American Film Institute Appoints Todd Hitchcock as AFI Fest Program Director; Bring Ethan Caldwell from the Academy Museum

EXCLUSIVE: Alfred Hitchcock won the AFI’s Life Achievement Award in 1979, but now another Hitchcock is coming up in the organization.

The American Film Institute on Wednesday named Todd Hitchcock to lead the national programming team responsible for programming the 37th annual AFI Fest in Los Angeles. Hitchcock was also recently appointed director of the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center. AFI says the move will consolidate all of the institute’s exhibition and programming activities under their leadership.

Hitchcock began his career at AFI in 2003, working on the first edition of Silverdocs before joining AFI Silver’s year-round programming team. As Director of Programming at AFI Silver and Associate Theater Director, he oversaw numerous international film festivals, retrospectives, premieres and special events, including the planning, programming and production of the Silent Cinema Showcase, the AFI Latin American Film Festival, the AFI European Union Film Showcase and the New African Film Festival.

Additionally, AFI said that Ethan Caldwell has been appointed to the newly created position of Director of Operations, AFI Productions. A veteran of film exhibition and operations, Caldwell most recently served as director of theater operations at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of AFI’s exhibition activities, including the AFI Fest.

“Todd’s expertise in programming—combined with Ethan’s deep understanding of the art of display—makes them a dynamic duo that will forge the future of AFI Fest,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of AFI. “This fall, we look forward to kicking off the 37th annual AFI Festival – and once again shining the spotlight on stories that lift and inspire us all.”

This year’s AFI Festival will be held October 25-29 at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The five-day festival will once again feature a curated selection of red carpet galas, special screenings, world films, documentaries and short films.

“It is an incredible honor to program AFI Fest,” said Hitchcock. “During my time at AFI, it has been my pleasure to connect audiences with the best of world cinema, past and present, through our programs at AFI Silver. I look forward to now leading the team that will create this experience for the audience at AFI Fest.”

Hitchcock will lead a national programming team that includes AFI Program Director Abbie Algar, Senior Programmer Malin Kan, and Programmers Josh Gardner and Javier Chavez.

“The history and impact of AFI and AFI Fest is unprecedented. I am excited to join this legendary institution and to work with people who are as passionate about creating unique and powerful opportunities as I am,” said Caldwell.

As previously announced, submissions for the AFI Fest 2023 Short Film Competition program open today and filmmakers are invited to submit feature films, documentaries, experimental and animated shorts. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI Fest as an eligible festival for the Live Action, Animated and Documentary Short Film categories at the Oscars.