The list of the 10 best of the AFI Awards 2021 is out, and it is full of films by renowned directors.
Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Denis Villeneuve, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jane Campion, Joel Coen, and Adam McKay have movies that made the cut. Another name in bold, Lin-Manuel Miranda, also appeared on the list with his first directorial credit, tick, tick … BOOM!
However, the AFI jury was clearly impressed with the filmmakers who have won or been nominated for Oscars, some of them multiple times. From Spielberg West Side Story, By Coen Macbeth’s tragedy (representing a rare solo twist without brother Ethan), Anderson Licorice Pizza, Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Campion’s The power of the dog McKay’s Don’t look up and from Villeneuve Dune join films by lesser-known directors, including that of Sian Heder CODA, and Reinaldo Marcus Greene King Richard.
See the full list below, with links to Deadline’s review of each movie. Click here to see AFI’s top 10 TVs. The trophies will be presented during the private reception for the AFI Awards on January 7 at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles.
Deadline contender movie – New York streaming site is live
Apart from CODA, which premiered at Sundance in January, all of these movies are recent fall / winter releases, including the biggest crop of December titles in recent memory for a list that covers movies that open in a shortened 10-month window ( March 1 to December 31, 2021) due to the pandemic and last year’s extended batch for 14 months.
Another highly talked about Oscar contender, Kenneth Branagh Belfast, It did not make the formal 10 film list due to ineligibility in terms of its foreign origins (AFI sticks to American productions) but will receive a special award from AFI to make up for that rather apparent absence at first glance. Searchlight’s Acclaimed Documentary Summer of the soul He also receives a special award on the side of the film.
Among the top Oscar contenders not listed are two from another top director, Ridley Scott, who watched AFI pass his Gucci house and The last duel. Aaron Sorkin is also missing Being Los Ricardos, By George Clooney The Tender Bar, Pablo Larrain SpencerBy Maggie Gyllenhaal The lost daughter Mike mills go Go and Wes Anderson The French office.
Netflix got three titles on the list of leading distributors.
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The annual AFI Awards honor 10 outstanding films and television shows considered culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most important achievements in the art of the moving image.
“AFI is honored to shed an appropriate light on the most prominent screen stories of 2021 and those who worked collaboratively to bring them to screens large and small,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. “From soaring in spirit to dark and dangerous, heartbreaking to funny, these are the stories that have brought us together in uncertain times and continue to push the culture forward.”
Here are the AFI movies of the year 2021; click on each one to read the Deadline review:
CODA
Don’t look up
Dune
King Richard
Liquorice pizza
Nightmare alley
The power of the dog
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Macbeth’s tragedy
West side story
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
Belfast
Summer of Soul (… Or, when the revolution could not be televised)
Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.