Two years later, in 1967, AFI was established, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Ford Foundation.

In 2017, then-aspiring filmmaker Ilana Bar-Din Giannini claimed that the AFI expelled her after she accused Dezso Magyar of sexually harassing her in the early 1980s.

[17] That program grew into the AFI Conservatory, an accredited graduate film school located in the hills above Hollywood, California, providing training in six filmmaking disciplines: cinematography, directing, editing, producing, production design, and screenwriting.

[19] Brooks' artistic role at the AFI Conservatory has a rich legacy that includes Daniel Petrie, Jr., Robert Wise, and Frank Pierson.

It is a showcase for the best festival films of the year as selected by AFI and an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences.

The movies selected by AFI are assigned to different sections for the festival; these include Galas/Red Carpet Premieres, Special Screenings, Documentaries, Discovery, and Short Film Competition.

[23] Formerly named Galas, it is AFI Fest’s section for the most highly anticipated films at the festival, presenting selected feature-length movies from world-class filmmakers and artisans.

Examples include Bradley Cooper's Maestro (2023),[25] Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans (2022),[26] Will Smith's King Richard (2021), Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog (2021),[27] Anthony Hopkins's The Father (2020),[28] Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story (2019),[29] Peter Farrelly's Green Book (2018),[30] Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name (2017),[31] Damien Chazelle's La La Land (2016),[32] and Adam McKay's The Big Short (2015).

The AFI 100 Years... series, which ran from 1998 to 2008 and created jury-selected lists of America's best movies in categories such as Musicals, Laughs and Thrills, prompted new generations to experience classic American films.

The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center presents film and video programming, augmented by filmmaker interviews, panels, discussions, and musical performances.

[36] Alumnae of the program include Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Dyan Cannon, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Getzinger, Lesli Linka Glatter, Lily Tomlin, Susan Oliver and Nancy Malone.

The Directors Series content was copyrighted in 1997 by Media Entertainment Inc and The American Film Institute, and the VHS and DVDs were released between 1999 and 2001 on Winstar TV and Video.