AFI Awards: "Spider-Verse" and "May December" Receive Oscar Boost, while "The Color Purple" Misses Out | Vanity Fair

Written by David Canfield

Unfolding the top 10 films of the year 2022 according to the American Film Institute, it was noticed that the institute has been steadily becoming a significant influence in predicting the Oscars' best picture contenders for American pictures. Films from other countries are not considered, but on occasion, receive a "special award". This statement held true when the Oscar nominations were made, with every American film picked by the AFI going on to receive an Academy Award nomination. Films like Babylon and Glass Onion were among those being flagged.

This raises questions about the current year's list which was released on Thursday. Films like Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest can be less perturbed as they were not contenders but the addition of numerous high-budget leaders should not be surprising news. Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, and Maestro continue their favourable route towards Academy accreditation. (These titles were not in the running for the Indie Spirits, nominees of which were announced earlier this week.) Notably absent from the list is The Color Purple, which continues to be under an embargo against reviews but has received positive feedback from industry screenings. The film's best-picture campaign remains, but with a few cautionary indications of its potential success. Other American films that didn't make the cut include Air and Origin, which seem less probable contenders with each passing day.

Following their nomination for best feature at the Spirit Awards, uplifting news is in store for indie films American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives. As they continue to gather support from various voting bodies these films should not be undermined in terms of the Academy. A slightly more conventional indie film, The Holdovers, is in a similar position. The top 10 list from AFI also includes Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, an encouraging sign for the top challenger in the animated film category—although from this list, it’s the least likely to translate the honour into a best-picture Oscar nomination. Last year’s AFI acknowledgement of studio films The Woman King, She Said, and Nope was not reciprocated by the Academy, which instead nominated international titles All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Triangle of Sadness.

Looking at television, AFI did not include any fresh shows from the second half of the year. Rather, the institute gave preference to TV series due to premiere early in 2023, which are also expected to receive a substantial number of Emmy nominations, including Beef, The Last of Us, and Jury Duty. The AFI also recognized significant shows such as The Bear and Succession, as well as series that have been overlooked by the Television Academy, like Reservation Dogs. The Morning Show's third season, which has generated a lot of buzz and has been recognized by AFI for the first time, could potentially break out at the Emmys.

Contributions by Julie Miller, Chris Murphy, and Savannah Walsh

Why has AFI, with its mix of jury members comprising filmmakers, critics, and academics, become particularly prominent in reflecting the Film Academy’s choices? Some trends can be noticed, such as the Academy’s increasing international component implying that its picks from the U.S. are being more selective. But this might also simply be a matter of differing tastes, which in the context of tracking awards season, is very much worth paying attention to. It remains to be seen if the AFI's flawless Oscar prediction record continues in this highly competitive year.

The full list of AFI winners for film and TV can be found below.

AFI MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR

AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

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