Every year, the American Film Institute selects ten films to receive their AFI Awards. The honors are unique in that they, recognizing the collaborative medium of film, are awarded to "the individuals and creative ensembles who have created the year's outstanding achievements". In other words, the award goes to not only the film's producer and/or director, but everyone involved in creating it. Now, I don't believe everyone gets an actual trophy; perhaps they hand out little embossed certificates to the caterers, best boys, script girls, et al (and if they don't, I think they should, don't you?).This year's selections are a refreshingly mixed lot, ranging from the animated adventures of a culinary rodent (Ratatouille) and two comedies about unwed mothers (Knocked Up, Juno) to more obvious Oscar baiters like No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, Into the Wild and There Will Be Blood. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in two of their picks, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and The Savages, while the winner of this year's AFI Fest, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, was somewhat of a surprise considering it is from France (it is actually a US/French co-production, therefore eligible as an "American" film).
In past years, most if not all of the eventual Oscar Best Picture nominees made the AFI cut, although it is notable that last year's winner, The Departed, did not. And don't count out the British -- and thus absent -- Atonement. What these awards do mean in this year's race concerns the ever-more prominent Diving Bell; it just may ride a wave of early recognition and stellar reviews into Oscar's final five.
The AFI Awards are also given to television productions, with such Movie Dearest favorites as Pushing Daisies and Ugly Betty among this year's worthy honorees.
Links via AFI.com.
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