Director Greta Gerwig Tapped as Guest Artistic Director for AFI Fest

Director Greta Gerwig is taking the reins once again. She will curate a number of films to add to the festival lineup and will be on hand to present one or more of those films depending on her schedule.

Greta Gerwig is riding a career high as her film, Barbie, continues to shatter records and surpass expectations. If you didn’t know she directed and co-wrote the billion dollar blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Now she has been tapped to serve as guest artistic director of the Los Angeles-based festival. As Artistic Director, Gerwig will curate a number of films to add to the festival lineup and will be on hand to present one or more of those films depending on her schedule. Filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ava DuVernay, David Lynch and Agnès Varda have held the role in previous festivals.

The move brings Gerwig back into the AFI Fest fold after having screened her previous films Lady Bird and Little Women there in years past. Gerwig also served on the shorts jury in 2010. “Greta Gerwig is devoted to cinema, and AFI is devoted to her,” said AFI’s president and CEO Bob Gazzale who said they are “honored to welcome her home.”

AFI Fest — headquartered at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre and set to take place from Oct. 25-29. This year’s festival includes, a world premiere of Sam Esmail’s apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon on opening night. It will close Oct. 29 with a screening of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro starring the filmmaker opposite Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman and others.