AFI Fest 2025 to Open with Bruce Springsteen Biopic Starring Jeremy Allen White

Los Angeles, August 25, 2025 - The American Film Institute announced today that its 35th annual AFI Fest will open with the world premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, a long-awaited biopic of rock icon Bruce Springsteen starring Jeremy Allen White in the title role. The film, written and directed by Scott Cooper, chronicles Springsteen’s formative years leading up to the creation of his seminal 1982 album Nebraska. White, whose breakout performance as Chef Carmy Berzatto in Hulu’s The Bear has earned him multiple Golden Globes and Emmys, steps into the role after extensive culinary and musical preparation, including intensive guitar coaching and on-location shoots in New Jersey.

AFI also revealed that Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro will serve as this year’s Guest Artistic Director, curating a slate of spotlight screenings and panel discussions that celebrate genre-defying filmmaking. Del Toro’s programming highlights include a retrospective of modern horror classics and exclusive masterclasses with leading filmmakers.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere represents one of the festival’s most high-profile premieres of the fall season. The AFI Fest runs October 16-23, transforming Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre and other landmark venues into a hub for professionals, critics, and cinephiles eager to witness early awards-season contenders.