The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that “Heretic,” the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and “Maria,” based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest presented by Canva. The “Heretic” Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the “Maria” Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the World Premieres of “Music by John Williams”, Robert Zemeckis’ “Here,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” and Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2.” All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. Festival passes, which include the opportunity to access tickets to the Red Carpet Premieres, are available at fest.afi.com. The full festival lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.

“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema – together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”

“Heretic” follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.

Directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, “Maria” presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as La Callas negotiates the blurred boundaries between her public image and private self. The film also stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The film will debut on Netflix in the fall.

AFI also announced that “Bird,” “The Fire Inside,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nightbitch,” “The Order,” “A Real Pain,” “The Room Next Door,” “The Summer Book” and “Unstoppable” will be among the films featured in the Special Screenings section.

“This year’s Special Screenings section includes some of the most-talked-about films from around the world, exquisitely crafted gems, and inspirational crowd-pleasers,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI Fest and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. “We’re thrilled to bring these memorable and impactful films to AFI Fest audiences in the heart of Los Angeles.”

“Bird”
Director: Andrea Arnold
Synopsis: Andrea Arnold (AFI Class of 1991) returns with a dreamy social-realist drama that soars into the surreal. Featuring buzzworthy performances from Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski and newcomer Nykiya Adams.

“The Fire Inside”
Director: Rachel Morrison
Synopsis: Acclaimed cinematographer Rachel Morrison (AFI Class of 2006) makes her directorial debut with this engrossing drama about professional boxer Claressa Shields’ meteoric journey from Michigan to London for the 2012 Olympics.

“I’m Still Here”
Director: Walter Salles
Synopsis: Walter Salles’ first feature film in more than a decade returns to the Brazil of the early ‘70s, where the military dictatorship is tightening its grip on civil society. Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres), a middle-class mother of five, must reinvent her life after her activist husband Rubens (Selton Paiva) disappears. Based on true events, and the autobiographical book by Eunice and Rubens’ son, Marcelo Rubens Paiva.

“Nightbitch”
Director: Marielle Heller
Synopsis: Marielle Heller’s frank, perceptive and fur-ociously funny adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s bestselling 2021 novel stars Amy Adams as stay-at-home mom whose domesticity takes a surreal turn.

“The Order”
Director: Justin Kurzel
Synopsis: Jude Law plays a driven FBI agent in early ‘80s Idaho investigating a string of bank robberies across the Pacific Northwest. The trail leads to the white supremacist Aryan Nation, and a splinter group whose bank-robbing mastermind (Nicholas Hoult) seeks to escalate a race war and overthrow the government. Based on a true story, Justin Kurzel’s riveting historical thriller also stars Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollet.

“A Real Pain”
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Synopsis: Jesse Eisenberg crafts an odd-couple road movie for the ages about a pair of semi-estranged cousins (Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) reconnecting on a tour through Poland to visit their late grandmother’s homeland. Winner, Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

“The Room Next Door”
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Synopsis: In his first English language feature film, Spanish iconoclast Pedro Almodóvar brings his trademark flair to this elegant mortality tale starring Oscar-winning actresses Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Winner, Golden Lion, 2024 Venice Film Festival.

“The Summer Book”
Director: Charlie McDowell
Synopsis: In Charlie McDowell’s (AFI Class of 2006) adaptation of Tove Jansson’s beloved Nordic novel of the same name, Sophia and her father (Anders Danielsen Lie) take refuge for the summer at the home of her grandmother (Glenn Close), nestled on the shores of a remote Finnish island. North American Premiere.

“Unstoppable”
Director: William Goldenberg
Synopsis: Jharrel Jerome stars in UNSTOPPABLE, the incredible real-life story of wrestler Anthony Robles, born without a right leg, who became a high school and collegiate champion. The film marks the directorial debut of Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg, and the winning cast includes Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña and Bobby Cannavale.

Passes are available at fest.afi.com. A pass alone does not grant entry to a screening, and passholders must reserve tickets in advance of the festival. Patron passholders will have priority access to screening selection on October 2 beginning at 11:00 a.m. PT. Star passholders will have early access to screening selection on October 3 beginning at 11:00 a.m. PT. Individual tickets will be available on October 7. Learn more at fest.afi.com.

Canva is the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI Fest. FIJI Water is the festival’s Official Water Sponsor.

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 the #1 film school 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 presented by Canva 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 for Women.

About AFI FEST presented by Canva
Now in its 38th year, AFI Fest presented by Canva is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. This year’s edition takes place in Los Angeles from October 23-27, 2024. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. AFI Fest presented by Canva includes high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films’ cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for movie fans.

About Canva
Launched in 2013, Canva is a free online visual communications and collaboration platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast range of templates ranging from presentations, documents, websites, social media graphics, posters, apparel to videos, plus a huge library of fonts, stock photography, illustrations, video footage, and audio clips, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful. Entertainment professionals can access resources to help them express their ideas, pitch film and TV projects, plan shoots and beyond at canva.com/entertainment.