American Film Institute gives ‘Squid Game’ special award

Poster for ″Squid Game″ [NETFLIX]

“Squid Game” received a special award from the American Film Institute (AFI).

At the end of each year, AFI releases a top 10 list of best movies and best television series created in the U.S. Although “Squid Game” did not qualify, having been made by Netflix Korea, it was given a special award for “works of excellence that fall outside of the Institute’s criteria of American film and television.”

Since its release in September, “Squid Game” has become the most-watched Netflix original series ever with more than 111 million viewers.

The AFI Movies of the Year are “Coda,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Dune,” King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” “The Power of the Dog,” “tick, tick…BOOM!,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and “West Side Story.”

The AFI Television Programs of the Year are “Hacks,” “Maid,” “Mare of Easttown,” “Reservation Dogs,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Succession,” “Ted Lasso,” “The Underground Railroad,” “Wandavision” and “The White Lotus.”

Two other films — “Belfast” and “Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” — were given AFI Special Awards.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]