FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Editor’s note: The official festival name is
“AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi” and
should be referred to as such at least once
within a story.
AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES PEDRO ALMODÓVAR AS GUEST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF
AFI FEST presented by Audi
2011 Marks 25th Edition of AFI FEST
LOS ANGELES, CA, August 29, 2011 – American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that
internationally acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar will serve as its Guest Artistic Director
at AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi. AFI FEST – celebrating its 25th year in 2011 – will
take place November 3 through 10 in Hollywood, California at the historic Chinese Theatre,
the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
As Guest Artistic Director, Almodóvar will present a screening of his 1986 film, LAW OF
DESIRE, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the film and his production company, El
Deseo S.A. He will also curate a sidebar program of films that have inspired his work (to be
announced in October), and he will be featured in the creative campaign of AFI FEST 2011
presented by Audi. Last year’s Guest Artistic Director was David Lynch, an alumnus of the
AFI Conservatory, named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter.
“I have an enormous respect for AFI FEST, which has always been very generous with me, so
I am very honored to be its Guest Artistic Director this year,” said Almodóvar. “This will give
me the chance to present a selection of some of my favorite films along with one of my own,
LAW OF DESIRE, on its 25th anniversary. I’m looking forward to being in LA this November
with my AFI FEST friends.”
“Pedro Almodóvar is a modern master,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of the
American Film Institute. “His genius inspires artists and audiences alike, and it is an honor
for the American Film Institute to celebrate him and his singular voice at AFI FEST.”
Almodóvar has a long history with AFI, having showcased many of his award-winning films
at the festival, beginning with the1990 presentation of TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! AFI FEST
screened HIGH HEELS in 1996, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER in 1999 (Closing Night), TALK TO
HER in 2002 (Closing Night), VOLVER in 2006 (Tribute to Penélope Cruz), THE HEADLESS
WOMAN in 2008 and BROKEN EMBRACES in 2009. AFI FEST 2004 honored Almodóvar
with a Tribute and Retrospective that included a Gala screening of his film, BAD
EDUCATION. “There is a long legacy of international cinema at AFI FEST,” said Jacqueline Lyanga,
Festival Director of AFI FEST. “We've shown many of Pedro Almodóvar's films and we've
seen the extraordinary influence that his work has had on other filmmakers over the years.
Almodóvar's work embodies the cross-pollination of cinematic influences that fuel
2 contemporary world cinema.”
The creative campaign for AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi celebrates the 25th edition of
the festival and Pedro Almodóvar’s participation as Guest Artistic Director. To download the
poster image, go to AFI.com/AFIFEST/releases.aspx. Additional photos are available on
Flickr. In addition to Audi as presenting sponsor, this year’s major sponsors include AT&T, the
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Levi’s, Stella Artois and
American Airlines, the official airline of AFI.
Attending AFI FEST
For the third consecutive year, AFI FEST will continue its unprecedented offer of free tickets to
all screenings, including galas. In addition, festival-goers can become a patron of the
festival by purchasing an AFI FEST Patron Package. Festival Patrons receive reserved seating
at festival galas and other benefits. AFI Members receive discounts on Patron Packages and
first access to free individual tickets. AFI FEST Patron Packages go on sale in September at
AFI.com/AFIFEST.
For more information about AFI Membership, visit AFI.com/membership.
3 About Pedro Almodóvar
Biography
Pedro Almodóvar was born in the heart of La Mancha, Spain in the 1950s. At seventeen,
Almodóvar left home and moved to Madrid with very little means to pursue his dream of filmmaking.
He worked many jobs until he finally landed at the National Telephone Company of Spain in 1971,
which would allow him to save money for his first Super-8 camera.
In 1980, Almodóvar, self-taught, completed his first feature film PEPI, LUCI, BOM which debuted in
Spain. He founded his production company, El Deseo S.A., in 1986 with his brother, Agustín. Their
first project was LAW OF DESIRE. Since then, they have produced all of Pedro’s films as well as
supported projects directed by emerging filmmakers.
In 1988, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN brought him international
recognition. His film, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, produced his first Academy Award® for Best
Foreign Film, a Golden Globe, a César, three European Film Awards, the David de Donatello
award, two BAFTA awards, seven Goya awards and 45 other accolades. Three years later, TALK
TO HER won additional honors, including the Academy Award® for Best Script. Almodóvar’s film,
BAD EDUCATION, opened the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 and again garnered numerous awards,
including Best Foreign Film by the New York Critics’ Circle.
In 2006 his film, VOLVER, won the Best Screenplay and Best Actress Awards at the Cannes Film
Festival and went on to receive a total of 72 awards that year. Lead actress Penélope Cruz was also
nominated that year for an Academy Award® for Best Actress – the first time a Spanish actress was
nominated for a Spanish language film.
Filmography – Feature Films
PEPI, LUCI, BOM (1980); LABYRINTH OF PASSION (1982); DARK HABITS (1983); WHAT HAVE I
DONE TO DESERVE THIS? (1984-1985); MATADOR (1985-86); LAW OF DESIRE (1986); WOMEN
ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1987); TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! (1989); HIGH
HEELS (1991); ACCIÓN MUTANTE (Producer, 1992); KIKA (1993); THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET
(1995); LIVE FLESH (1997); ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (1999); THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (Producer,
2000); TALK TO HER (2001); MY LIFE WITHOUT ME (Producer, 2002); CHILL OUT! (Producer,
2003); BAD EDUCATION (2003); THE HOLY GIRL (Producer, 2004); THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS
(Producer, 2005); VOLVER (2006); THE HEADLESS WOMAN (Producer, 2008); BROKEN
EMBRACES (2009); THE SKIN I LIVE IN (2011).
About the American Film Institute
AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and
their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.
AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that
engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. AFI programs include the AFI
Catalog of Feature Films and Archive, the AFI Life Achievement Award, now in it's 39th year, AFI
Awards, honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, AFI Fest
presented by Audi, celebrating its 25th edition this fall, AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, AFI Silver
Theatre and the AFI Conservatory, which was named the # 1 film school in the world by The
Hollywood Reporter.
Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.
4 About AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi
Celebrating its 25th year as a program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi
will take place November 3 through 10 in the heart of Hollywood. Kicking off the awards season each
year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing
appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of global cinema, right in the center of
the film capital of the world.
The American Film Market (AFM), November 2 through 9, 2011, is the market partner of AFI FEST.
Together, AFI FEST and AFM provide the only concurrent festival-market event in North America. AFI FEST
is the only FIAPF-accredited film festival in the United States. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy
Awards®.
Audi is the festival's presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, the official airline
of AFI; AT&T; the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; Levi’s; Stella Artois and
American Film Market (AFM), among many others.
Additional information about AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST.
Connect with AFI FEST at facebook.com/AFIFEST, twitter.com/AFIFEST and youtube.com/AFIFEST.
About Audi
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI
AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top
performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next
few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit audiusa.com
or audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.
About AFM
The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year
at the AFM, when more than 8,000 industry leaders converge in Santa Monica for eight days of
deal-making, screenings, premieres, networking, parties and conferences. Participants come from
more than 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys,
directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world's
press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. The AFM is produced by the
Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA).
More information is online at
AmericanFilmMarket.com.
###
Applications for AFI FEST press accreditation will be available starting September 1. For more
information, visit AFI.com/AFIFEST/presshome.aspx.
AFI FEST Media Contact
Angela Iuorno Acuff – 323.856.7896 or [email protected]