The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that the world premiere of Robert Zemeckis’ Here has been selected as the Centerpiece Screening at this year’s AFI Fest. Here will be celebrated at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Friday, October 25.
Reuniting the director, writer and stars of Forrest Gump–a modern classic that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year–Here is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences. Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Contact, Back To The Future) directs from a screenplay by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune, A Star is Born) and him. Told much in the style of the acclaimed graphic novel by Richard McGuire on which it is based, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happen right Here. The film also stars Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery, and is produced by Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Derek Hogue and Bill Block.
“Robert Zemeckis is, first and foremost, a master storyteller–and, uniquely, one who has spent a lifetime utilizing the latest technologies to tell the human story,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “Here presents a profoundly powerful emotional experience while also bringing the art of film into the future.”
Ahead of the Centerpiece Screening, AFI will honor Zemeckis with a Directors Spotlight on Thursday, October 24. The evening will feature clips from his work and an in-depth conversation with Zemeckis about his illustrious career that includes several groundbreaking, emotional and innovative films from Forrest Gump to Here. The event is free to the public.
Said Zemeckis, “AFI serves as a valued institution in the important preservation and celebration of motion pictures, and it is an honor to premiere Here at AFI Fest. I hope audiences will enjoy the film as much as Tom, Robin, Eric and I loved reuniting to bring this story to the screen.”
After Documentaries About Taylor Swift and Brooke Shields, Director Lana Wilson Turns Her Camera To NYC Psychics
Filmmaker Lana Wilson had never thought much about psychics. But the morning after Election Day in 2016, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, she found herself drawn towards a sign that promised "$5 psychic readings" and wandered in.
Much to her surprise, she found it to be a rather profound experience. She can barely even remember what was said, but it was emotional and comforting. And it would set her on a seven-year journey to make a documentary about this strange and misunderstood tradition, "Look Into My Eyes," which expands in theaters this week.
"I think I had totally misjudged the whole psychic tradition," Wilson said. "I had trivialized it and seen it as this silly thing, despite the fact that millions of people around the world engage in it… I'd had this personal experience where I, as a lifelong skeptic, found comfort in a psychic one day. So part of my initial perspective was what if it doesn't matter if it's real or not?
In the years since that fateful encounter, Wilson's own profile has raised significantly for her documentaries about Taylor Swift, " Miss Americana," and Brooke Shields, " Pretty Baby." But the idea of the psychics lingered. The film, unjudgmental, funny and poignant, takes viewers inside the homes, and sessions, of several New York City psychics
Wilson spoke about her process, her revelations and why she decided to not take Shields up on her offer to be one of the subjects in this one. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Did you find many of your friends shared your own assumptions about psychics?
WILSON: One of my closest friends is a therapist and she immediately got it. She was like, "This is totally different than therapy. But, also,... Read More