Image: Amazon Studios

The upcoming documentary about Tyler Perry’s remarkable life and extraordinary career, “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” is set to make its world premiere at the 2023 AFI Fest, which is hosted by the nonprofit American Film Institute and will take place October 25-29 in Los Angeles. Not only will the film premiere at the festival, it has been selected as the Centerpiece Screening at this year’s event, and will screen on Friday, October 27 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz for Amazon Studios, “Maxine’s Baby” offers a tender, intimate portrait of the billionaire writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head and media mogul, and takes audiences into the inner world of Tyler Perry, whose story has never fully been told.

With a diverse and innovative slate of programming, AFI Fest showcases the best films from across the globe and honors influential artists like Perry. “Tyler Perry is a creative force of nature – a multi-hyphenate who forged his own path to seismic impact in the world of storytelling while also inspiring the next generation to follow in his footsteps,” says AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. “‘Maxine’s Baby’ is an epic celebration of a modern maverick, and it is AFI’s honor to shine a proper light upon Mr. Perry and the film at AFI Fest.”

The film’s co-directors Bekele and Ortiz added, “We are honored to premiere ‘Maxine’s Baby’ at AFI Fest. Working on this film for the past decade has been a life-changing journey for the both of us. Getting intimately acquainted with the man behind the icon while witnessing the transformative impact of Mr. Perry’s work within various communities has been truly awe-inspiring. We hope this film is more than a road-to-success story, but rather, a meditation on healing, unconditional love, and an inspiration to audiences.”

AFI Fest 2023 ticket bundles will be available for purchase starting October 2, and individual tickets will be available starting October 3. “Maxine’s Baby” will begin streaming on Prime Video on November 17th.