David Lynch will serve as the first-ever guest artistic director of the AFI Fest film festival, which runs Nov. 4-11 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Mann Chinese 6 theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
The filmmaker has created artwork that will serve as the official image of the 24th annual festival, presented by the American Film Institute.
In addition, he will program a special sidebar of films that influenced and inspired him, which will be announced in October.
“I said yes to being the guest artistic director of AFI Fest 2010 because I love the AFI,” Lynch said. “AFI can do for others what it did for me. AFI gave me an opportunity and money to make a short film, ‘The Grandmother,’ and my first feature film, ‘Eraserhead.’ AFI put me on the map.”
Lynch was one of the first fellows of AFI’s Center For Advanced Film Studies, now known as the AFI Conservatory.
“David Lynch is AFI,” AFI president and Bob Gazzale said. “He’s an artist who embodies the institute’s national mandate to both educate the next generation and to honor the masters. As a master himself, his leadership will catalyze a global conversation to bring attention to him and others who deserve a proper bow.”