The 40th American Film Institute (AFI) will be held from October 21st to 25th. AFI Fest, hosted by Canva, features a selection of red carpet premieres, special screenings, world cinema, documentaries and short films.
The film festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California and will feature a selection of premieres, documentaries and short films.
“AFI Fest unites the film community through a collective embrace of film,” Todd Hitchcock, director of AFI Fest and AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center, said in a statement. “We know that AFI Fest audiences expect bold, compelling films made by passionate filmmakers from around the world. Last year set box office records, and we look forward to the same enthusiasm for this art form as the festival celebrates its 40th anniversary.”
In addition to the festival schedule, AFI has announced that it will also accept short film submissions.
Short films (40 minutes or less) in the live-action, documentary, and animation categories that were completed on or after October 1, 2025 are eligible for submission. The early deadline for short film submissions is March 1st, and the official deadline is April 12th. The final deadline for short films is May 31st.
Marked as the last major film festival of the year, AFI Fest brings the global circuit to Hollywood’s gateway to the TCL Chinese Theater. For a new award-winning production, it could serve as a climactic studio return that serves as a springboard for a wider release. For young directors, especially graduates of the American Film Institute Conservatory of Music, this is a way to announce themselves to the film industry. For LA movie fans, it’s a weekend packed with standouts from Berlin, Cannes, and Venice.
Highlights from last year’s AFI Fest program included “Bugonia,” “Christy,” “Jay Kelly,” “The Test of Ann Aee,” and more. Of the officially selected films, 39% were directed by women and 29% by BIPOC filmmakers.
