AFI Awards Movie Top 10: 'Sinners', 'Avatar: Fire And Ash', 'Jay Kelly' Recognized as Honorees

The American Film Institute has revealed its annual list of the Motion Pictures of the Year, recognizing 10 standout films. This prestigious list is widely regarded as a bellwether for the Oscars, often aligning closely with the Academys nominations. In recent years, AFI has matched eight of the 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees.

The 2025 AFI honorees include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams, and Wicked: For Good. In addition, a Special Award was presented to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for his Cannes Palme dOr-winning film It Was Just an Accident. Such awards are occasionally given to international films that have limited exposure in the U.S.

Some notable American releases that did not make the list this year include F1, A House of Dynamite, Nuremberg, Rental Family, and Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.

Among distributors, Netflix leads with three filmsFrankenstein, Jay Kelly, and Train Dreams. Universal also has three entries, with Wicked: For Good, Bugonia, and Hamnet via its Focus Features unit.

Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, commented: For over 25 years, AFI Awards has celebrated creativity without competition. We are proud to honor these exceptional works as a testament to the enduring power of art during challenging times.

The honorees will be officially recognized at a private AFI Awards luncheon on Friday, January 9, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, a key event in the awards season calendar.

Author: Benjamin Carter