AFI Awards Lunch Brings Out A-List Of Contenders

Judging by the turnout and the cool vibe in the room today’s annual luncheon for the AFI Awards has risen to the top of favorite , must-attend award season events. The crush to get into the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom was well worth it since the people “crushing” were the likes of Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg , Brad Pitt, Viola Davis, George Clooney, Leonardo Di Caprio, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and many others including executive honchos like Jim Gianopulos, Brad Grey, Stacey Snider and of course AFI Chairman Sir Howard Stringer who had some choice remarks in his closing speech.

This event , devoid of thank you speeches or dividing up “winners and losers” is just an old fashioned get-together in which filmmakers, execs and actors can connect, have some fish and watch some killer clip reels of what AFI deems the ten best in both movies and TV. This year’s honorees in film were:  Bridesmaids, The Descendants,  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, J. Edgar, Midnight In Paris, Moneyball, The Tree Of Life and War Horse. The top 10 television programs were Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Justified, Louie, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation.

After lunch AFI’s President and CEO Bob Gazzale opened the proceedings by remarking to the already award-weary attendees , many who  have been on the circuit for months, “I know what you’re thinking. Just what you need, another awards lunch. That’s not what this is…We are asking you to pause for a moment and consider the compendium. It’s not about you,” he said. In other words it is about the collective work of a very good year in movies and television, and by simply showing it off in an expertly assembled  montage and group of clips  this class of 2011 could soak in each other’s work and appreciate the real reasons they are in the race in the first place.

After all the clips were shown Gazzale brought up Stringer for his closing remarks. “Distinguished guests – and George Clooney. Actually Brad Pitt told me to say that,”  he said before addressing Weinstein. “The Social Network. Harvey,if you are still out there you remember Social Network don’t you?,” referring to the battle royal between that film and Weinstein’s The King’s Speech which swooped in and won Best Picture over early favorite Network. “Actually we know no one loves movies  more than you, Harvey. The ballots are due this afternoon and I love the Oscars too so congratulations… There are no winners or losers here. Being the Chair of AFI has been an honor”, he said before singling out past AFI Life Achievement winners Clint Eastwood , Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese all in the audience and all with films on AFI’s top ten list years after that career honor. And that’s  what it , and this awards lunch , was really all about. The work.

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George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Added to Golden Globes Presenters List

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will all be in attendance during Sunday's 69th annual Golden Globe Awards.

Louis J. Horvitz serves as Globes director for the second in year in a row. It will be broadcast live coast-to-coast on NBC from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET from the Beverly Hilton, with a pre-show airing between 4-5 p.m. PT/7-8 p.m. ET.

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