AFI AWARDS 2007 Salutes Film and Television

    LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- George Clooney, Tilda Swinton,
 Javier Bardem, Alec Baldwin, Julian Schnabel, Josh Brolin, Allison Janney,
 Jason Bateman and many other artists from in front of and behind the camera
 were among the attendees honored by the American Film Institute (AFI) in
 Los Angeles today, during its AFI AWARDS 2007 luncheon sponsored by
 Hewlett-Packard.
 
     Additionally celebrated was HP's creation of 20 scholarships to the AFI
 Conservatory, one for each of the AFI honorees. The AFI Conservatory is
 world-renowned for its advanced training of the next generation of
 storytellers.
 
     This is the eighth year to record entries to AFI's almanac of the 21st
 century, which documents the year's most outstanding achievements in film
 and television. AFI AWARDS is the only form of national recognition that
 acknowledges the collaborative nature of film and television by honoring
 the creative ensembles as a whole-including those both in front of and
 behind the camera.
 
     The creative community came together today at the Four Seasons Hotel
 for the luncheon. Among the principal cast members were: Hal Holbrook (INTO
 THE WILD); Allison Janney, Jason Bateman, JK Simmons (JUNO); Jonah Hill,
 Jason Segel, Martin Starr (KNOCKED UP); George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom
 Wilkinson (MICHAEL CLAYTON); Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD
 MEN); Michael C. Hall (DEXTER); Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tequan
 Richmond (EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS); Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton (FRIDAY
 NIGHT LIGHTS); Ray Abruzzo (SOPRANOS); Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks (MAD
 MEN); Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz (PUSHING DAISIES); Ally Walker,
 Tim DeKay, Sonya Walger, Adam Scott (TELL ME YOU LOVE ME); Alec Baldwin,
 Jack McBrayer (30 ROCK).
 
     Among acclaimed directors present were: Julian Schnabel (DIVING BELL
 AND THE BUTTERFLY); Jason Reitman (JUNO); Judd Apatow (KNOCKED UP); Tony
 Gilroy (MICHAEL CLAYTON); Brad Bird (RATATOUILLE); Tamara Jenkins (THE
 SAVAGES); Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD); Barry Sonnenfeld
 (PUSHING DAISIES).
 
     Acclaimed writer/director Frank Pierson (DOG DAY AFTERNOON, COOL HAND
 LUKE) was greeted with a standing ovation as he closed the event with an
 eloquent benediction drawing on stories from his early days in Hollywood.
 Comparing the event to the early pre-television days of the Academy Awards,
 he saluted the "endless well of stories."
 
     Also among the guests were members of the AFI Board of Trustees, AFI
 AWARDS jurors and longtime supporters of the institute including: David
 Ansen; Jon Avnet; John F. Cooke; Robert A. Daly; Carolyn Farb; Jean Picker
 Firstenberg; Richard Frank; Marshall Herskovitz; Charles W. Fries; Lawrence
 Kasdan; Suzanne Lloyd; Leonard Maltin; Diana Ossana; Vivian Sobchack and Ed
 Zwick.
 
     Leonard Maltin from the AFI Jury for Motion Pictures and Rich Frank,
 chair, AFI Jury for Television entered the jury rationales into the almanac
 by reading them as scenes from the films and TV programs were presented.
 Announced for the first time today, the complete rationales can be found at
 http://www.AFI.com. Bob Gazzale, AFI's President and CEO, congratulated the
 creative ensembles as a whole from each of the 10 films and 10 television
 programs selected (listed below and previously announced on December 16,
 2007).
 
 

     The official selections are listed below in alphabetical order:
 
     AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
 
     BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
     THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
     INTO THE WILD
     JUNO
     KNOCKED UP
     MICHAEL CLAYTON
     NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
     RATATOUILLE
     THE SAVAGES
     THERE WILL BE BLOOD
 
 
     AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
 
     DEXTER
     EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
     FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
     LONGFORD
     MAD MEN
     PUSHING DAISIES
     THE SOPRANOS
     TELL ME YOU LOVE ME
     30 ROCK
     UGLY BETTY
 
     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. Additional information about AFI is available
 at AFI.com.
 
 
 

SOURCE American Film Institute