'I, Tonya,' 'Shape of Water' And 'Molly's Game' Added To 2017 AFI Fest Slate

If you live in Los Angeles and haven’t caught up with most of this year’s awards season titles you can breathe easy.  No, screeners aren’t arriving early, but AFI Fest has added some unexpected starpower and prestige to its 2017 slate.

Joining previously announced galas “Mudbound” (opening night), “All The Money In The World” (closing night), “Call Me By Your Name,” “The Disaster Artist” and “Hostiles” are seven films that hope to make a dent in the Oscars race in various categories. These special presentations include Paul McGuigan’s “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool,” Craig Gillespie’s “I, Tonya,” Chris Smith‘s documentary “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring A Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention Of Tony Clifton,” Paolo Virzi’s “The Leisure Seeker,” Aaron Sorkin’s “Molly’s Game,” Sam Pollard’s “Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me” and Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.”

Unlike its galas, the festival did not announce when these new selections would be screening during the event.   It’s also worth noting “Darkest Hour” will have a Los Angeles premiere the Wednesday before AFI Fest begins at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

AFI will also be bring back some classic films in their “Cinematic Legacy” slate including “Barefoot in the Park,” “Blow-Up,” “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly” and “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.”

The 2017 AFI Fest runs from Nov. 9-16 in the heart of Hollywood.