No awards season event has a higher ratio of notables to people (among whom I count myself) than the annual AFI Awards luncheon, which also has an unbeatable ratio of winners to losers: Indeed, every table in the ballroom at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills – except one table for members of the press – is reserved for the main personnel behind an American film or television show that was chosen a month earlier, by a jury convened by the American Film Institute, as one of the previous year’s films. 10 best (plus, in some years, like this one, a movie or TV show that was selected to receive a “special award”).
Attendees at this year’s luncheon included the crème de la crème of Hollywood’s A-list, including One battle after another star Leonardo Di Caprio, Bugonia star/producer Emma Pierre, Marty Supreme stars Timothée Chalamet And Gwyneth Paltrow, Avatar: Fire and Ash screenwriter/director James Cameron, Villain: for good star Ariana Grande, Sinners screenwriter/director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B.Jordan, Hamnet producer Steven Spielberg and writer/director Chloe Zhao, Jay Kelly stars George Clooney And Adam Sandler, Frankenstein screenwriter/director Guillermo del Toro and star Jacob Elordi, Form dreams star Joel Edgerton, Stain star Marc Ruffalo, The truth star Ethan Hawke, Breakup stars Adam Scott And Lower Britt, Pluribus Creator Vince Giligan and star Rhea Seehorn and the list goes on – along with top studio and network executives (e.g. Netflix Ted Sarandos And Bela BajariaWarner Bros.’ Michael DeLucaFX John LandgrafA24 David Fenkel) and their parent companies (e.g. Apple’s Tim Cook).
It all made for a memorable, if somewhat cluttered, cocktail. Cameron and DiCaprio, who collaborated on Titanic 30 years ago, crossed paths and kissed. In 2012, Sundance writing lab classmates turned indie darlings turned Marvel filmmakers and current Oscar contenders Coogler and Zhao caught up, as did Seehorn and Gilligan with the star of a previous Gilligan show, Break the badIt is Jesse Plemonswho was in the room as part of the Bugonia quota. Zhao also posed with Grande and Hamnet star Jessie Buckleythen with Spielberg and Cook. And Clooney and Sarandos talked, before Clooney brought Sandler and their Jay Kelly costar Laura Dern I came to say hello to the surprise guest of the afternoon, Carole Burnett.
The official festivities began, as always, with a magnificent montage produced by the AFI. Chris Merrillshowcasing excellent film and television work from years past ending with the same number as the year of work honored. This year’s reel, with “Smile” playing over it, drew particular applause when clips appeared related to the people in the room – 1975s. Jawsdirected by Spielberg; 1995s The usual suspectsfeaturing Benicio Del Toro (a star of One battle after another); 2015 Creedwritten/directed by Coogler and starring Jordan; The ghostwith DiCaprio; And You better call Saulwith Seehorn – and also during the broadcast of a clip of Diane Keatondied in October 2005 Something has to give.
When the Seehorn clip in You better call Saul switched to a clip of her in PluribusThis marked the start of a montage featuring each of the AFI Awards winners for 2025, prompting every table to erupt when their project appeared on the big screen.
Then, President and CEO of the AFI Bob Gazzale welcomed everyone; noted that “Smile” was written by Charlie Chaplinincluding the granddaughter, actress Oona Chaplinwas in the bedroom Avatar: Fire and Ash painting; and said the song was chosen for the edit to recognize the challenges of 2025 that have impacted the Hollywood community – from January’s devastating wildfires to the tragic murders of Rob Reiner And Michelle Reiner in December – and the art that helped us get through it: “We need your stories to help us make sense of the emotions we can’t escape. »
Gazzale also recognized the strong representation of AFI Conservatory alumni among this year’s winners, including Stain Creator Brad Ingelsby And Bugonia producer Ari Aster; and the presence in the room of two former AFI Life Achievement Award winners, Clooney and Spielberg, as well as the founder of the AFI George Stevens Jr.93 years old, who received a standing ovation.
Then came the reading, for the AFI Almanac, of the explanations on this year’s AFI Awards selections, delivered by the presidents of the juries who selected them, and each followed by a detailed extract from this project.
Rich Frankwho chaired a TV jury that reviewed 65 shows, noted that Disney+ shows Andor “cuts deeply”; those of Netflix Death by lightning features a “brilliant cast”; those of Netflix The diplomat has “an all-star ensemble”; FX The truth features, via Hawke, “one of the most magnetic performances of the year”; HBO Max The Pitt “vibrates with empathy” and is “tense and timely”; Apple TV+ Pluribus is a “high concept slow burn” in which “Rhea Seehorn is alone”; Apple TV+ Breakup succeeds thanks to a “stellar ensemble”; Apple TV+ The Workshop “cuts Hollywood bullshit to the bone”; And Stain was “beautifully done”.
Ava DuVernay spoke on behalf of the film jury, presenting a special award to the Iranian Neon film It was just an accident. She then called 20th Century’s Avatar: Fire and Ash “a call to the heart that beats within and connects all living beings”; To focus’ Bugonia “a cinematic experience like no other” which offers, thanks to Stone and Plemons, “a master class in the art of acting”; those of Netflix Frankenstein “a monument to the art of cinema”; To focus’ Hamnet a film in which “Jessie Buckley gives the performance of her life”; those of Netflix Jay Kelly “hilarious and heartbreaking” and “tailor-made for America’s leading man,” Clooney; A24 Marty Supreme “set in the past but totally in tune with the times”, with a performance by Chalamet which makes him “the undeniable leading man of a new generation”; The Warners One battle after another “a rallying cry for the fearless originality of American cinema” and a showcase for “the supernova of cinema, Leonardo DiCaprio”; Sinners “a totally original vision” and a “modern masterpiece” centered on “one of today’s brightest stars,” Jordan; those of Netflix Form dreams “a work of art worthy of the highest poetry”; and Universal Villain: for good a musical comedy built on “mesmerizing performances” from Cynthia Erivo and Grande.
No project received more applause after the release of its clip than Sinners. Is this a reflection of people’s feelings about the film as a whole, or just the chosen scene (a real gem)? And regardless, does it indicate anything other than the opinions of the people in this particular room or the industry as a whole? Time will tell.
The ceremony concluded with remarks from Burnett, who was introduced to a standing ovation and said: “What a lunch! The world is a better place for hearing your voices. Congratulations and thank you very much.”
