, 3 Women, Gosford Park and more. Then there's the Tech Showcase, VR and Panels which run from Saturday through Tuesday. This is where you can experience hands-on, cutting-edge cinema technology, and conversations with virtual reality experts, in The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. And you thought film festivals were just about watching movies. Not at the AFI Film Fest.
HOT TIP: Get an Express Pass! You'll get priority admission to Special Screenings, Conversations, Presentations, the Tech Showcase and general screenings with an Express Pass without the need to reserve tickets for individual screenings or events! A limited number of express passes are still available. One of those special events is a discussion Saturday, November 1 with Sofia Coppola. She'll be talking about her new film, The Beguiled and how she tried to push herself with the story, the dialogue and the gore. You can be sure this will be a hot ticket, and you can only get a seat early with an Express Pass.
It's impossible to cover everything that's happening at the fest here, so I encourage you to go to the site (reachable through the top image on this page) to find out all about it. Better yet, for all the latest news on what's playing where and other kinds of updates, I recommend downloading the official AFI FEST 2017 mobile app. This will assure you get up-to-the-minute news and access to free tickets. You can also use the app to create your own schedule for the movies you want to see. And you can access venue maps, film info and more! When you're at a big festival like this one an app like this can be a life saver when it comes to managing your time and keeping you in the know. Download the App here.
And here's an added bonus to check out: you can win tickets to closing night. That's right! For less than the price of a movie ticket, you can bring storytelling workshops to LA students who need them most. How? If you donate $10 or more you’ll be entered for the chance to win two Gala tickets to Closing Night! And that money goes straight to supporting the storytelling workshops. Use picture below as a link to more information. And go to the main AFI Film Fest site. If you're a film lover you really ought to experience this festival at least once n your lifetime.