The American Film Market: A Hub for Film Acquisition and Development

Posted on: Dec 03, 2024

Photo Credit: American Film Market

By Jessica Mathis

The American Film Market (AFM) brings together film industry professionals from across the globe every November for networking, collaboration and deal-making. This year, the AFM made a big move from its previous home in Santa Monica to Las Vegas, Nevada, which had mixed reviews from many attendees.

The AFM is still known for being one of the top events for acquisition, development and financing deals, and features a hall for exhibitors and film services. According to the Independent Film & TV Alliance, AFM is responsible for more than $1 billion in film deals every year for projects in various levels of completion. The gathering is business-focused and allows professionals to network, discover current projects and trends, look for funding and distribution, and learn from a slate of resources or panels.

Here are some things to know before you go:

Types of Participants and Access Levels

AFM has three different types of attendees:

Buyers: Accredited buyers may buy either a Buyer Badge or Buyer Badge Plus, allowing access to exclusive screenings and networking events. Buyers are professionals looking to fund, acquire or buy projects, and they must go through an accreditation process.
Exhibitors: Exhibitors are located in private offices and suites on the upper floors of the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort. Exhibitors showcase their work with their own booths, and by screening their productions in AFM theaters or online through AFM On-Demand. The On-Demand platform allows about 300 sales agents and companies with an AFM office, as well as attendees with a Platinum or Executive Badge to view the projects until March 31 of the following year. Government and regional film organizations, such as film commissions, can also participate in AFM’s Umbrella Exhibition Program by manning booth tables to enhance their visibility.
Attendees: This group includes professionals unaffiliated with sales or accredited buying companies. Anyone may be an attendee badge for a single day or multiple days. Attendee badges each offer different types of perks, including subscriptions and the ability to pay an additional fee and submit to On-Demand or screen in theaters with a Platinum or Executive Badge. There are options with some of the badges to attend the AFM Sessions panels and discussions in person or online.

What you should know: While many attendees purchase badges in hopes to meet with the exhibitors and buyers, these two groups of people are often tied up with pre-scheduled meetings. Refer to the strategy session below.

The AFM Sessions: Insightful Panels and Conferences

The AFM Sessions feature discussions from professionals about industry trends, challenges and the future of film. The lobbies near these stages are excellent places for networking just before and after the panels, because everyone is standing in line together or flooding out to discuss. These panels are hosted on two different stages:

Main Stage: While this is open exclusively to Platinum and Plus Badge holders, it delivers premium programming for an in-depth look at industry developments, and will let regular badge holders in if there are empty seats remaining. Plus Badges are multi-day badges that attendees paid an additional fee to upgrade. Some of this year’s topics included “Mastering Pitches,” “LGBTQIA+ Representation” and “Maximizing Your Budget.”

View Stage: All badge holders have access to this area (except for day passes unless otherwise specified), and this stage provides broader access to engaging discussions like “Working With SAG/AFTRA,” “Black Culture at the Epicenter of Hollywood,” and “Casting for Low-Budget Films.”

Producer and Attendee Resources

The AFM has easily accessible resources on their website for attendees or others:

Articles and videos that are useful to producers, including an orientation video called “How to Work the AFM.”
A directory of exhibitors that lists all of the companies and a point of contact with contact information, so you can try to set up meetings.
A 130-page show directory with maps, schedules, important numbers, restaurants and more.
Travel resources, such as local businesses and services who offer a discount to attendees.

Planning and Strategy for Success at AFM

Before you go, take time to plan and lay out your strategy to streamline your efforts to make the most of your limited time there.

Set clear objectives. You need to know what makes your project unique, and understand the qualities of your projects that might attract distributors and financiers.
Research potential partners. You can use the online directory to create a list to develop of 30-40 companies that align with your project’s goals to target and try to meet with.
Organize your logistics. Reach out to your top choices and try to schedule meetings. You’ll want to make sure you have materials such as business cards, pitch decks and synopses ready to go.
Understand what’s going down. The market isn’t really a place for animations or television series. The market is full of sales agents with finished films trying to sell those particular films. They aren’t there to take pitches from screenwriters or spec projects. I spoke with a few agents, including Ava B. at global sales agency House of Film. She said that they are willing to speak to filmmakers with finished projects, but they focus on high-quality completed films. When reaching out to network, the most common response is “Do you have finished projects?”

Most companies are niche or work in specific projects. I spoke with Sophie Shi at EST N8, a financing, distribution and sales agency that focuses on Asian content. They are based in Los Angeles and work with films from Asian countries or Asian-American creatives. Like the other sales agent there, they have a catalog of finished films they are looking to sell to buyers/distributors.

- Consider distribution carefully. Sophie went on to tell me filmmakers should be careful with their finished work if they hope to find a sales agent. Once a film premieres online or at a festival, it has a birth date and will decrease in value, so it’s best to find a sales agent before you premiere the film.
- Refine your pitch. Create a pitch that is clear, compelling and rehearsed; practicing with someone who doesn’t know your project can yield helpful feedback. Have a screener ready. For quick elevator pitches or short meetings, have a trailer downloaded to your device and have a screener ready to send them if requested.
- Bring backups. It may sound old school, but have a backup prepared in case of technical difficulties. This year saw a lot of technical difficulties and poor internet. It made pitching from digital copies difficult. It never hurts to have a tablet with your pitches, trailers and screeners downloaded on to it, or booklet pitches.
- Don’t assume. The mediascape has become a vast place. Don’t assume the people you are pitching to know the celebrities, crew members or comparable films you have in your deck or trailers. Build your pitch around your project story and why it matters. Be ready to introduce comparable titles or people with a few details about why they matter. I broke a kid’s heart when he pulled me of the elevator to see his trailer playing on a side wall monitor. He kept telling me they pulled some decent talent and to “wait for it.” At the end of the trailer the film name came up, followed by a surprise end scene with a celebrity I didn’t recognize. He’d built his whole pitch around telling me to wait for that “Pow!” moment.
- Reserve your promo materials. You might see areas where attendees have dropped their flyers, business cards or other materials. Don’t do this. People come through periodically and throw all the stuff away. Keep them for direct handoffs.

- Schedule accordingly. Lines were everywhere this year for the badges, for the parties, for the elevators. Plan to arrive with enough time to wait in line up to an hour for your badges. Head toward your meetings earlier than you think to allow for long lines at the elevators.

- Make friends. Know which of your colleagues, friends or acquaintances are there and find ways to work together to be mutually beneficial. Also, introduce yourself, be friendly to, or do favors for new acquaintances the first day. By the end of the week, those will be your network of people you will bump into again and again where you can all share info, party invites and introductions.

Adaptability might be your best friend. While the best thing you can do for yourself is to create a plan, you’ll want to be ready for unexpected changes or opportunities. The AFM is a valuable step in your overall career journey and it can help you expand your focus beyond your current deal.

Building connections and fostering relationships can lead to years of collaboration or support, setting you up for long-term success.

Jessica Mathis (AKA Divinity Rose) is an award winning screenwriter/performer/producer from Louisville, Kentucky. She is the CEO of She Dreams Content Development and Production, which focuses on female forward projects in comedy, docustyle and genre entertainment.

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