Golden Globes Scene: Inside TV and Film’s Once a Year Power Lunch (Photos)
A running party diary of top shots from inside the ultimate power lunch and the starry scene across L.A. on Golden Globes weekend
Hollywood’s biggest stars, studio chiefs and network presidents “do lunch” together once a year without their entourage of agents, managers, lawyers or publicists, in a nearly complete media blackout.
Culling that group down to just the top 200 most influential creatives and prime movers, the AFI lunch presents some of the most dynamic cast mashups and meetups.
“Oh no!” — this three-shot makes us wonder if the fan favorite film had an alternate finish, this would be a really cool family portrait epilogue.
The thrill of seeing Texas ranger duo Gil Birmingham (left) and Jeff Bridges (right) back together is topped by the inclusion of Eastwood, which harkens back to his tough guy performance in the Sergio Leone classic.
The one breakout hit of this TV season was also the sole survivor of broadcast TV, representing all of the broadcast networks at the AFI Awards.
Amongst the 10 TV shows honored, the NBC drama “This Is Us” is the only one you can see for free over the air, the way TV shows were consumed for the first 50-odd years of the medium.
In line with the communal spirit of the AFI Awards, AFI CEO Bob Gazzale (above, with wife, Mimi) announced a new initiative to groom the next generation of filmmakers.
Perennial AFI sponsor Audi will fully fund a new fellowship for a promising female director to attend the AFI Conservatory, the AFI’s two year Master of Fine Arts degree program.
After counting the votes from 150 Aussie screen professionals at the Australian Academy of Television and Cinema Arts International Awards, Gibson beat out “La La Land” mastermind Damien Chazelle for the directing prize.
The two will rematch on Sunday at the Globes.Mel Gibson shaved the beard he has been sporting since emerging on the scene back at the Venice Film Festival in September (where his film got a 10 minute standing ovation).
While the clean face also shaves years off his look, it makes him look more like “mugshot Mel Gibson” than the elder statesman who has slipped a decade-long pariah status and has been earning standing ovations at the Academy in Beverly Hills.
The former prosecutor turned novelist made the remarks to a crowd of Oscar and Emmy winners like Ron Howard, R.J. Cutler and John Lesher at a cocktail party at the Chateau Marmont on Friday night as Dionne Warwick and Louis Armstrong records spun on a vintage turntable.
The filmmakers of the Oscar-shortlisted doc — including producers Connor Schell, Caroline Waterlow and Libby Geist — had previously anchored a front row table as an honoree at the AFI lunch.

