Today, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced that 20th Century Studios’ “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper, will open the 39th edition of AFI Fest presented by Canva on Wednesday, October 22.
Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen in the film, which traces the musician in 1981 and 1982 on the cusp of global superstardom as he records his landmark album “Nebraska” and struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
“AFI Fest is the stage and the screens where the world’s stories come together in Hollywood,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “To open with ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,’ honors the global impact of an American icon and the true artistry it takes to tell his tale.”
“It’s a true honor to open AFI Fest with ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.’ AFI has always championed bold, meaningful storytelling, and I’m grateful to be part of that tradition. While Bruce’s roots will forever be in New Jersey, Los Angeles played a profound role in shaping his artistic voice. I want to thank Bob Gazzale and everyone at AFI for this extraordinary privilege,” said Scott Cooper.
About the Film
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 “Nebraska” album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen’s New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works—a raw, haunted acoustic record populated by lost souls searching for a reason to believe. Starring Jeremy Allen White as the Boss, the film is written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper, based on the book “Deliver Me from Nowhere” by Warren Zanes. The film also features Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Odessa Young as love interest, Faye; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mom, Adele; Marc Maron as Chuck Plotkin and David Krumholtz as Columbia executive, Al Teller. The film is produced by Cooper, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Eric Robinson, and Scott Stuber. Tracey Landon, Jon Vein, and Zanes executive produce. The film will be released in theaters on October 24, 2025.
The 39th edition of the Institute’s annual film festival will take place October 22–26 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood and feature a curated selection of Red Carpet Premiere screenings, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films.
Passes to AFI Fest 2025 are now available for purchase online at FEST.AFI.com. Festivalgoers have the opportunity to purchase a Star Pass or upgrade to a Patron Pass.
The full festival lineup will be unveiled on September 30. Individual tickets will be available on October 6.
AFI Fest is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards. AFI FEST is also a qualifying festival for consideration for the British Short Film categories of both the BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
AFI is a nonprofit, donor-powered organization. Join AFI’s Premiere Circle to support the American Film Institute and enjoy access to exclusive one-of-a-kind opportunities at AFI events, including AFI Fest.
Canva, the all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform, returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST 2025. Designed to empower entertainment professionals to visualize their ideas into impactful film and TV projects, Canva will be integrated throughout AFI FEST including hosting industry networking events, hands-on training workshops for filmmakers, and powering the festival’s digital and printed materials. Entertainment professionals can explore resources to pitch projects, plan shoots, and bring creative visions to life at canva.com/entertainment.
About the American Film Institute (AFI)
The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked as one of the top film schools in America. AFI’s enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI Awards, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at increasing diversity in the storytelling community, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive Workshop. Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm, TikTok.com/@americanfilminstitute and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.