The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the dates for AFI Fest 2024. The 38th edition of the Institute’s annual festival will take place October 23–27 exclusively in person at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. The five-day festival will once again include a curated selection of Red Carpet Premiere screenings, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films.
“With awards season in full bloom, AFI is also looking to the future and this fall’s AFI FEST,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “So as last year’s films take a well-deserved bow, mark your calendars now to experience the very best of what lies ahead.”
AFI Fest is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®. AFI Fest is also a qualifying festival for consideration for the British Short Film categories of both the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
Entries for the AFI Fest 2024 Short Film Competition program open today (1/17). Short films that have been completed after October 1, 2023, are eligible for submission to AFI Fest 2024. Filmmakers are invited to submit fiction, documentary and animated short films.
Submission dates for shorts
- Early Deadline – Friday, March 1, 2024
- Official Deadline – Friday, April 12, 2024
- Final Deadline – Friday, May 31, 2024
Learn more about submitting to AFI Fest here.
American Society of Cinematographers presents 2024 Student Heritage Award winners
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced winners in the 2024 Student Heritage Awards competition. Three student filmmakers were selected for demonstrating outstanding cinematography skills in their submitted work. The Awards ceremony, presided over by ASC president Shelly Johnson and held at the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood, also celebrated the lasting memory of three legendary ASC members whose work inspired generations.
Ellen Kuras, ASC presented the John Bailey Heritage Award (Graduate Category) to Joewi Verhoeven of the American Film Institute for “Taha.”
The George Spiro Dibie Heritage Award (Undergraduate Category) was presented by Michael Goi, ASC, ISC to Isabelle Leonard of the University of Southern California for “Amos' Bride.”
Patrick Cady, ASC presented The Haskell Wexler Documentary Award to Meg Weck of the University of Southern California for “Danceable.”
The Student Awards, sponsored by Sony, are one of several educational programs designed by the organization to support a new generation of talent in the early stages of their cinematography careers. To qualify, a student’s undergraduate, graduate or documentary project is submitted and judged by an ASC blue-ribbon panel for demonstrating exceptional cinematographic skill.
Many of the ASC Student Heritage Award winners have gone on to have successful careers in filmmaking, including the Student Awards Committee co-chairs Craig Kief and Armando Salas, alongside other ASC members Nelson Cragg, Masanobu Takayanagi, and Lisa Wiegand.
Read More