AFI FEST 2025 Presented by Canva Announces Full Festival Lineup
Among the standout documentaries are Clay Tweel’s ANDY KAUFMAN IS ME, Gianfranco Rosi’s BELOW THE CLOUDS, Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’ COVER-UP, Ben Proudfoot’s THE EYES OF GHANA, Brandon Kramer’s HOLDING LIAT, Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard’s I WAS BORN THIS WAY, Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s LOVE+WAR, Tamara Kotevska’s THE TALE OF SILYAN, as well as Sundance winners Brittany Shyne’s SEEDS and Isabel Castro’s SELENA Y LOS DINOS.
Today, the American Film Institute announced the complete lineup of 161 films for this year’s AFI FEST presented by Canva, set to take place in Los Angeles from October 22–26. Festival passes are now available at FEST.AFI.com, with 10-ticket bundles also on sale. Ticket selection opens Friday, October 3, and individual tickets will be released starting Monday, October 6.
This year’s program features 7 Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 14 Luminaries selections, 15 Discovery titles, 20 World Cinema selections, 15 Documentaries, 6 After Dark films, 44 entries in the Short Film Competition, and 23 projects from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. There are 5 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, and 5 U.S. Premieres. Of the official selections, 39% are directed by women and 29% by BIPOC filmmakers.
Completing the impressive slate of previously announced titles are notable highlights such as Jim Jarmusch’s Venice Golden Lion winner FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER; Kaouther Ben-Hania’s Venice Silver Lion Jury Prize winner THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB; Werner Herzog’s GHOST ELEPHANTS; Charlie Kaufman’s anticipated short HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST, starring Oscar® nominee Jessie Buckley; Paolo Sorrentino’s LA GRAZIA; Mascha Schilinski’s SOUND OF FALLING; Charlie Polinger’s (AFI Class of 2017) THE PLAGUE, starring Joel Edgerton; Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND; and Shih-Ching Tsou’s LEFT-HANDED GIRL, co-produced and co-written by Sean Baker.
The festival will also host the World Premieres of William Means’ (AFI Class of 2021) debut feature JUNKIE, executive produced by Patty Jenkins (AFI Class of 2000), and Joan Bofill Amargós’ documentary THE HANGING OF STUART CORNFELD, a portrait of the late producer featuring close friends and collaborators including Jack Black, Mel Brooks, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, and Ben Stiller.
Other highlights include major international titles making their U.S. or North American premieres, such as Siyou Tan’s AMOEBA (Singapore), Ali Asgari’s DIVINE COMEDY (Iran), Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s MORTE CUCINA (Thailand), Tamara Stepanyan’s MY ARMENIAN PHANTOMS (Armenia’s Oscar® submission), Fernando Eimbcke’s OLMO (Mexico), Daniel Raim’s THE OZU DIARIES (U.S.), Julian Radlmaier’s PHANTOMS OF JULY (Germany), Oscar Hudson’s STRAIGHT CIRCLE (UK), and Stéphane Demoustier’s THE GREAT ARCH (France).
This year’s lineup also features new works from acclaimed auteurs including Fatih Akin (AMRUM), Cherien Dabis (ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (YOUNG MOTHERS), Lav Diaz (MAGELLAN), Annemarie Jacir (PALESTINE 36), Radu Jude (KONTINENTAL ’25), Nadav Lapid (YES), Sergei Loznitsa (TWO PROSECUTORS), László Nemes (ORPHAN), François Ozon (THE STRANGER), Amanda Kramer (BY DESIGN), Hylnur Pálmason (THE LOVE THAT REMAINS), Christian Petzold (MIROIRS NO. 3), Ira Sachs (PETER HUJAR’S DAY), Lee Sang-il (KOKUHO), Hong Sang-soo (WHAT DOES THAT NATURE SAY TO YOU), Erige Sehiri (PROMISED SKY), and Carla Simón (ROMERÍA).