AFI FEST AT HOME UNDER THE DOME.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer

AFI Fest 2002, the American Film Institute's long-running Los Angeles film festival, opens tonight at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood with the gala U.S. premiere of ``Antwone Fisher,'' Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington's acclaimed feature directing debut.

The fest will continue to unspool more than 130 films from 37 countries over the following 10 days at the Dome's new Sunset Boulevard attachment, the state-of-the-art ArcLight Hollywood theater complex.

``So what,'' you say? With L.A. now awash in film festivals - from several independent film conclaves to localized community endeavors (including a Hollywood fest at the ArcLight a month or so back) to movie bashes catering to specific ethnicities, races, genders, gender preferences and even subject-matter enthusiasts - why get excited about the venerable AFI shebang? In the middle, no less, of November, a month awash in excellent art movies as well as big-ticket commercial holiday features at theaters near you?

Well, how about because the AFI Fest remains our only real version of a traditional film festival and is all the more valuable for staying that way.

``We have a real emphasis, within our limitations, to be as thorough a festival of record for the very best in international film as we can possibly be,'' says Christian Gaines, now in his third year as AFI Fest director. ``And we really try, as far as our programmatic sections go, to not change every year but to create sections that people expect and look for and fill those sections with the very best content that we can.''

So once again, along with the International Feature, Documentary and Shorts competitions, cineastes will also be able to choose from some of the best works seen at such world-class festivals as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto in the Latin Cinema Series, Asian New Classics, the European Showcase and American Directions. There will be 48 U.S. premieres and six world premieres.

The one new addition this year is a 10-film ``Made in Germany'' program, which will include ``Nowhere in Africa.'' And the festival will offer first-chance-to-see screenings of such anticipated, soon-to-be released movies as ``Fisher,'' Atom Egoyan's ``Ararat'' (the fest's Centerpiece Gala), Pedro Almodovar's ``Talk to Her'' (closing-night gala), Phillip Noyce's controversial ``The Quiet American'' and ``Rabbit Proof Fence,'' David Cronenberg's ``Spider,'' Menno Meyjes' ``Max,'' Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund's ``City of God,'' Stephen Chow's ``Shaolin Soccer,'' Lynne Ramsay's ``Morvern Callar'' and Todd Luiso's ``Love Liza.''

This year's retrospective recipient is ``Quiet American'' star Michael Caine. Half a dozen of the actor's classic films, including ``Alfie,'' ``Get Carter'' and his Oscar-winning ``Cider House Rules,'' will be the only programs screened off of the main site, at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Like its comprehensive but unwieldy predecessor Filmex, the AFI Fest has often unfolded at sometimes widely, sometimes more closely but still inconvenient, scattered locations throughout the sprawling city. Last year's event, though centered at the Egyptian Theatre, was spread among several Hollywood Boulevard movie houses of widely varying quality, comfort and proximity to one another.

Which is one reason why Gaines is so pleased this year to have everything centralized at the ArcLight, 6360 Sunset Blvd.

``I like the venue because it allows us to focus as geographically as possible,'' he says. ``Getting in a car and driving for 25 minutes between screenings can be kind of a buzz kill in terms of enjoying the festival environment. We wanted to create a festival where people could come and hang out and enjoy themselves and forget to leave.

``In addition to having almost all of the screens on the upper floor of ArcLight for the duration of the festival, our box office and our cinema lounge is in a 5,000-square-foot retail space right next to the theater, in the courtyard,'' Gaines adds.

``As much as possible, we're trying to feature live music and cultural performances in the courtyard based on some of the films that are in the festival. Hopefully that will create a convivial environment. And obviously, most importantly, it gives our filmmakers a great environment to show their film in, because the quality of the picture and the quality of the sound are second to none.''

All of which, Gaines hopes, will give his particular festival a special feel that will distinguish it from all of the others. Not that he really thinks he's in competition with anyone. After all, why should the granddaddy of L.A. film festivals be threatened by the most Southern California of trends?

``In L.A., which is a sprawling, diverse, enormous kind of city, there's no one of anything in a lot of ways,'' Gaines reckons. ``Just as L.A. is marked by unchecked growth and boundless opportunity for the resourceful and entrepreneurial, I think you've definitely seen that in the film festival environment here.

``That being said, we feel that we really are a film festival for purists,'' he adds. ``Almost all of our content is film, which sounds like an odd statement, except that so many film festivals are packed with pitch marts for people who want to get into the industry and panels about things. In my opinion, that tends to veer away from the sheer joy of the bond between the film and the filmmaker and the audience.''

And Gaines is convinced that that audience's hunger for the best of world cinema is ravenous, as evidenced by the health of so many local festivals and art house venues in the city these days.

``One of the things I've noticed as a trend this year, through regional film festivals here and special programs, is a real stimulation and increase in audience interest and receptiveness to alternative programming in L.A.,'' he notes. ``It's really exciting. But I'm not quite sure why that is. Maybe it's partly because, as the line between art and commerce becomes increasingly blurred in movies, people who really do care about film as the seventh art are seeking out alternatives, and that's extremely gratifying.''

For your share of gratification, $10 general admission tickets to AFI Fest screenings can be purchased from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through Nov. 17 at the festival box office in the ArcLight complex, located on the south side of Sunset Boulevard between Vine and Ivar streets in Hollywood. Starting Friday, tickets can be purchased by phone at [phone] and online at www.AFI.com. Reduced-price tickets, multiscreening passes and tickets for the Caine tribute and Gala screenings are also available.

CAPTION(S):

8 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- cover -- color) Clockwise from top: ``Nowhere in Africa,'' Adrien Brody and Charlotte Ayanna in ``Love the Hard Way,'' Do Hai Yen and Michael Caine in ``The Quiet American'' and ``City of God''

(5) ``Ararat''

7:30 p.m. Thursday

(6) ``Nowhere in Africa''

6 p.m. Sunday

4:15 p.m. Nov. 15

(7) ``Talk to Her''

7:30 p.m. Nov. 17

(8) ``Antwone Fisher''

7:30 tonight