AFI Fest Sets Dates For November 2022 And Unites With AFI Docs; TCM Classic Film Fest Sets ‘E.T.’ For Opening Night

deadline.com:

AFI FEST 2022 has officially announced its dates and call for entries. The 36th edition will take place in Los Angeles, CA, on November 2-6, 2022.

Entries open today and filmmakers are invited to submit fiction, documentary, experimental and animated short films. Once again placing the fest in the heart of awards season AFI Fest is planning to fully return to its usual place in the run up to Oscars, and seems to be returning to some level of normality if Covid cooperates, although today’s announcement didn’t give details on what the fest will look like or if it will be fully in person or partially virtual once again.

Netflix’s strong Oscar contender tick,tick…BOOM! opened the 2021 Fest in November.AFI also announced that because of that ongoing uncertainty due to the pandemic, AFI FEST will expand its programming with nonfiction films traditionally presented at AFI DOCS (usually held in early Summer) in Washington, DC.“AFI’s goal is to provide a safe environment for artists and audiences alike,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “Uniting our events this year to be held in the fall will allow us to achieve this at a standard worthy of AFI and the storytellers who devote their lives to inspire and educate.”AFI FEST will have submission deadlines — early, official and final — for fiction shorts (under 40 minutes) and nonfiction shorts (under 40 minutes).

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®.SHORT FILM SUBMISSION DATES Early Deadline – Wednesday, March 2 Official Deadline – Wednesday, April 20 Final Deadline – Wednesday, June 15The American Film Institute previously announced