BY ANDRE SOARES, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA (CINEMA MINIMA)

PRESS RELEASE

AFI PROJECT: 20/20 ANNOUNCES NEW FILMMAKERS AT AFI FEST

Filmmaker exchange program and cultural diplomacy effort begins third year

November 2, 2008 (Los Angeles) - Seven American and international filmmakers participating in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 for 2008-2009 mkde their debut at the 2008 AFI FEST presented by Audi. The announcement was made by the American Film Institute and its federal partners—the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—who are collaborating in support of this unprecedented international cultural exchange program that seeks to engage audiences here and abroad through filmmakers and their films.

“The universal language of film allows audiences to experience the rich and diverse lives of people in the world around us. For the President’s Committee and its federal cultural partners, AFI PROJECT: 20/20 is special because we help other people get to know about our differences and engage them through these talented artists about those things that hold us together as human beings,” says Adair Margo, PCAH Chairman

The new films and filmmakers in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 are: KASSIM THE DREAM directed by Kief Davidson (US); SKIN directed by Anthony Fabian (UK); IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA co-directed by Daniel Junge (US) and Siatta Scott Johnson (Liberia); OF ALL THE THINGS directed by Jody Lambert (US); AMAL directed by Richie Mehta (Canada); THROW DOWN YOUR HEARTdirected by Sascha Paladino (US); and ALONE IN FOUR WALLS directed by Alexandra Westmeier (Germany).

Joining these eight filmmakers will be four artists from the 2008 program — Andreas Mol Dalsgaard (AFGHAN MUSCLES), Hubbel Palmer (AMERICAN FORK), Doug Pray (BIG RIG) and Salif Traore (FARO, GODDESS OF THE WATERS)—making a total of 11 films and 12 filmmakers for 2009.

Over the program’s first two years, 25 filmmakers representing 12 countries have participated and visited 16 countries and 12 U.S. cities. They have taught master classes at universities, screened their films at festivals, museums and local cinemas, and spoken to audiences about their films. This year filmmakers will travel to St. Louis, Santa Fe, Dallas, Silver Spring, MD, Honolulu and Waterville, ME, as well as China, South Africa, Peru and Great Britain. AFI PROJECT: 20/20 has also been invited by the US Ambassador to UNESCO to create a unique program for the ambassadors to UNESCO in Paris.

An AFI PROJECT: 20/20 participant, Mohammed Naqvi, (SHAME) on his visit to Lithuania in 2008 said, “After the screening of Doug Pray’s film BIG RIG - a Lithuanian woman came up to him and said, “Thank you for showing me a more human side of America.” I now more than ever see the importance of 20/20. It truly is a cultural exchange - and it truly does bring cultural misconceptions about each of us to the forefront and gives us an opportunity to address them.”

Participants in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 are selected from among those filmmakers invited to AFI FEST presented by Audi. Participation in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 is by invitation based on an artist’s filmmaking excellence and their potential for positively interrelating with film professionals, filmmaking peers, cultural officials and audiences, particularly in foreign countries.

AFI PROJECT: 20/20 is led by its private partner the American Film Institute and supported by the following federal partners:

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation, and helps incorporate the humanities and the arts into White House objectives. Mrs. Laura Bush is the Honorary Chairman of the PCAH.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education.

The National Endowment for the Humanities serves and strengthens our Republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The NEH is the nation’s leading supporter of research education, preservation and public programs in the humanities.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The IMLS works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

About AFI FEST

AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Celebrating its 22nd year as a program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi will take place October 30-November 9. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of world film, right in the center of the film capital of the world.

AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign Trust. AFI FEST is made possible in part by a grant from the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AFI FEST is proud to continue its collaborative partnership with the Skirball Cultural Center.

AFI FEST 2008 presented by Audi is sponsored in part by American Airlines,

ArcLight Hollywood, RR Donnelley, Farmers Insurance, Samsung, Absolut Vodka, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, LA.com, and Stella Artois. The Los Angeles Times is the Festival’s Presenting Media Partner.