Almodóvar to be guest director at AFI festival

Spanish film-maker Pedro Almodóvar will be the guest artistic director at the American Film Institute’s 2011 festival in November in Hollywood, the organisation said.

Mr Almodóvar will present a screening of his 1986 film, Law of Desire, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the film and his production company, the AFI said.

“Pedro Almodóvar is a modern master,” said Bob Gazzale, president and chief executive of the American Film Institute.

“His genius inspires artists and audiences alike, and it is an honour for the American Film Institute to celebrate him and his singular voice at AFI Fest.”

Festival director Jacqueline Lyanga said: “We’ve shown many of Almodóvar’s films and we’ve seen the extraordinary influence that his work has had on other film-makers over the years. Almodóvar’s work embodies the cross-pollination of cinematic influences that fuel contemporary world cinema.”

The 61-year-old film-maker won an Oscar for best original screenplay for Talk To Her (Hable con ella) in 2002 and is considered Spain’s leading figure in the industry with 18 feature films.