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Dec 13, 2009
American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the
official selections of AFI AWARDS 2009, AFI’s almanac that records
the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television, as well as
significant moments in the world of the moving image.
AFI AWARDS is the only recognition that honors the film
and television creative ensembles as a whole—those both in front of
and behind the camera—acknowledging the collaborative nature of film and television.
Unlike any other film or television award, the AFI AWARDS
2009 selections are made through AFI’s unique 13-person jury process in which
scholars, film artists, critics and AFI trustees discuss, debate and determine
the most outstanding achievements of the year, as well as provide a detailed
rationale for each selection. Two AFI juries—one for motion
pictures and one for television—convened in Los Angeles for two days of
deliberations at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. The jurors have
remained confidential until today. (Complete list is below.)
AFI will honor the creative ensembles for each of the
selections at a luncheon sponsored by Hewlett-Packard on Friday, January 15,
2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The luncheon is by
invitation only.
Once again, HP has created scholarships for the AFI
Conservatory in conjunction with their support of the AFI AWARDS. The AFI Conservatory is world-renowned for its advanced training of the next
generation of storytellers.
“AFI AWARDS 2009 is the tenth chapter in a century-long program to honor the
artists and their work," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. "This program celebrates the creative community - not competition -
and it is in this spirit that the institute brings America's storytellers
together to acknowledge their contributions to our nation's rich cultural
heritage."
The honorees are listed below in alphabetical order:
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR—OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
CORALINE
THE HANGOVER
THE HURT LOCKER
THE MESSENGER
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE
A SERIOUS MAN
A SINGLE MAN
SUGAR
UP
UP IN THE AIR
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR—OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
THE BIG BANG THEORY
BIG LOVE
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
GLEE
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
NURSE JACKIE
PARTY DOWN
TRUE BLOOD
AFI JURY FOR MOTION PICTURES
Norman Jewison
Chair, AFI Awards Jury for Motion Pictures
Director/Producer
Elvis Mitchell
THE TREATMENT
Chon Noriega
University of California, Los Angeles
Tom Pollock
Producer
Chair Emeritus, AFI Board of Trustees
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Richard Schickel
Historian/Author/Documentary Filmmaker
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
AFI JURY FOR
TELEVISION
Stanley
Brooks
Producer
Bambi Haggins
Arizona State University
L.S. Kim
University of California, Santa Cruz
Lisa Parks
University of California, Santa Barbara
CCH Pounder
Actor
Matt Roush
TV Guide Magazine
Maureen Ryan
Chicago Tribune
Ellen Seiter
University of Southern California
Robert J. Thompson
Syracuse University
CRITERIA
Each year, AFI AWARDS
honors excellence in American film and television by recognizing the creative
ensembles that collaborate to create the year's outstanding movies and
television programs, all of which best advanced the art of the moving image;
enhanced the rich cultural heritage of America's art form; inspired audiences
and artists alike; and/or made a mark on American society.
AFI will consider eligible any film that fulfills the
following criteria:
FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE
Narrative fiction format, over 60 minutes in length.
AMERICAN
Motion picture with significant creative and/or production elements from the
United States. The motion picture need not be presented in the English language
if it is incontrovertibly American.
THEATRICALLY-RELEASED
Motion pictures originally released between January 1, 2009, and December 31,
2009, which have premiered in a commercial theater and screened for at least
five consecutive days in Los Angeles or New York City.
AFI will consider
eligible any television program that fulfills the following criteria:
TELEVISION PROGRAM
Narrative fiction
format, originated for television as either a series, movie or mini-series.
AMERICAN
English language
programs with significant creative and/or production elements from the
United States.
BROADCAST
First-run programs
airing for American audiences on network or cable television between January 1,
2009, and December 31, 2009. Only programs broadcast
Monday through Saturday, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern/Pacific, and
Sundays, between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern/Pacific, are eligible.
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.
AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its
world-renowned AFI Conservatory, preserves the legacy of America's film
heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and AFI Archives, explores new digital
technologies at the AFI Digital Content Lab and honors artists and their work
through a variety of programs and special events.
For 37 years, the AFI Life
Achievement Award has remained the highest honor for a career in film. AFI also honors the
most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year at AFI
Awards, the institute’s almanac for the 21st century, while AFI’s 100 Years… series has introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions
of film lovers. And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI's festivals
include AFI FEST presented by Audi in Los Angeles and AFI-Discovery Channel
SILVERDOCS documentary film festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. AFI exhibition
also offers year-round programming at the ArcLight Cinemas and Skirball
Cultural Center in Los Angeles and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
in the Washington DC, area. Additional information about AFI is available at
AFI.com.
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