Posted. by Larry Gleeson
AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES
AFI FEST 2025 PRESENTED BY CANVA TO TAKE PLACE
OCTOBER 22-26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Los Angeles, CA, January 29, 2025 — Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced the dates for AFI FEST 2025 presented by Canva. The 39th edition of the Institute’s annual film festival will take place October 22–26 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood and feature a curated selection of Red Carpet Premiere screenings, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films.
“For nearly 40 years, AFI FEST has been the place for artists and audiences to gather in the heart of Hollywood to celebrate the very best of global cinema,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST. “In these challenging times for our community, AFI promises to fill the fall with films that will prove the power of the art form to inspire hope, empathy and joy.”
AFI FEST is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®. AFI FEST is also a qualifying festival for consideration for the British Short Film categories of both the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
Entries for the AFI FEST 2025 Short Film Competition program open today. Short films that have been completed after October 1, 2024, are eligible for submission to AFI FEST 2025. Filmmakers are invited to submit fiction, documentary and animated short films.
SHORT FILM SUBMISSION DATES
Early Deadline – March 1, 2025
Official Deadline – April 12, 2025
Final Deadline – May 31, 2025
Learn more about submitting to AFI FEST at FEST.AFI.com or submit via Film Freeway at https://filmfreeway.com/
Program highlights from AFI FEST 2024 presented by Canva included screenings of nine Best International Oscar® Submissions (including I’M STILL HERE and THE SEED OF THE SECRET FIG), ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, HARD TRUTHS, HERETIC, JUROR #2, MARIA, MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS, NICKEL BOYS, NIGHTBITCH, A REAL PAIN, THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, SEPTEMBER 5, THE SUMMER BOOK, UNSTOPPABLE, WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL and more. Of the official selections 48% were directed by women and non-binary filmmakers and 26% were directed by BIPOC filmmakers. The festival also presented two special events: Directors Spotlight: Robert Zemeckis in Conversation with Tom Hanks and Pitch Perfect: Crafting Impactful Visual Decks from a Storyteller’s Perspective. Guests at the festival included JJ Abrams, Amy Adams, Paul Bettany, Leslie Bibb, Jacqueline Bisset, Laurent Bouzereau, Tommy Chong, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Jennifer Connelly, Ryan Coogler, Merlin Crossingham, Ted Danson, Julie Delpy, Zoey Deutch, Mati Diop, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Nicholas Hoult, Ron Howard, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Barry Jenkins, Jharrel Jerome, Angelina Jolie, Caleb Landry Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Pablo Larraín, Philippe Lesage, Jennifer Lopez, John Magaro, Cheech Marin, Charlie McDowell, Malcolm McDowell, Selton Mello, Rachel Morrison, Mark Mothersbaugh, Nick Park, RaMell Ross, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Schrader, Jurnee Smollet, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Fernanda Torres, John Turturro, Lulu Wang, Robert Zemeckis, Wallace & Gromit and more.
AFI is a nonprofit, donor-powered organization. Join AFI’s Premiere Circle to support the American Film Institute and enjoy access to exclusive one-of-a-kind opportunities at AFI events, including AFI FEST. To learn more, email Advancement@AFI.com.
Canva, the all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform, returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST 2025. Designed to empower entertainment professionals to visualize their ideas into impactful film and TV projects, Canva will be integrated throughout AFI FEST including hosting industry networking events, hands-on training workshops for filmmakers, and powering the festival’s digital and printed materials. Entertainment professionals can explore resources to pitch projects, plan shoots, and bring creative visions to life at canva.com/entertainment.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked as one of the top film schools in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/
About AFI FEST
Now in its 39th year, AFI FEST is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. This year’s edition takes place in Los Angeles from October 22-26, 2025. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. AFI FEST includes high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for movie fans. Additional information is available at FEST.AFI.com. Connect with AFI’s film festival at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, Twitter.com/AFIFEST, Instagram/
About Canva
Launched in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers, and students in more than 190 countries worldwide.
Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by the world’s most comprehensive library of designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.
Press contact:
American Film Institute: Shari Mesulam, shari@themesulamgroup.com
