THE HOMESMAN

THE HOMESMAN, directed by and starring Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones, will have its World Premiere as the Centerpiece Gala of 2014 AFI FEST on Tuesday, November 11.  In addition to  THE HOMESMAN, AFI FEST’s Special Screenings are CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA (DIR Olivier Assayas); MERCHANTS OF DOUBT (DIR Robert Kenner); MOMMY (DIR Xavier Dolan); MR. TURNER (DIR Mike Leigh); SAINT LAURENT (DIR Bertrand Bonello); STILL ALICE (DIR Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland); TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER (DIR Nick Broomfield) and TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT) (DIR Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne).

AFI FEST’s Conversations include a discussion with Michael Keaton and Edward Norton about their roles in BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) (DIR Alejandro González Iñárritu) and beyond; Roger Deakins sharing his experience about the art of cinematography and his upcoming release UNBROKEN (DIR Angelina Jolie); the Indie Contenders Roundtable featuring a panel of distinguished filmmakers who have done standout work this year in independent film presented by The Hollywood Reporter; and the Young Hollywood Roundtable with some of the year’s hottest rising stars presented by the Los Angeles Times.

AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, CA, at the Dolby Theatre, the TCL Chinese Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  As previously announced, the Opening Night Gala is the World Premiere of A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (DIR J.C. Chandor) on Thursday, November 6, and FOXCATCHER (DIR Bennett Miller) is the Closing Night Gala on Thursday, November 13.  Previously announced Centerpiece Galas include INHERENT VICE (DIR Paul Thomas Anderson) on Saturday, November 8; the World Premiere of THE GAMBLER (DIR Rupert Wyatt) on Monday, November 10; and a special Tribute to Sophia Loren will take place on Wednesday, November 12, featuring a screening of her son Edoardo Ponti’s short film HUMAN VOICE (VOCE UMANA) in which she stars and MARRIAGE ITALIAN STYLE [MATRIMONIO ALL’ITALIANA] (DIR Vittorio De Sica, 1964).  The full festival lineup will be unveiled later this month.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA – Actress Maria (Juliette Binoche) struggles to return to the stage play that made her famous 20 years earlier, but this time in a different role, and opposite a rising young starlet.  DIR Olivier Assayas.  SCR Olivier Assayas.  CAST Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lars Eidinger.  Switzerland, Germany, France.

MERCHANTS OF DOUBT

MERCHANTS OF DOUBT – Oscar® nominee Robert Kenner’s (FOOD, INC.) latest documentary focuses on the PR masterminds and spin doctors who are paid to shift blame and delay governmental action on climate change.  DIR Robert Kenner.  SCR Robert Kenner & Kim Roberts. CAST Naomi Oreskes, Bob Inglis, James Hansen, Stan Glantz, Marc Morano, Patricia Callahan, Sam Roe, Jamy Ian Swiss, John Passacantando.  USA.

MOMMY

MOMMY – Xavier Dolan’s latest film, selected as Canada’s official Oscar® entry, centers on a mother’s tumultuous relationship with her teenage son after he returns home from a correctional facility.  DIR Xavier Dolan.  SCR Xavier Dolan.  CAST Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clément, Antoine-Olivier Pilon.  Canada.

MR. TURNER

MR. TURNER – Timothy Spall (in a Cannes Best Actor-winning performance) stars as unconventional, groundbreaking painter J.M.W. Turner in this gorgeous biopic by Mike Leigh.  DIR Mike Leigh.  SCR Mike Leigh.  CAST Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Lesley Manville, Martin Savage.  UK.

SAINT LAURENT

SAINT LAURENT – Selected as France’s official Oscar® entry, this stylish biopic follows the life and career of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel), from 1967 through 1976.  DIR Bertrand Bonello.  SCR Thomas Bidegain & Bertrand Bonello.  CAST Gaspard Ulliel, Aymeline Valade, Jérémie Renier, Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Amira Casar.  France.

STILL ALICE

STILL ALICE – Julianne Moore gives a heartbreaking performance as a linguistics professor facing early onset Alzheimer’s disease in this festival favorite.  DIR Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland.  SCR Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland.  CAST Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish.  USA.

TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER

TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER – The latest documentary by provacateur Nick Broomfield (AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER, KURT & COURTNEY) delves into the case of a notorious serial killer who menaced South Central L.A. for more than 25 years.  DIR Nick Broomfield.  FEATURING Seymour Amster, Pamela Brooks, Nick Broomfield, Christopher Franklin, Nana Gyamfi, Laverne Peters, Margaret Prescod.  USA, UK. 

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT)

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT) – The Cannes Palme d’Or-winning Dardenne brothers return with this tale of a young Belgian mother (Marion Cotillard) who must convince her co-workers to forego their much-needed bonuses in order to keep her job.  DIR Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne.  SCR Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne.  CAST Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne, Simon Caudry.  Belgium, Italy, France.