George Clooney, Javier Bardem, Alec Baldwin and Julian Schnabel Among Guests
at Annual Celebration of AFI Almanac
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Alec Baldwin, Julian Schnabel, Josh Brolin, Allison Janney, Jason Bateman and many other artists from in front of and behind the camera were among the attendees honored by the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles today, during its AFI AWARDS 2007 luncheon sponsored by Hewlett-Packard.
Additionally celebrated was HP's creation of 20 scholarships to the AFI Conservatory, one for each of the AFI honorees. The AFI Conservatory is world-renowned for its advanced training of the next generation of storytellers.
This is the eighth year to record entries to AFI's almanac of the 21st century, which documents the year's most outstanding achievements in film and television. AFI AWARDS is the only form of national recognition that acknowledges the collaborative nature of film and television by honoring the creative ensembles as a whole-including those both in front of and behind the camera.
The creative community came together today at the Four Seasons Hotel for the luncheon. Among the principal cast members were: Hal Holbrook (INTO THE WILD); Allison Janney, Jason Bateman, JK Simmons (JUNO); Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr (KNOCKED UP); George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson (MICHAEL CLAYTON); Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN); Michael C. Hall (DEXTER); Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tequan Richmond (EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS); Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS); Ray Abruzzo (SOPRANOS); Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks (MAD MEN); Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz (PUSHING DAISIES); Ally Walker, Tim DeKay, Sonya Walger, Adam Scott (TELL ME YOU LOVE ME); Alec Baldwin, Jack McBrayer (30 ROCK).
Among acclaimed directors present were: Julian Schnabel (DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY); Jason Reitman (JUNO); Judd Apatow (KNOCKED UP); Tony Gilroy (MICHAEL CLAYTON); Brad Bird (RATATOUILLE); Tamara Jenkins (THE SAVAGES); Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD); Barry Sonnenfeld (PUSHING DAISIES).
Acclaimed writer/director Frank Pierson (DOG DAY AFTERNOON, COOL HAND LUKE) was greeted with a standing ovation as he closed the event with an eloquent benediction drawing on stories from his early days in Hollywood. Comparing the event to the early pre-television days of the Academy Awards, he saluted the "endless well of stories."
Also among the guests were members of the AFI Board of Trustees, AFI AWARDS jurors and longtime supporters of the institute including: David Ansen; Jon Avnet; John F. Cooke; Robert A. Daly; Carolyn Farb; Jean Picker Firstenberg; Richard Frank; Marshall Herskovitz; Charles W. Fries; Lawrence Kasdan; Suzanne Lloyd; Leonard Maltin; Diana Ossana; Vivian Sobchack and Ed Zwick.
Leonard Maltin from the AFI Jury for Motion Pictures and Rich Frank, chair, AFI Jury for Television entered the jury rationales into the almanac by reading them as scenes from the films and TV programs were presented. Announced for the first time today, the complete rationales can be found at http://www.AFI.com. Bob Gazzale, AFI's President and CEO, congratulated the creative ensembles as a whole from each of the 10 films and 10 television programs selected (listed below and previously announced on December 16, 2007).
The official selections are listed below in alphabetical order:
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
KNOCKED UP
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
RATATOUILLE
THE SAVAGES
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
DEXTER
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
LONGFORD
MAD MEN
PUSHING DAISIES
THE SOPRANOS
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME
30 ROCK
UGLY BETTY
About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com. SOURCE American Film Institute
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