A few weeks back it was announced that “The Skin I Live In” director Pedro Almodóvar had been tapped by AFI Fest to serve as Guest Artistic Director. It’s been an eclectic couple of years for the position, as David Lynch served in the position’s inaugural year.

The festival just sent out a release announcing Almodóvar’s selected classic horror films and thrillers to be screened in a sidebar program. They include Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Le Cercle Rouge,” Georges Franju’s “Eyes without a Face,” Edmund Goulding’s “Nightmare Alley” and Robert Siodmak’s “The Killers.”

The quartet joins Almodovar’s own “Law of Desire,” which was previously announced as a Gala screening and “An Evening with Pedro Almodovar” set for November 7.

“‘Law of Desire’ is a fundamental title in my career,” Almodóvar said in the release. “Even though we made it on a very modest budget, I don’t think I’d change a single shot, and not because it’s perfect but because I recognize myself in all of them…It’s true that my palette has darkened and, in the case of the latest film, the humor has almost disappeared. Fortunately I’ve changed sufficiently so that no one can accuse me of repeating myself, but I’m still the same. ‘Law of Desire’ shows that.”

Meanwhile, he chose the selections “because in some way, albeit tangentially, they have a relationship with my present,” he said.

The 2011 AFI Fest (presented by AUDI — they consistently remind us to include that) will take place November 3 – November 10 at the historic Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar” will be the opening night film. Other centerpiece galas include Luc Besson’s “The Lady,” Roman Polanski’s “Carnage,” Simon Curtis’s “My Week with Marilyn” and Steve McQueen’s “Shame.” Oh, and naturally, Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist” will be included. You can’t get away from that thing lately.