A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, distributed by A24, will have its World Premiere on Thursday, November 6, as the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2014.  The film is written and directed by Academy Award® nominee J.C. Chandor and stars Oscar Isaac, Academy Award® nominees Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks as well as David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

Set in 1981, during one of the most crime-ridden winters in New York City’s history, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR follows the lives of Abel and Anna Morales (Isaac and Chastain) as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

”J.C. Chandor has put together a remarkable crime drama, which is also an immersive period piece and morality tale that resonates on an emotional level.  Chandor is a talented director who takes risks with every film that he makes and A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is no exception.  It is a great film with which to open the festival and begin the audience’s eight-day journey through a landscape of extraordinary contemporary cinema,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.

AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, California, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.