'A Single Man' was screened Thursday night during the Closing Night Gala of the American Film Institute Festival. The movie, based on Christopher Isherwood's novel, marks fashion designer Tom Ford's directorial debut.

Tom told ET, "It's the kind of thing that you dream about. You're not sure if it'll ever really happen and then when it does, it's absolutely surreal." New to the process of movie-making, he admitted, "Editing surprised me. It wasn't hard, I loved it, but I really...didn't understand what could happen in an editing room."

Colin Firth, who plays the lead character George, received a BAFTA Award for Humanitarianism directly after the screening. Tom praised the star, saying, "Colin as an actor, he is so subtle and nuanced and he can communicate without moving a thing on his face. He can really telegraph what his character is feeling and I think he inhabited this role beautifully…"

'He's Just Not that Into You' actress Ginnifer Goodwin plays a small role in 'A Single Man,' but she enjoyed her three days on set, remembering, "I got to follow Colin Firth around like a puppy dog." Of Tom's leap from fashion to calling the shots, she said, "We knew that Tom knew how to tell a story visually and we found out that he knows how to tell a story narratively as well. He aesthetically and tonally knows exactly what he wants."

Director of Michael Jackson's 'This is It,' Kenny Ortega, shared his philosophy behind making his film, saying, "Just put the truth up there on the screen, show Michael in all his glory, you know a master of his craft; a real genius entertainer of entertainers. You know watching him through the process interacting with all of us…The fans are the ones that wanted this film and they wanted to know what Michael had planned for them…"

'A Single Man,' set in Los Angeles, chronicles the life of a gay British college professor as he comes to terms with the death of his partner. The movie will be released in theaters on December 11.