Step back 20 years. Revenge of the Sith had been released, the circle was complete and the six movie saga was done, which meant George Lucas was free to move onto cinematic pastures new. Of course, we now know that was far from the case; studios were booked for Underworld, while work on The Clone Wars had already begun, and with a fourth Indiana Jones just a couple of years away it was one of the busiest periods for Lucasfilm, and here speaking with the AFI he explained his love of movies, a love that would continue for another seven years until he sold Lucasfilm to Disney. Here, he discusses his journey, through American Graffiti and beyond.

Here is AFI’s exclusive interview with AFI Alum Jon Avnet from the AFI Archive featuring visionary writer, director and producer George Lucas from when he visited the AFI Campus in 2005. The AFI Life Achievement Award recipient discusses his filmmaking journey from his early days to AMERICAN GRAFFITI to STAR WARS and beyond.