The American Film Market might not seem as flashy as the Cannes Film Festival or The Berlinale, but make no mistake: some of the most iconic films of the last 40 years—A Nightmare on Elm Street, Pulp Fiction, The Terminator and Slumdog Millionaire, to name a few—have been launched or sold at it.
The AFM, hosted by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) and held in Los Angeles each year, has served as the gathering grounds for the film and TV industry since 1981. In many cases, a film’s lifecycle begins at AFM, as independent producers, distributors and buyers facilitate deals, share private screenings and meet the people who will propel their projects to the next level.
For the first time, Las Vegas will soon play a part in that process, too. The AFM’s 45th installment makes its way to the Palms November 5-10.
Jean Prewitt, president and CEO of the IFTA, says the five-day event will draw film professionals from close to 80 countries. And though much of the business will happen behind closed doors, in hotel rooms and in the Palms’ Brenden Theatres, where investors will screen projects, it’s still exciting to be on the floor with so many indie notables.
“When we say ‘independent,’ a lot of people think we mean individuals who tapped into their grandfather’s 401(k) to make a film. But that’s not at all what this group is,” Prewitt says. “It’s very sophisticated and [they] have made, for example, the majority of the Academy Award Best Pictures over the last 35 or 40 years.”
Exhibitors at this year’s AFM will include major film companies like A24 (Moonlight, Everything Everywhere All at Once), Neon (Parasite, Longlegs), Miramax (Strange Darling) and countless others that have dominated the silver screen and television.
“It’s terrific for producers, especially fledgling producers and writers to be there and talk to each other, because a lot of times what you’re finding are the people who will end up being your producing partners for projects going forward—or your spouse. We’ve had AFM marriages,” Prewitt says. “People also just really like it for that reason because at various points, those professions are so isolated.”
This year, the IFTA also seeks to support the local industry by partnering with UNLV to bring film students onboard for internships during AFM. On top of all the meetings, industry professionals will judge pitching competitions and AFM sessions, where more than 100 speakers will discuss financing films, what’s shaping the market today and more. It’s an exciting place to be as deals for the next big films get sealed.
“Some of the major films coming through the Academy Awards sometimes took 10 years of markets before everything matched up,” says Prewitt. “The other thing that’s just interesting to watch is that process of what’s going to work and what isn’t. The whole process of the independent industry is fascinating, and most of that is played out of market.”
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