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The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that HITCHCOCK, starring Academy Award^® winner Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock, Academy Award^® winner Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins, will have its World Premiere on Thursday, November 1, as the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi. The film is directed by Sacha Gervasi and also stars Toni Collette, Danny Huston and Michael Stuhlbarg. From a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin, the film is based on the book "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello. HITCHCOCK is produced by Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck of Montecito Picture Company, along with Tom Thayer and Alan Barnette. Fox Searchlight Pictures will release the film this November. HITCHCOCK, a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner, Alma Reville, takes place during the making of the distinguished director's seminal 1960 movie, PSYCHO.

"AFI's history with Alfred Hitchcock is a proud one, from a Master Seminar at the AFI Conservatory in 1970 to his receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979," said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of the American Film Institute. "We are honored to celebrate his lasting legacy with the World Premiere of HITCHCOCK – a bloody valentine to his creative genius and the inspired woman at his side."

"Alfred Hitchcock's signature style has made him one of the most influential directors in the world," said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST. "This film pulls back the curtain and takes us behind-the-scenes of his lifelong collaboration with his wife Alma during the making of his 1960 masterpiece PSYCHO – it's the perfect film to welcome our audience of movie-lovers with on opening night."

Alfred Hitchcock has a rich legacy at the American Film Institute. He was the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979, the highest honor for a career in film, and four of his movies rank among the greatest films of all time on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list: VERTIGO (#9), PSYCHO (#14), REAR WINDOW (#48) and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (#55). In addition, PSYCHO was ranked #1 on AFI's list of most heart pounding American films and, in a serendipitous turn, the Norman Bates character portrayed by Anthony Perkins in PSYCHO was ranked #2 on AFI's Top Villains list – just behind Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.

Producer Tom Pollock also has an accomplished history with the American Film Institute. He received a Doctorate of Communication Arts, honoris causa in 2007 from the American Film Institute's AFI Conservatory, and he serves as a Vice Chair on the American Film Institute's Board of Trustees, which is comprised of leaders of the motion picture and television communities. Pollock has been an AFI Trustee since 1985, serving as Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees from 1996-1999 and Chair of the AFI Board of Directors from 1999-2001.

HITCHCOCK stars acclaimed actor Anthony Hopkins, who has been honored with an Academy Award^® for his lead performance in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and acclaimed actress Helen Mirren, who has been honored with an Academy Award^® for her lead performance in THE QUEEN. Mirren also has ties with the American Film Institute – she was presented with a Doctorate of Fine Arts, honoris causa from the AFI Conservatory in 2011.

For the fourth consecutive year, AFI FEST will continue its unprecedented offer of free tickets to all screenings, but only the Star Patron Package and Marquee Patron Package will provide reserved seating at the World Premiere opening night gala of HITCHCOCK. These and other AFI FEST Patron Packages and Passes – which can include access to sold-out galas and other high-demand films and events – are on sale now at AFI.com/AFIFEST. The American Film Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and cultural organization, and Patron Packages are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Free individual tickets to AFI FEST screenings and galas will be available to AFI members on Wednesday, October 24 in a 24-hour advance window before they become available to the general public on October 25. In addition, AFI members Two Star level and above receive a 10% discount on all Patron Packages and Passes. Information about AFI Membership is available at AFI.com/membership.

AFI FEST, celebrating its 26th year, will take place November 1 through 8 in Hollywood, California, at the historic Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. As previously announced, the Official World Premiere of Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN is the festival's closing night gala, and the full festival line-up will be unveiled in October.

Audi is the festival's presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, the official airline of AFI; AT&T; Hewlett-Packard (HP); Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; Levi's; Stella Artois; New Amsterdam Vodka; The American Film Market (AFM); and The Chinese Theatre, among many others.

About HITCHCOCK
Sacha Gervasi directs Academy Award^® winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren in HITCHCOCK, a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner, Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock's seminal movie, PSYCHO. The movie also stars Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel, Michael Stuhlbarg, James D'Arcy, Michael Wincott, Richard Portnow and Kurtwood Smith. Fox Searchlight Pictures, in association with Cold Spring Pictures, will release in U.S. theaters on November 23, 2012.

About the American Film Institute
AFI is America's promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts.

AFI preserves the legacy of America's film heritage for future generations through the AFI Archive, comprised of rare footage from across the history of the moving image and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, an authoritative record of American films from 1893 to the present.

AFI honors the artists and their work through a variety of annual programs and special events, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and AFI Awards. Celebrating its 41st year in 2013, the AFI Life Achievement Award has remained the highest honor for a career in film while AFI Awards, the Institute's almanac for the 21st century, honors the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year. AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers. And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI offers film enthusiasts a variety of events throughout the year, including AFI Fest presented by Audi, the Institute's annual year-end celebration of artistic excellence in cinema; AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, the largest documentary festival in the U.S.; and year-round programming at the AFI Silver Theatre in the Washington, DC area.

AFI educates the next generation of storytellers at its AFI Conservatory, which has been consistently recognized as one of the world's top film schools, boasting alumni including Darren Aronofsky, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Heidi Levitt, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Wally Pfister, Robert Richardson, Ed Zwick and so many more. AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling.

For more information about AFI, visit www.AFI.com.

About AFI FEST presented by Audi
The American Film Institute's annual celebration of artistic excellence, AFI FEST presented by Audi brings the audience and the entertainment community together to explore the year in global cinema through the new works of film masters, moving image icons and breakthrough talents, and it is the only film festival of its stature that is free to the public. AFI FEST mixes nightly red carpet galas of Hollywood films with new auteur works from around the world, ensuring that an extraordinary array of foreign filmmaker voices is heard. Launching awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing audiences with the very best of global cinema, right in the center of the movie-making capital of the world.

Celebrating its 26th year as a program of the American Film Institute, the festival has paid tribute to numerous influential filmmakers and artists over the years, including Pedro Almodóvar and David Lynch as Guest Artistic Directors, and has screened scores of films that have produced Oscar^® nominations and wins including, most recently, THE ARTIST and A SEPARATION.

AFI FEST 2012 presented by Audi will take place November 1 through 8 in the heart of Hollywood. AFI FEST is the only FIAPF-accredited film festival in the United States, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy Awards^®.

Additional information about AFI FEST is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST. Connect with AFI FEST at Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Audi
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2011, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies. Visit audiusa.com or audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

About AFM
The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market, October 31-November 7, 2012. The global film industry converges in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making on films in every stage of development and production, as well as screenings, conferences, networking and parties.

With 8,000 industry leaders from more than 70 countries, 700 screenings and the industry's largest Conference Series, AFM is the pivotal destination for independent filmmakers, directors, financiers, industry executives, producers, talent, writers, the international media and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance^® (IFTA). Visit AmericanFilmMarket.com and IFTA-online.org for more information.