Luncheon
honors artists including
Emily Blunt, Spike Lee, Olivia Colman
Bradley Cooper, Michael B. Jordan
and Emma Stone
They say there are four seasons in LA – Spring, Summer, Lakers and Awards Season. Guess which one we’re in now.
As awards season shifts into high gear, many of the year’s finest film and television artists were honored by the AFI at the annual luncheon. As part of the program, AFI also shared its official rationales (below) in celebration of this year’s 21 outstanding films and TV series, and their cultural and artistic contributions to the art form today.
Representing their creative teams at the luncheon were guests such as: Jason Blum, Adam Driver, Spike Lee and John David Washington from BlackKklansman. According to a statement from the AFI, the film, “raises a defiant fist against the racism and bigotry that defines modern day America. Spike Lee’s masterful telling of this true tale leaves audiences breathless – both for its interplay of hope and hate – and the realization that the world we live in has not progressed far from the birth of our nation.”
Another film that was honored was Black Panther, which elevated the superhero genre into something of a cultural event. The statement went onto say the action film, “roars with a power that shatters and reshapes cultural mythology. Ryan Coogler’s super-heroic vision opens the world’s eyes to the wonders of Wakanda – creating a rich and revolutionary celebration of unprecedented empowerment.”
Other films honored inlcuded Bo Burham’s Eighth Grade, Barry Jenkins’ moving and powerful, If Beale Street Could Talk, The very funny and twisted The Favourite from Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos and Peter Farelly’s Green Book.
Sorry to Bother You’s Lakeith Stanfield and Widows’ Brian Tyree Henry represented critically-acclaimed and popular TV series Atlanta. Other TV series honored included The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, The Americans, Better Call Saul and This is Us.
Watch some of the highlights below:
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Closing the event, Angela Lansbury delivered the annual benediction in tribute to the honorees and their remarkable achievements in film and television. “Stories are born of collaboration,” Lansbury said. “We tell them together. Directors, writers, actors, designers, costumers, camera operators, each bringing our own experiences to the story. Never forget that is what makes this art form unique, and working with the very best, as you have, makes it uniquely powerful.”
The AFI Awards luncheon was sponsored by Audi, a leading supporter of AFI and its programs for the past 15 years. The AFI Awards luncheon was also sponsored by American Airlines, the official airline of AFI.
Source: AFI
