Monday, October 23, 2023

AFI Fest 2023 Brings the Best of the World Cinema to Los Angeles

 By José Alberto Hermosillo


AFI Fest 2023 opens on Wednesday, October 25, and goes until 29, 2023. Film lovers will rejoice in the prestigious Angelino movie fiesta, which showcases over 140 films. Some of those are already Award-winning films from other festivals, such as Berlin, Venice, and Cannes. 


The Red Carpets and Special Screenings are the Oscars hopefuls such as "Maestro," "Leave the World Behind," and "Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story." Others, like "All of Us Strangers," "American Fiction," "The Bikeriders," "The End We Start From," "Fingernails," "Freud's Last Season," "Lee," "Memory," "Quiz Lady," and "Society of Snow" are contenders as well.

The audience will have only five days to watch as many marvelous gems as possible and meet some filmmakers and possibly the casts from many faraway countries. They will come to Los Angeles to support their respective films and show what they are capable of in Hollywood.

Twenty International Feature Films entries for the 96th Academy Awards:

ABOUT DRY GRASSES (KURU OTLAR ÜSTÜNE). Turkey’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

CITY OF WIND (SER SER SALHI). U.S. Premiere. Mongolia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD. Romania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. Screening is to be followed by a conversation with actor Ilinca Manolache.

FALLEN LEAVES (KUOLLEET LEHDET). Finland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

FOUR DAUGHTERS (LES FILLES D’OLFA). Tunisia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. Screening is to be followed by a conversation with director Kaouther Ben Hania.

INSHALLAH A BOY (INSHALLAH WALAD). U.S. Premiere. Jordan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

ME CAPTAIN (IO CAPITANO). North American Premiere. Italy’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Matteo Garrone and actors Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall.

THE PEASANTS (CHLOPI). Poland’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with directors DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman.

PERFECT DAYS. Japan’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS). Brazil’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Kleber Mondonça Filho.

THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN). Denmark’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Nikolaj Arcel and actor Mads Mikkelsen.

THE SETTLERS (LOS COLONOS). Chile’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

SHAYDA. Australia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Noora Nilasari.

SLOW. Lithuania’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD. Estonia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Anna Hints and producer Marianne Ostrat.

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE). Spain’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director J.A. Bayona.

THE TASTE OF THINGS (THE POT-AU-FEU). France’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

TIGER STRIPES. Malaysia’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature.

TÓTEM. Mexico’s Oscar® submission for Best International Feature


DOCUMENTARIES


ANSELM 3D, Germany

COPA ’71, US.

THE ECHO (EL ECO), Mexico/Germany.

FOUR DAUGHTERS, Tunisia/France

PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS), Brazil.

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | OPUS, Japan.

Sly, US.

STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING. The US.

THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER, Spain/France



Award-winning LGBTQ+ Films will be present at the
2023 AFI Fest:

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS), Spain.
ALL OF US STRANGERS, United Kingdom.
BEYOND THE SEA, Belgium/France.
DILDOTECTONICS (DILDOTECTÓNICA), Shorts program.
GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI, Documentary, USA.
MERMAN, Shorts program.
ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY, Documentary. France.
SLOW, Lithuania.
Skin, Shorts program.
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD, Stonia.
THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN, Greece.
THRIVING: A DISSOCIATED REVERIE, Shorts documentary.

2023 AFI FEST Guest Artistic Director is Greta Gerwig, director of "Barbie," "Little Women,""Lady Bird." She has curated the films she says influenced the most and will introduce some of the selected gems in person. 

ALL THAT JAZZ
October 28, 3:30 p.m. (Chinese 5)
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
October 29, 12:15 p.m. (Chinese 6)
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
October 26, 6:45 p.m. (Chinese 5)
PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE
October 26, 6:00 p.m. (TCL Chinese)
WINGS OF DESIRE
October 29, 8:30 p.m. (Chinese 6).

View the full festival lineup at FEST.AFI.com.

AFI FEST 2023 will occur in Los Angeles from October 25 through October 29. Individual tickets for all screenings are available for purchase at FEST.AFI.com.

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