The American Film Institute said Wednesday that the 39th edition of its AFI Fest will take place October 22-26, 2025 at the TLC Chinese Theaters in Hollywood.
The event annually draws A-list world premieres as it sits in the middle of the movie awards season. This past year saw the festival launch Robert Zemeckis’ Here as its Centerpiece Gala, Laurent Bouzereau’s documentary Music By John Williams as its opening-night pic, and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 as its closing-night pic.
AFI Fest features red carpet and special screenings, world cinema and documentary films. It also serves as a qualifying festival for the Oscars’ Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories, as well as for the British Short Film categories at the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards.
Submission for the short film competition program, for films that were completed after October 1, 2024, are open today. The early deadline is March 1, with the official deadline April 12 and the final deadline May 31.
“For nearly 40 years, AFI Fest has been the place for artists and audiences to gather in the heart of Hollywood to celebrate the very best of global cinema,” AFI Fest director Todd Hitchcock said. “In these challenging times for our community, AFI promises to fill the fall with films that will prove the power of the art form to inspire hope, empathy and joy.”
