There are few groups as prestigious as the American Film Institute – the cinematic organization that serves to deliver education to filmmakers while preserving the heritage of the industry. This is why spots on its annual list are so highly coveted, and why this year’s announcement is so noteworthy – including, as it does, a remarkable mixture of the intimate, such as Carol, and the vast, such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In addition, a great range of genre is noticeable, with the tense historical thriller Bridge Of Spies taking a spot, alongside science fiction entry The Martian and biopic Straight Outta Compton. While the animation field was particularly strong this year, with The Peanuts Movie and The Good Dinosaur released, Pixar’s Inside Out is the only one to make the list.
On the television side, there is a mixture of old and new, with veteran shows such as Homeland, Game Of Thrones and The Americans lining up beside the newer entries of Better Call Saul and Mr Robot. Perhaps most notable in the TV listing is Aziz Ansari’s inaugural Netflix series, Master Of None, which debuted this fall to impressive reviews.
The list, as announced, runs as follows:
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
THE BIG SHORT
BRIDGE OF SPIES
CAROL
INSIDE OUT
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
THE MARTIAN
ROOM
SPOTLIGHT
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
THE AMERICANS
BETTER CALL SAUL
BLACK-ISH
EMPIRE
FARGO
GAME OF THRONES
HOMELAND
MASTER OF NONE
MR. ROBOT
UNREAL
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
MAD MEN
While special note goes to Mad Men, which ended its run this year, the AFI list for 2015 is undoubtedly a great achievement for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as it seeks to revive faith in one of cinema’s most iconic franchises.
