The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that AFI DOCS will pay tribute to renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog as the festival’s 2016 Charles Guggenheim Symposium honoree.
The AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium honors documentary masters who have inspired audiences with their non-fiction stories of human experience. Taking place at the Newseum on June 24 at 7 p.m., the Symposium will include a conversation with Herzog along with clips from his amazing documentary oeuvre. Moderated by filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, the discussion will be followed by a screening of Herzog’s latest documentary, Lo And Behold, Reveries of the Connected World. Magnolia Pictures will open the film in select theaters in summer 2016.
“Whether exploring unseen corners of the world or contemplating technology in our lives, Werner Herzog’s cinematic voice is unmistakably evocative,” said Michael Lumpkin, director of AFI DOCS. “He wields a world-class power, using his artistry to provoke audiences into seeing their world from the most esoteric angles. We are honored to celebrate his distinguished storytelling career.”
The Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker’s vast documentary credits include Into The Abyss (2011), Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010), the Oscar®-nominated Encounters At The End Of The World (2007), Grizzly Man (2005), The White Diamond (2004), the Emmy®-nominated Little Dieter Needs To Fly (1997), Bells From The Deep (1993), Fata Morgana (1971) and Land of Silence and Darkeness (1971). Throughout his career, Herzog has received top honors from the Berlinale, the Cannes Film Festival, the Directors Guild of America and many more prestigious institutions, including the German Film Academy, which presented him with a lifetime achievement award in 2009. In 2013, Herzog founded the Rogue Film School, through which he hosts a series of intimate seminars with aspiring filmmakers.
Herzog joins a renowned list of Guggenheim Symposium honorees: Charles Guggenheim (2003), Barbara Kopple (2004), Martin Scorsese (2006), Jonathan Demme (2007), Spike Lee (2008), Albert Maysles (2009), Frederick Wiseman (2010), Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker (2011), Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (2012), Errol Morris (2013), Alex Gibney (2014) and Stanley Nelson (2015).
Tickets to AFI DOCS, including the Charles Guggenheim Symposium and Screening as well as the Opening and Closing Night Galas, will be available early to AFI members exclusively from May 9–17, and to the public on May 18. Passes for AFI DOCS 2016 are now on sale here. More information about AFI DOCS screenings and other special events will be announced in the coming weeks.
