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The American Film Institute has unveiled its list of the 10 best films and television programs of the year, a selection that reflects the rich diversity of storytelling across genres, budgets and platforms. The 2024 AFI Awards honorees highlight a blend of blockbuster hits, indie darlings, and bold artistic visions, cementing their place as a pivotal moment in the awards season calendar.
On the film side, consumer-friendly and box-office juggernauts made the cut. Among them are indie auteurs (Sean Baker’s “Anora” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist”), industry veterans (James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown” and Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two”), established filmmakers hitting their strides (Edward Berger’s “Conclave” and Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked“), stylish visionaries (Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” and RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys”) and breakout filmmakers (Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing” and Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain”).
The AFI Awards are an honor and a harbinger of success in the Oscar race. Over the past decade, the AFI’s top 10 film selections have aligned closely with the Academy’s best picture nominations, typically matching seven or eight eventual contenders. However, the absence of Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Gladiator II,” Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut “The Room Next Door,” and Steve McQueen’s ambitious “Blitz” raises eyebrows, fueling speculation about their Oscar prospects.
Popular on Variety This year’s list also highlights an evolving embrace of international cinema under the AFI’s eligibility rules. While past contenders like “Roma” (2018) and “Parasite” (2019) were deemed ineligible, Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” avoided a similar fate thanks to its “significant creative and/or production elements” rooted in the United States. Last year, eight of the 10 made the lineup; however, the omissions of the international features “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest” were believed not to be eligible.
On the TV side, Netflix’s”Baby Reindeer” was given a special award, along with the top 10 dominated by Netflix with “A Man on the Inside” and “Nobody Wants This.”
“AFI Awards is never about competition, but community,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “We look forward to bringing these artists together as one and celebrating their collective power to drive culture forward.”
The honorees will be honored at the annual private luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
The complete list is below.
AFI Motion Pictures of the Year
“Anora” (Neon) “The Brutalist” (A24) “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures) “Conclave” (Focus Features) “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios) “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) “Sing Sing” (A24) “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) AFI Television Programs of the Year
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC) “The Bear” (FX) “Hacks” (HBO/Max) “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix) “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video) “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix) “The Penguin” (HBO/Max) “Shōgun” (FX) “Shrinking” (Apple TV+) “True Detective: Night Country” (HBO/Max) AFI Special Award: “Baby Reindeer” (Netflix)
