One of the most respected film festivals in the US, the American Film Institute’s AFI Fest announced on Wednesday its eight red carpet gala screenings for the upcoming 24th annual event in Los Angeles, November 4-11.
The opening night selection is the world premiere of Love and Other Drugs, directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond) and starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal as mismatched lovers. Black Swan starring Natalie Portman and directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) will close the eight-day event.
For the Tribute Selection, Toronto festival winner The King’s Speech will honor director Tom Hooper (The Damned United, John Adams) and star Colin Firth as the stuttering King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as the Australian speech therapist. The film will be released in theaters November 26. Firth is considered an early candidate for an Oscar for this role.
The premier film festival attracts film industry players and actors with the American Film Market occuring concurrently in nearby Santa Monica and is attended by 7,000 people from 70 countries. AFI Fest is the only US film festival with a FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) accreditation.
