'Concussion' to have its world premiere at the AFI Fest

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Concussion, Sony Pictures' sports injury-themed drama starring Will Smith, is to have its world premiere at AFI Fest 2015.

The movie was written and directed by Peter Landesman, and produced by Ridley Scott, Giannina Scott, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman and Elizabeth Cantillon. It will be screened at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Nov. 10.

The high-profile films By the Sea and The Big Short were previously announced as the festival's opening and closing movies.

"AFI Fest is for movie lovers who understand and appreciate the power of stories on the big screen. Concussion packs that punch by shining a light on a topic that has caught the country's attention, here expertly expressed through the direction of Peter Landesman and an unforgettable performance by Will Smith. We are proud to present the world premiere of Concussion as a Centerpiece Gala at AFI Fest," Jacqueline Lyanga, the festival's director, remarked Wednesday.

"AFI Fest is the perfect stage to unveil Concussion, and we are privileged to have been chosen as the Centerpiece Gala," Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott, two of the film's producers, said in a joint statement. "Concussion is a powerful and uncompromising film about an issue that was ignored for far too long and continues to play out today. It's a story that had to be told, and we were determined to tell it right."