Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ to Close AFI Fest
The American Film Institute has selected Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” as the closing night picture at this year’s AFI Fest in Los Angeles. Directed by and starring Cooper, and co-starring Carey Mulligan, the film chronicles the lifelong relationship between composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
It debuted at this year’s Venice Film Festival to positive reviews (92% fresh and 7.6/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) as an awards season contender. Critic Ben Croll wrote for TheWrap that Bradley Cooper’s second directorial effort “bolsters the writer/director/producer/star’s MO as a contemporary jack-of-all-trades with an Old Hollywood soul.”
The feature reunites director Cooper with his Oscar-nominated “A Star Is Born” cinematographer, Matthew Libatique. It features a screenplay from Cooper and the Oscar-winning writer of “Spotlight,” Josh Singer. Among its producers are Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The screening will take place on Oct. 29 at the TCL Chinese Theater.
“’Maestro’ displays Bradley Cooper’s symphony of talent with the power of a cymbal crash,” AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale said. “It is AFI’s honor to shine a light upon this extraordinary work of art on the festival’s closing night.”
Running Oct. 25-29, this year’s AFI Fest will kick off with the world premiere of Sam Esmail’s “Leave the World Behind.” That picture stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke. The five-day event will feature a curated selection of red carpet premieres, special screenings, world cinema, documentaries and short films. Passes are on sale at FEST.AFI.com.
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