daily list

The Washington Nationals start their major league season at Citi Field against the Mets and play their home opener against the Braves on Friday, April 4. In Baltimore, the Orioles take on the Red Sox on Wednesday, April 2. Which reminds us that "Play Ball! The Hollywood and American Pastime" will run at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD, through April 16, with free and $5 screenings of classic baseball features and documentaries. Here's the lineup for April:

JEWS AND BASEBALL: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY Tickets $5
Wed, Apr 2, 7:00 p.m.
Ranging from Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax to slugger Al Rosen and colorful characters like Moe Berg, Lipman Pike, Barney Pelty and "Subway Sam" Nahem, plus recent stars like Shawn Green, Kevin Youkilis, Ian Kinsler and Ryan Braun, this documentary explores the story of Jewish ballplayers and the American pastime. Written by New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist Ira Berkow and narrated by Dustin Hoffman. DIR/PROD Peter Miller; SCR Ira Berkow; PROD William Hechter. U.S., 2010, color, 91 min. NOT RATED

THE ROOKIE Free Screening!
Sat, Apr 5, 11:00 a.m.
Once a promising pitching prospect until a shoulder injury derailed his career, Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) has settled down into teaching science, coaching baseball and being a good husband and father. Still displaying a blazing fastball, the 35-year-old coach is challenged by his players to try out for the majors, which he reluctantly does and, to his and his family's amazement, earns a job with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Based on a true story, directed by John Lee Hancock (SAVING MR. BANKS, THE BLIND SIDE). DIR John Lee Hancock; SCR Mike Rich; PROD Gordon Gray, Mark Ciardi, Mark Johnson. US, 2002, color, 127 min. RATED G

HANK AARON: CHASING THE DREAM Tickets $5!
Sat, Apr 5, 3:45 p.m.
This Oscar^®-nominated documentary charts Hank Aaron's Hall of Fame career, capped off by his pursuit of a record long thought unbreakable: Babe Ruth's career mark of 714 home runs. DIR/SCR Michael Tollin; PROD Fredric Golding. U.S., 1995, color, 120 min. NOT RATED

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANK GREENBERG Tickets $5!
In person: filmmaker Aviva Kempner
Sun, Apr 6, 5:15 p.m.
This Peabody Award-winning film is a humorous and nostalgic documentary about an extraordinary baseball player who transcended religious prejudice to become an American icon. Hammerin' Hank's accomplishments for the Detroit Tigers during the Golden Age of Baseball rivaled those of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. America's first Jewish baseball star was a beacon of hope to American Jews who faced bigotry during the Depression and World War II. DIR/SCR/PROD Aviva Kempner. US, 1999, b&w and color, 95 min, 35mm. RATED PG
Co-presented by the Washington Jewish Film Festival and Women in Film & Video of Washington, DC.

SUGAR
Tue, Apr 8, 7:10 p.m.
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's (HALF NELSON) probing drama follows 19-year-old pitching prospect Miguel "Sugar" Santos' journey from San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic to the small-town Iowa Single A farm team of the Kansas City Knights. Official Selection, 2008 Sundance, Toronto Film Festivals. DIR/SCR Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck; PROD Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof, Jeremy Kipp Walker. U.S./Dominican Republic, 2008, color, 114 min. RATED R

THE LOST SON OF HAVANA Tickets $5!
Thu, Apr 10, 7:10 p.m.
Former Boston Red Sox pitching great Luis Tiant returns to Cuba for the first time since leaving in 1961 at age 20, for a bittersweet reunion with his homeland and family members. Official Selection, 2009, Tribeca Film Festival. DIR/SCR Jonathan Hock; PROD Kris Meyer. U.S., 2009, color, 102 min. NOT RATED

MONEYBALL
Sat, Apr 12, 2:45 p.m.; Mon, Apr 14, 7:00 p.m.
The true life story of Billy Beane, onetime phenom-turned-major league bust-turned-innovative general manager of the Oakland As. Six Oscar nominations, including Brad Pitt for Best Actor and Jonah Hill for Best Supporting Actor. Based on the mega bestseller by Michael Lewis. DIR Bennett Miller; SCR Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, from the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis; PROD Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt. U.S., 2011, color, 133 min. RATED PG-13

