AFI Fest Coming On Strong In Los Angeles

The AFI Fest, sponsored and organized by the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, is a sprawling affair that is linked to the American Film Market event that brings together independent producers and distributors from around the globe. The Festival’s programming is decidedly arthouse and international in scope but with a nod to its hometown heroes. For its 25^th anniversary, the Festival is hosting the world premiere of Clint Eastwood’s J. EDGAR, a biopic of the FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover as played by Leonard DiCaprio in a performance already buzzed to be Oscar bound. The film opens the Festival, which will include such festival circuit faves as THE LADY (Luc Besson, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (starring Michelle Williams), CARNAGE (Roman Polanski), MELANCHOLIA (Lars Von Trier), PINA (Wim Wenders), WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (Lynne Ramsay), JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME (Jay and Mark Duplass) and SHAME (Steve McQueen). Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar will serve as Guest Artistic Director and will also be present for the 25^th anniversary screening of LAW OF DESIRE, the first film made by his production company, El Deseo. The AFI Fest 2011 will take place in Hollywood from November 3 to 10. For more information, visit: www.afi.com/afifest

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