VIZIO Partners with the American Film Institute at AFI FEST 2017 to Support the Art and Craft of Filmmaking

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — VIZIO, Inc. announced today its fourth-year of collaboration with the American Film Institute, underscored by a sponsorship of this year’s AFI FEST presented by Audi. With a collective mission to promote the art of film and craft of filmmakers everywhere, the VIZIO and AFI partnership connects cinema and technology for the overall enhancement of the home entertainment experience.  AFI FEST runs from November 9-16, 2017 in Hollywood, CA. 

A Special Closing Night Gala Presentation at AFI FEST will be hosted by VIZIO, featuring a red-carpet celebration and screening of Molly’s Game, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. The film will be preceded by a tribute to Sorkin, with a moderated discussion of his celebrated career. Molly’s Gamedepicts a true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive underground high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob.  Molly’s only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who learned there was much more to her than what the tabloids reported. Additional cast members include Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd and Bill Camp. The Special Closing Night Gala Presentation of Molly’s Game will take place in Hollywood on Thursday, November 16.

“The art of filmmaking is very relevant in our world of home entertainment. Cinematographers and directors of photography toil over details that can have a lasting impact on viewers,” said Lily Knowles, SVP Marketing, VIZIO. “With picture quality technologies continuously advancing, VIZIO is focused on ensuring great visuals don’t stop at the theater. Dolby Vision™ high dynamic range content support on VIZIO’s premium collections of P- and M-Series displays, ensures key nuances like brightness, color and contrast carry over to home audiences, the same way they’re depicted in the cinema.”

Festival guests and filmmakers will also have a chance to interact with VIZIO products throughout AFI FEST 2017 in the VIZIO Lounge located in The Hollywood Roosevelt. Product specialists will demonstrate VIZIO picture and audio quality technologies and how they culminate in an ultimate whole-home entertainment experience.  Featured products include the VIZIO SmartCast™ P-Series™ Ultra HD HDR XLED Pro™ and M-Series™ Ultra HD HDR XLED Plus™ Display collections with Dolby Vision HDR technology, as well as audio products such as the VIZIO SmartCast 45″ 5.1 Sound Bar System and VIZIO SmartCast™ Crave Pro™ Wireless Speaker.

The VIZIO Lounge will also host a special VIZIO and Dolby Vision Cinematography Panel discussion on Dolby Vision that will focus on creating and delivering the highest quality visual experience for home entertainment. Pass holders will hear from special guests who will share their insights and learnings from their work with Dolby Vision.

AFI FEST is the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging filmmakers. The film festival is the only one of its stature that is free to the public and features nightly red-carpet galas, special screenings, conversations and tributes.  This year, legendary director, producer and writer Robert Altman (1925-2006) will be honored with screenings and discussions of his classic films.

For more information on the VIZIO AFI FEST 2017 sponsorship, visit www.VIZIO.com/AFI.

About VIZIO
VIZIO’s mission is to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience through our community of connected consumers, advertisers, and media content providers. Through our connected entertainment platform, VIZIO is transforming the way consumers discover and experience media content. Since our founding in California in 2002, VIZIO has built an industry-leading brand and sold over 75 million products, including televisions, sound bars and other devices. VIZIO is a leading HDTV brand in America¹ and is the #1 sound bar brand in America². VIZIO product leadership is highlighted by a number of industry reviews and awards, making the 2016 collection the most awarded in company history. The VIZIO SmartCast P-Series, M-Series and E-Series Home Theater Displays all received Reviewed.com Editor’s Choice awards³ and are all listed as CNET’s “Best TVs of 2016^4.” The VIZIO M-Series SmartCast Home Theater Display was awarded Editor’s Choice from CNET with an 8.8 rating⁵ and the VIZIO SmartCast 65″ E-Series Home Theater Display (E65u-D3) was awarded Reviewed.com’s “Best TV of the Year” award for 2016⁶. Also, the VIZIO D-Series earned a 2016 Editor’s Choice award from PC Magazine⁷. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit www.VIZIO.com.

© 2017 VIZIO, Inc. VIZIO, the V Logo, VIZIO SmartCast, Active LED Zones and other terms and phrases are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

¹ The NPD Group, Inc. / Weekly Retail Tracking Service, based on TV units sold in the U.S. from Jan. 2014– April 2017 
² The NPD Group, Inc. / Weekly Retail Tracking Service, based on sound bar units sold in the U.S. from Jan. 2014 – July 2017
³ Visit reviewed.com for full reviews for the VIZIO SmartCast P-Series (published: 10/28/2016), VIZIO SmartCast M-Series (published: 10/5/2016) and VIZIO SmartCast E-Series (published: 9/13/2016)
⁴ Visit CNET.com for full article (published: 12/16/2016)
⁵ Visit CNET.com for the full review, published 9/16/2016
⁶ Visit reviewed.com for the full E65u-D3 review, published 11/14/16
⁷ Visit pcmag.com for the full VIZIO D-Series review, published 3/24/16

SOURCE VIZIO, Inc.