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Sun, Apr 13, 5:30 p.m.; Tue, Apr 15, 4:20 p.m. – Free Shows!
The inspiring story of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in all-white major league baseball when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, achieving stardom, opening the doors for others and marking a key victory in the Civil Rights movement. DIR/SCR Brian Helgeland; PROD Thomas Tull. U.S., 2013, color, 128 min. RATED PG-13

RARE FILMS FROM THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
Introduced by David Filipi, Wexner Center for the Arts
Wed, Apr 16, 7:00 p.m.
Celebrate the new baseball season with cinematic treasures from the National Baseball Hall of Fame that will delight baseball fans and cinephiles alike. Highlights of the program include a clip of Willie Mays' 511th home run, Senators owner Clark Griffith being serenaded by J. Edgar Hoover on his 85^th birthday, commercials featuring Gil Hodges, Harmon Killebrew, Phil Rizzuto and Frank Robinson, a film on the 1955 Senators and more! Total program approx. 120 mins. Video.
Program organized by David Filipi, Director of Film/Video, Wexner Center for the Arts. Special thanks to Jim Gates, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York.

When HELIUM, the story of a terminally ill boy who finds joy in a fantasy world created by an eccentric hospital janitor, won the Oscar^® for Best Live Action Short Film at Sunday's Academy Awards^® ceremony, it extended a long winning streak of excellence by graduates of the American Film Institute Conservatory. Kim Magnusson (AFI Class of 1991) produced the film, one of three nominated projects that had AFI alumni participation. Since 1974, AFI Conservatory graduates have received an astonishing total of 133 nominations and 27 gold statuettes. In addition, a number of marble Student Academy Awards for AFI thesis projects are on display in the Louis B. Mayer Library on AFI's Hollywood campus.

For Magnusson, known for his work on ADAM'S APPLES (2005), EVIL (2003) and FLICKERING LIGHTS (2000), the Oscar^® marked his second win and fifth Academy Award^® nomination. "This is for you, mom," he said in his acceptance speech. In addition to HELIUM, AMERICAN HUSTLE, edited by Jay Cassidy (AFI Class of 1976), and Documentary Short Subject Film CAVEDIGGER, produced and directed by Jeffrey Karoff (AFI Class of 1993), received Academy Award^® nominations this year.

Drag the following films into the chronological order of their theatrical release:
Note: The boxes will turn green when the answer is correct; red, when incorrect.

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AFI members save 10% on Variety's MASSIVE: The Advertising & Marketing Summit on April 3 at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills (Discount Code: AFI). Don't miss out on keynote conversation with Ryan Kavanaugh of Relativity Media; Danny Stepper of Madvine, a Relativity Company; Angela Courtin of Dentsu Aegis Network U.S.; and Bonin Bough of Mondelez International.

AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland, is proud once again to host the New African Films Festival (NAFF), now in its fifth edition and co-presented by AFI, TransAfrica Forum and afrikafe. The vibrancy of African filmmaking from all corners of the continent will be on display, March 13-20. Opening the festival this year will be HALF OF A YELLOW SUN, starring Chiwetel Ejifor (12 YEARS A SLAVE) and Thandie Newton (CRASH), based on the book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A best-selling author and TED Talk speaker, Adichie will join the festival for a Q&A and book signing at the Saturday screening of HALF OF A YELLOW SUN. AFI Two-Star members and above receive discounts. Contact the AFI Silver Theatre at 301.495.6700 to find out more.

The graduating Fellows of the AFI Conservatory will debut their films at the Directors Guild of America on March 20. A juried selection of six short films will be screened at the invitation-only event for entertainment industry insiders and AFI Premiere Circle members. We’d love to have you join us as an AFI Premiere Circle member, but if you can’t make it, visit these links to preview the films:

KARAGDANDA
karagandafilm.com/

NI-NI
ninithefilm.com/

VELADORA
vimeo.com/72084021

WAY IN RYE
wayinrye.com/

YOUNG AMERICANS
youngamericansfilm.com/

Visit this link for more information on becoming an AFI Premiere Circle member.

