AFI Awards Top 10: 'One Battle After Another,' 'Sinners' and 'Marty Supreme' Included, with 'The Pitt' and 'The Studio' Recognized in TV Categories

The American Film Institute revealed its annual selection of the years best films and television programs, featuring Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Warner Bros. standout entries One Battle After Another and Sinners. On the small screen, AFI honored HBO Maxs The Pitt, Netflixs Adolescence, and Apple TVs Severance and The Studio among its top picks.

The film roster illustrates a diverse cinematic year, merging box-office successes with inventive storytelling. The list spans indie talents like Chlo Zhao for Hamnet and Clint Bentley for Train Dreams, seasoned directors including Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) and Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), as well as filmmakers reaching new creative heights such as Noah Baumbach (Jay Kelly) and Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme). Visionaries like Ryan Coogler (Sinners) and Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia) appear alongside major studio names James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash) and Jon M. Chu (Wicked: For Good).

Neons international feature It Was Just an Accident received the AFI Special Award, which honors films outside traditional eligibility rules, including global productions. Previous recipients include The Kings Speech, The Artist, Roma, Parasite, Belfast, and The Banshees of Inisherin. This year, other notable international titles such as Park Chan-wooks No Other Choice and Kleber Mendona Filhos The Secret Agent were not included.

AFIs selections are often seen as predictors for Academy Award contenders, historically matching many eventual best picture nominees. While inclusion doesnt guarantee Oscar success, omissions can indicate a more challenging awards path. Notable films left off this years list include Joseph Kosinskis F1, Kathryn Bigelows A House of Dynamite, Bradley Coopers Is This Thing On, and Scott Coopers Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

On television, AFIs choices reflect a focus on high-quality dramas, innovative genres, and auteur-driven projects. Apple TV led the pack with three titles: the Emmy-winning The Studio, the dystopian thriller Severance, and freshman drama Pluribus. HBO Max and Netflix each claimed two slots, with HBO Max represented by The Pitt and Task, while Netflix featured Adolescence and Death by Lightning. Disney+ and FX rounded out the list with Andor season two and The Lowdown.

AFI juries included prominent actors, critics, and scholars, with panels chaired by Jeanine Basinger and Richard Frank. The awards ceremony is scheduled for January 9.

AFI Motion Pictures of the Year

• Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)
• Bugonia (Focus Features)
• Frankenstein (Netflix)
• Hamnet (Focus Features)
• Jay Kelly (Netflix)
• Marty Supreme (A24)
• One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
• Sinners (Warner Bros.)
• Train Dreams (Netflix)
• Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

AFI Television Programs of the Year

• Adolescence (Netflix)
• Andor (Disney+)
• Death by Lightning (Netflix)
• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• The Lowdown (FX)
• The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Pluribus (Apple TV)
• Severance (Apple TV)
• The Studio (Apple TV)
• Task (HBO Max)

AFI Special Award

It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

AFI Selections Highlight Diversity and Excellence in Cinema and Television

The American Film Institute (AFI) has released its prestigious annual selection of the best films and television programs, underscoring the evolving landscape of entertainment. This year's film list spans a range of genres, from independent works like "Hamnet" and "Marty Supreme" to big-budget productions like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" and "Wicked: For Good." The diversity of these selections reflects the dynamic year in cinema, showcasing a blend of emerging talent and established filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Television picks, meanwhile, emphasize high-quality, genre-defying storytelling, with Apple TV securing multiple spots, including "The Studio," "Severance," and "Pluribus." HBO Max and Netflix also feature prominently with standout entries like "The Pitt" and "Adolescence." These shows highlight the increasing importance of serialized content in the modern entertainment industry.

Notably, this year's AFI selections are often seen as indicators of potential Oscar nominations, with several past winners and nominees having appeared on AFI's list first. However, the omission of films such as "F1" and "A House of Dynamite" suggests that competition for major awards will remain fierce, especially in the wake of such a diverse array of offerings. The inclusion of "It Was Just an Accident" as the recipient of the AFI Special Award, which honors global cinema, further signals AFI's commitment to celebrating international contributions to the film industry.

Ultimately, these selections highlight a year where the boundaries between mainstream and independent cinema continue to blur, offering audiences a wide range of experiences both on the big and small screens. As the year progresses, it will be interesting to see how these choices influence the broader awards season and the future direction of film and television content.

Sources:

• AFI Awards Top 10: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ and ‘Marty Supreme’ Make the List, as ‘The Pitt’ and ‘The Studio’ Lead TV Honors

Author: Grace Ellison
Grace Ellison is a journalist focusing on environmental issues and sustainability. She has experience publishing international reports and participating in documentary projects.