Credit: Far Out / Eric Charbonneau

‘Barbie’ director Greta Gerwig lined-up as guest artistic director for AFI Festival

Wed 4 October 2023 9:48, UK

Barbie director Greta Gerwig is lined-up to have a significant role in the upcoming American Film Institute (AFI) Film Festival later this month.

Notably, Gerwig directed and co-wrote the Barbie blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and an ensemble cast, which has been a worldwide hit. The film was released in July via Warner Bros and is the most successful movie of the year so far, grossing more than $1.4 billion to date.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director is set to serve as the guest artistic director at Los Angeles’ AFI Film Festival. In the role, Gerwig will curate various films on the lineup and personally present at least one of them. Other prominent auteurs to have the position in previous years have been David Lynch, Agnès Varda and Bernardo Bertolucci.

In recent years, Gerwig has featured her films Lady Bird and Little Women at the AFI Festival. In 2010, she even served on the shorts jury. AFI President Bob Gazzale said: “Greta Gerwig is devoted to cinema, and AFI is devoted to her.” He added that they are “honoured to welcome her home.”

AFI Festival is situated at Hollywood’s iconic TCL Chinese Theatre and will run from October 25th to 29th. One noted film on the lineup includes Leave the World Behind, Sam Esmail’s adaptation of the book of the same name, starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali. It will premiere on the opening night.

Elsewhere, the final night will close with a screening of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, the controversial Leonard Bernstein biographical drama, featuring himself, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman.

Watch the trailer for Barbie below.