The American Film Market (AFM) begins just 19 days after MIPCOM ends, but exhibition space for the 28th edition of the Santa Monica, California-based trade show that focuses on the production and distribution of independent motion pictures.
The market, which will take place at The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and the adjacent Le Merigot Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, California, October 31-November 7, will once again take over all 23 screens on the Santa Monica Promenade as 8,000-someodd attendees gear up for eight days of deal-making and movie premieres.
“If you’re a distributor or a buyer, you know to come here,” said Jonathan Wolf, managing director of the AFM, “And if you’re not coming, you’re going to have problems getting films to distribute,” Wolf said.
This year, the AFM has made a number of significant changes designed to help move the deal-making process along.
“We’ve enhanced part of our website, “http://www. afmfi lms.org” www.afmfi lms. org,” said Wolf.
“We’ve created a catalogue of films for all the companies who’ll be coming to the market.”
Another big change this year is the AFM’s renewed focus on “world premieres.”
To give some context, Wolf explained that throughout the 1980s and into the “˜90s, the industry started to utilize TV/ film festivals more for business purposes than to garner media or consumer attention, and a new term, “market premiere,” was coined.
The phrase “world premiere” all but disappeared from markets. “But this does a disservice to both buyers and sellers,” said Wolf.
“So this year, in addition to “˜market premieres,’ we’re going to have “˜world premieres.
Cinema&Video International n. 10-11 October/November 2007