Congratulations to the winner of our Year End Campaign Sweepstakes, Dreama Howard of Antioch, California. Howard became a member during our year-end campaign and won the Best of Warner Bros. 100 Film Collection. Congratulations, and thank you for the support!

We knew that AFI FEST pays close attention to new talent on display at the Sundance Film Festival. Now we know indiewire.com is also on the case. Here's a list of 14 breakout performances you may want to keep on file, the better to say "I knew them when..."
indiewire.com/article/indiewire-picks-the-14-breakouts-of-the-2014-sundance-film-festival

Would your favorite film pass the Bechdel Test? Swedish Cinemas have taken aim at gender bias with a new and simple technique that's a real eye-opener. We have Patty West, director of AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, to thank for this one.
theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/06/swedish-cinemas-bechdel-test-films-gender-bias

Finally, we link you to an in-depth interview of Bruce Dern by Beverly Walker in filmcomment.com. Not only will you learn about the brilliant actor's life and work, but you'll learn what "Dernsies" are. From the Actors Studio to NEBRASKA – it's all here.
filmcomment.com/article/bruce-dern-interview

If you want to see or speak with AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale, you're going to have to go through Angela Araujo. But have no fear; the self-described “gatekeeper” is soft-spoken and smiling. We chatted at her desk in the large outer office that Araujo, a horror movie buff, shares with another staffer. The signed, framed poster she selected for the wall above her desk? HALLOWEEN.

Where did you grow up? I was born in Valencia, Venezuela, but I grew up in Maryland. My family moved to the United States when I was three years old. We first lived in Germantown, then we moved to Frederick, and that's where I spent all of my school years up to college. My father's an artist, and so art was always a part of our household. My mom has always had a great appreciation for the arts and would take us to art museums and to the movies whenever she could – it was always a great treat.

Where did you go to school? The University of Maryland, College Park. I got a BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice. After being so immersed in that world as long as I had been pursuing it, I lost sight of what made me truly happy, and when I graduated I realized my passion was always in film. That's when I decided to make the move from DC to LA, and I was lucky enough to get the job here at AFI, following that dream.

What did you do before you came to AFI?  While I was in college, I did a few government internships, but I worked at a special events company in DC right before I came here. 

How long have you been at AFI?  I've been here for about five years now, working in different departments. I am happiest where I am now.

What was your best day at AFI? My best day at AFI – luckily enough – happens once a year. And it's AFI Awards. That's one day I always look forward to. I love that event. It has great energy, and I love what it stands for. It's such an intimate gathering, where we truly honor the creative ensembles in a way that I don't think anyone else does.

What do you do at AFI?  I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you. I am Assistant to the President and CEO.

Do you see yourself as a protector? I do. I'm the gatekeeper. I'm a gatekeeper for [President and CEO] Bob [Gazzale], in that I make sure that I am letting in the most vital information that he needs to be attending to – at the moment when he needs it – and pushing back on those items he can deal with later on.

How does that affect AFI members?   Bob deals very closely with members, especially during our events. He's very involved in meeting them whenever he can. Whenever a member calls or sends letters, I make sure that he sees them so that he can respond accordingly.

What are you working on today?  Today I am working on getting material ready for the February AFI Board of Trustees meetings.

What don't your colleagues know about you? That I love to paint and draw – I almost ended up going to Parsons in NYC but realized I could pursue that as a hobby instead. I sometimes still enter national art competitions whenever I find time and feel inspired.

What's your favorite film? My favorite film is THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS [1991]. I probably saw it when I was far too young to have seen it, but it really did influence me. It influenced the trajectory I took in college, which was Criminology, Criminal Justice – I wanted to be like Clarice. But then, when I realized real life isn't really like the movies, I decided to work at AFI.