'The Soloist' will bow at AFI Fest

A hometown film based on a story written by a local newspaper columnist will open Los Angeles' annual AFI Fest.

"The Soloist," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, dramatizes Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Lopez's discovery of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. The DreamWorks and Universal Pictures' endeavor has been selected as the festival's opening night gala presentation.

"We are thrilled that AFI Fest has chosen 'The Soloist' for its opening night gala," said Stacey Snider, chief executive of DreamWorks Studios and an AFI trustee, in a statement. "We think it's a wonderful, emotionally powerful film and, especially given its Los Angeles setting, believe there couldn't be a better way to introduce it to the public."

"The Soloist" is directed by Joe Wright ("Atonement") and will have its North American premiere when it opens AFI Fest at ArcLight Hollywood's Cinerama Dome on Oct. 30.The film is scheduled for general release Nov. 21.

AFI Fest 2008 is slated to run Oct. 30 to Nov. 9.