My SPW NewsPage View

The American Film Market® (AFM®) will open the doors for its 39^th installment today, October 31.  Thousands of global film industry players, including finance, production, sales and distribution executives will be in attendance for screenings, meetings, networking, panels, and to solidify deals on both completed films and thousands of projects destined to reach the audiences around the world. This marks the AFM’s 28^th year in the city of Santa Monica. 

The AFM will welcome at least 70 companies from 28 countries attending for the first time as buyers with the largest number coming from the United States, followed by China, Italy and South Korea, as well as Canada, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and Vietnam.  Buyers from the world’s leading digital platforms are also confirmed. 

In addition, AFM will have at least 60 new exhibiting companies from 15 countries in the market.  Of the 400 exhibitors, the United States will have the biggest presence with 160, followed by the United Kingdom (34), France (29), South Korea (22), China (17), Japan (13), Russia (12) and Germany (11). 

Total attendance is projected to be more than 7,000.  Final attendance figures will be announced later in the market.

For 2018, the AFM is placing an increased emphasis on industry intelligence and education, expanding its programming lineup of Conferences, Roundtables, Workshops and Spotlight Events, and adding a third venue – the AFM Gallery at Le Merigot Hotel.  More than 150 speakers will take the stage for 40 sessions featuring a diverse array of topics to support virtually every facet of the business. 

Jonathan Wolf, AFM Managing Director commented, “New distribution companies and platforms are launching, connecting independent films with audiences throughout the world. We look forward to welcoming all to the AFM. And in Hollywood’s backyard, AFM is the perfect environment for international experts, leaders and visionaries to engage in discussions and debates.”

• The Conference Series begins Friday, Nov. 2 with The Global Perspective featuring a dialogue with Independent Film & Television Alliance® President/CEO Jean Prewitt and Motion Picture Association of America® Chairman/CEO Charles Rivkin on the major challenges and opportunities facing the film industry and how their organizations are addressing them.  Following, two panels focused on business strategies and the evolving marketplace will bring together executives Arianne Fraser, Highland Film Group, John Friedberg, STX Entertainment, and Milan Popelka,FilmNation Entertainment, and buyers/distributors Sasha Bühler, Constantin Film, Victor Hadida, Metropolitan Filmexport, and Syrinthia Studer, Paramount.
• A new half-day Blockchain Conference on Saturday, Nov. 3 will feature companies using the technology to transform the film industry, including FilmChain/Big Couch UK, AMBI Media Group/TaTaTu, Cinemarket, StreamSpace, Wardour Studios, Cinezen Blockchained Entertainment AB, and White Rabbit.
• Among the new Roundtables is International Awakening: Investing in Gender Diversity for Expanding Audiences Around the Globe.  In partnership with ReFrame, this session will take place Sunday, Nov. 4 with Jonathan King, Participant Media, Maguerite Pigott, CMPA (Canadian Media Producers Association) Kirsten Schaffer, Women in Film, Los Angeles, Alison Thompson, Cornerstone Films, and producer Janet Yang. 
• Other notable speakers include producer Caryn Capotosto (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?), producer Cassian Elwes (Mudbound), Jeffrey Greenstein, Millennium Media, producer Basil Iwayk (Sicario), Eric Smith, Facebook, Ryan Turek, Blumhouse Productions, Farhaad Virani, Amazon Studios, and Gary Michael Walters, Bold Films.  
• Market Screenings are running strong this year with more than 400 screenings of 326 films showing across 26 screens. Of these, 64 films will be World Premieres including Beautiful Darkness starring Matthew Broderick and Chloe Sevigny (Octane Entertainment); Killers Anonymousstarring Gary Oldman and Jessica Alba (Fabrication Films); Killerman starring Liam Hemsworth (The Solution Entertainment Group), and Stanostarring Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara (Kathy Morgan International).

Among the slate of films to screen are candidates for the Academy Awards® Foreign Language Nomination including Switzerland’s submission Eldorado (Playtime) and Germany’s Never Look Away (Beta Cinema).

• LocationEXPO®, in its second year, will take place over the course of four days of AFM – November 3-6 – in a dedicated exhibit space in the Loews Hotel. More than 60 Film Commissions, Government Agencies, Production Facilities and Services with a combined offering of billions of dollars in production incentives and resources will be represented.

In order to best serve its growing attendance and to provide improved access and resources for all of its participants traveling in from more than 80 countries, an AFM badge will now be required by all to enter the Loews Hotel.  

The American Film Market is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance.

For more visit AmericanFilmMarket.com.  For AFM’s Programming Lineup: AmericanFilmMarket.com/programs-events; For the Exhibitor List: AmericanFilmMarket.com/exhibitor-list; For AFM Screenings: TheFilmCatalogue.com/afm/screening-schedule.

About the American Film Market®
The American Film Market (AFM®) is the world’s largest motion picture business event. Over 7,000 industry leaders from more than 80 countries converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, conferences, networking and parties. Participants include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.

Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace – with over 200,000 square feet of exhibition space – where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than US$1 billion in deals will be sealed – on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production.

Participants may view more than 500 screenings of 300+ films – 29 new films every two hours – the majority world or U.S. premieres. Titles range from big budget blockbusters that will be released by the major studios to lower budget art and genre films recognized at international film festivals.
 
About the Independent Film & Television Alliance®
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA®) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IFTA represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 145 Member companies in 22 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, and financial institutions engaged in production finance. Collectively, IFTA Members produce more than 400 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year, generating more than $4.5 billion in distribution revenues annually. For more information on IFTA, please visit www.IFTA-online.org.