Every Fall, the Global Film Industry Converges in Santa Monica: Filmmakers, producers, directors and writers from around the world come to AFM to gain exposure, discover new projects and make deals. The American Film Market & Conferences is the largest motion picture trade fair in the world.
2021: November 1-5 I 2022: November 1 – 6 I 2023: October 31 - November 5 I 2024: November 5 – 10
AFM Conferences offer attendees knowledge, insight, access and a rare opportunity to hear from the industry’s global thought leaders, decision makers and experts. Access with a Qualifying Badge or ticket.
Finance Conference I
Friday, November 8 | 9:15am – 12:45pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
The Future of Global Film Finance
Leading CEOs, filmmakers, financiers and studio executives explore the future of independent film financing, emerging trends and the impact of new platforms on global film finance.
Breaking the Mold: The Innovators
Film industry trailblazers, whose companies are transforming traditional business models, share their insights on the future of filmed entertainment.
Pitch Conference
sponsored by Creative Industries Hawaii
Saturday, November 9 | 9:15am – 12:45pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
Pitching Essentials: The 2-Minute Pitch
A good pitch can get a bad film made, while a bad pitch can leave a terrific project languishing on the shelf. Pitching is part art (it’s creative), part science (it needs to follow a tight script) and part sales (you have to wow them). Conference attendees will learn essential rules and tools of pitching to a room as volunteers, selected in advance, pitch their ideas to our panel of experts. Panelists will give unvarnished feedback on each pitch – explaining what worked, what didn’t – and why.
Panelists Tobin Armbrust, President, Worldwide Production & Acquisitions, Virgin Produced Effie Brown, Producer, Duly Noted, Inc. Cassian Elwes, Producer, ELEVATED
Sunday, November 10 | 9:15am – 12:45pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
Producing Studio Films with Independent Budgets
Production quality and talent are more crucial than ever. Producers need to be strategic with their budgets – talent, locations, special effects, crew, everything! Seasoned producers and experts share their advice on how to stretch budgets and get every dollar, euro, pound, yen or franc “on the screen.”
Moderator David Offenberg, Associate Professor of Entertainment Finance, Loyola Marymount
MCLE Credit: One hour of MCLE credit is available for attorneys for the second session.
Production Conference
Monday, November 11 | 9:15am – 12:45pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
Producing for the International Pre-Sales Marketplace
Pre-selling to territorial buyers is key to financing most independent films. What are they looking for? Which genres and talent? How do you set a budget that will reflect the marketplace? Discover which projects are most likely to sell globally before they are made.
Moderator Paul Hertzberg, President & CEO, CineTel Films, Inc.
Casting for a Greenlight
Attaching talent to your screenplay doesn’t guarantee that you will get your film financed, but it can certainly increase your chances. Producers and casting directors reveal what it takes to attract talent and get them attached before the financing is in place.
Television Conference
Monday, November 11 | 2:30pm – 6:00pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
Made-for-TV Movies: Expanding Opportunities for Independent Filmmakers
The demand for Made-for-TV Movies is exploding. Cable networks and streaming platforms are now producing, commissioning and acquiring hundreds films every year. Active production companies share their insights on what sells, budgets, and how to get in the door.
Panelists Paul Bales, Partner, The Asylum Pierre David, Chief Strategy Advisor & Producer, ReelOne/Lance Entertainment Brad Krevoy, CEO, Motion Picture Corporation of America Debra Martin Chase, Executive Producer, Martin Chase Productions Tony Vassiliadis, Chief Operations Officer, MarVista Entertainment
Upfront: Presentations from Networks and Platforms
From holiday stories and family feel good to genre and sci-fi, original Made-for-TV-Movies are in high demand. Cable and VOD platforms will present their feature-length programming needs and priorities, and reveal how to get them interested in your project.
Distribution Conference
Tuesday, November 12 | 9:15am – 12:45pm | Starlight Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel
Working with Sales Agents
To reach the global audience, an independent producer’s best ally is their international Sales Agent. Our panel of experts will discuss how to find and work with the right Sales Agent.
Moderator Clay Epstein, President, Film Mode Entertainment
The Rise of AVOD
Advertising Supported VOD is rapidly expanding with revenues projected to double by 2024. Get to know the players, the opportunities for independent film, and what the future holds.
Panelists Floris Bauer, President, Gunpowder & Sky Anthony Layser, Vice President, Partnerships & Programming, Xumo Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi TV Jeff Shultz, Chief Business Officer, Pluto TV
Moderator Bruce Eisen, President, Digital Advisors
MCLE Credit: One hour of MCLE credit is available for attorneys for the second session.
Additional Information
Doors & Will Call for morning sessions open at 8:00am.
Doors & Will Call for afternoon sessions open at 1:30pm
The AFM is not a festival - it is the largest motion picture market in the world. 8,000 industry attendees, including producers, distributors, directors, agents, writers, lawyers & bankers. Over 540 films screened, most world or U.S. premieres.
$US3 Billion spent annually by participants to produce films
8,000+ industry professionals
2,000+ new films and projects
1,000+ production companies
400+ distributors
540+ films screened
100+ world premiers
70+ countries represented
50+ thought leaders speaking
7 days of networking activities
1 beachfront campus that covers it all
Our AFM Newsletters run each day with three bumper pre roll editions and a wrap edition:
WOLF Jonathan 
AFM Conferences offer attendees knowledge, insight, access and a rare opportunity to hear from the industry’s global thought leaders, decision makers and experts. Access with a 
