Walt Disney’s “Zootopia” marks a rare but not unprecedented animated film to make the American Film Institute’s annual list of top film and television shows, which was announced Thursday out of Los Angeles.
The Jason Bateman-voiced project joins awards front-runners like “La La Land,” “Moonlight” and “Arrival” as the institute’s picks for 10 best features of the year.
Rounding out the top film pics were “Sully,” “Hell or High Water,” Hacksaw Ridge,” “Manchester by The Sea,” Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” and “Fences.”
Noticeably absent from the list are awards players like “Loving,” the Jeff Nichols film about America’s interracial marriage ban, “Hidden Figures,” about African American women in the space program and the multi-generational drama “20th Century Women.”
On the TV side, the AFI honored Netflix’s buzzy royal drama “The Crown” and its sci-fi phenomenon “Stranger Things.” NBC’s juggernaut “This Is Us” also ranked (as the lone broadcast show), joined by FX’s Donald Glover vehicle “Atlanta” and — naturally — HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and its quiet true-crime limited series “The Night Of.”
A glaring omission in that field is the pricey fan-favorite “Westworld,” also set up at HBO, which sees an all-star cast contemplate artificial intelligence and humanity at an adult amusement park set in the future.
“The Americans,” “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Veep” round out the TV list.
A special recognition was given to “O.J.: Made in America,” the ambitious and critically beloved docuseries from ESPN.
The isolated honor comes at an interesting time, as the industry ponders if a doc like “OJ” should be counted as TV or film (it’s nearly 8 hours in length, and had both theatrical and TV rollouts). This special award would seem to sidestep that debate.
Read the full list:
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“La La Land”
“Manchester by The Sea”
“Moonlight”
“Silence”
“Sully”
“Zootopia”
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR “The Americans”
“Atlanta”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Night Of”
“The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”
“Stranger Things”
“This Is Us”
“Veep”
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
“O.J.: Made in America”
Partying with Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert De Niro at AFI Fest (Photos)
"Jackie" director Pablo Larrian called Natalie Portman, "our queen," while introducing the feature at AFI on Nov. 14. A tremendously pregnant Portman posed with the twins who play "Jon-Jon," Aiden and Brody Weinberg.
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Power table: "The Comedian" stars Danny DeVito and Robert De Niro sip drinks with producer Art Linson before ...
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... DeVito pops up out for a groupie with Sony Pictures Classics chief Michael Barker (back) and royal couple of comedy, Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow. While most parties were at the Roosevelt, this one crowded the Pig N' Whistle pub thanks to party partner Maestro Dobel Tequila.
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In De Niro's productive late-career turn to comedy, Robert and Judd have never worked together. Bring it on.
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After cozying up with Michael Barker, Leslie Mann engages the other half of Sony Pictures Classics' co-presidency: Tom Bernard.
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Ari Emanuel hugs "Patriots Day" director Peter Berg on the way in to the TCL Chinese for the closing night premiere of the Boston Marathon bombing movie.
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On the opening night of AFI, Sarah Jessica Parker got the eye of "Rules Don't Apply" writer/director Warren Beatty. What was Parker doing there?
Here's the boss: AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale schmoozes with Annette Bening at at A24's dinner on the roof of the Roosevelt on Wednesday night, November 16.
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"20th Century Women" cast Greta Gerwig and Annette Benning, with D.C.-based Audi CCO Jeri Ward, and Warren Beatty (at the dinner as a supportive husband).
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Mike Mills and Festival Director Jacqueline Lyanga. Each night Lyanga introduces the films she and her team selected for the 30th edition of the fest.
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PMK*BNC CEO Chris Robichaud, with client Jeri Ward who hosted the dinner, AFI's Bob Gazelle and A24's Daniel Katz. They dined while the movie screened across the street, getting it in before the after party.
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Cloris Leachman and Helen Mirren, the latter's "Collateral Beauty" arrives at Christmas.
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"Jackie" director Pablo Larrain told the crowd at the TCL Chinese Theatre that he searched the world for the actor to play JFK. He found Caspar Phillipson in Denmark. Now he's pulling up on Hollywood Blvd. in a sleek whip like this.
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Spot on for the Kennedy boys, right?
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Instead of watching NFL games on Sunday, Chris Pine and Miles Teller were two of the big names at Audi's Sky Lounge at the Roosevelt -- a sneaky celeb hideaway perched above the pool that includes the Marilyn Monroe suite.
Sally Field and Rebecca Hall were also there with Pine and Teller, part of a panel of "Indie Contenders," meaning awards contenders from independent films.
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for AFI
Here's the full class of 2016 indie contenders: Viggo Mortensen, Margo Martindale, Ruth Negga, Rebecca Hall, Chris Pine, Sally Field, Kate Beckinsale, Miles Teller and Adam Driver, with festival director Jacqueline Lyanga (in plaid).
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Super agent Kevin Huvane (CAA) with Lily Collins on AFI's opening night.
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Mary Chieffo hugs her mom, Beth Grant, at the "Jackie" party. Grant, who plays Ladybird Johnson, also starred in Best Picture winners "The Artist" and "No Country for Old Men."
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Meanwhile over in London, "Fantastic Beasts" threw a festive celebrity premiere on November 15 before it opened to $74 million here in the U.S. Appearing on the carpet: Paradigm's Sam Gores, actress Hannah John-Kamen ("Ready Player One"), and Warner Bros.' studio maestro Greg Silverman.
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That same night Ted Sarandos (left) and Judd Apatow (right) flanked Peabody Executive Director Jeff Jones at an event celebrating the new "Media Center at Peabody," a scholarly research center and digital media production arm of the prestigious Peabody Awards. The Media Center is on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, but the party was at Sarandos' home in West L.A., Netflix's favorite place to entertain.
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Oscar contenders and Hollywood stars celebrate their prestige projects at the annual pre-Thanksgiving cinema feast presented by Audi
"Jackie" director Pablo Larrian called Natalie Portman, "our queen," while introducing the feature at AFI on Nov. 14. A tremendously pregnant Portman posed with the twins who play "Jon-Jon," Aiden and Brody Weinberg.