AFI Recognizes 'The Artist' and 'Harry Potter' Movies With Special Awards

Peter Iovino/The Weinstein Co.

The Artist and the entire Harry Potter film series were voted special awards as the American Film Institute chose its official selections for AFI Awards on Sunday.

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The AFI Awards, which focus on American features, cited ten movies of the year: Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, J. Edgar, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse.

For TV programs of the year, it selected Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Justified, Louie, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation.

The selections were made by two juries, one for film and one for television. They were chaired by producers and AFI board of trustees vice chairs Tom Pollock, for movies, and Richard Frank, for TV, and included Whoopi Goldberg, film historian Leonard Maltin, uniiversity professors, critics and members of the AFI board of trustees. 

The creative ensembles behind the chosen film and TV shows will be honored at an invitation-only luncheon on Jan. 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles.