The first AFI FEST (then known as Filmex) began on Nov. 4, 1971,
with the premiere of Peter Bogdanovich’s “The Last
Picture Show.” The film went on to be nominated for eight
Oscars, winning two. Last year’s AFI FEST ended on Nov. 16,
2003, with the premiere of Patty Jenkins’
“Monster.” The film went on to be nominated for and win
an Oscar.
That’s a pretty appetizing sandwich to be in the middle
of. Throughout its history, AFI FEST has introduced a city that
lives on film to new movies both large and small, some that enter
the festival hoping to win Oscars, others that go in hoping to find
a national distributor.
The dichotomy is partly embodied this year by two very different
films screening this weekend, both made by UCLA alumni: “The
Assassination of Richard Nixon” and “Ethan Mao.”
But while their goals may differ, the films are both exactly what
the festival’s looking for, mixing the small with the
not-so-small, all the while looking for films that should be
seen.
““Jake Tracer