The American Film Market® (AFM®), which officially launches tomorrow, November 11, and runs through November 16 at the Fairmont Century Plaza, has sold out of Exhibition space as the world’s leading independent production, sales, distribution, and buying companies, along with film commissions, production service companies, and AI/technology players, prepare to convene at the Market for its anticipated return to Los Angeles.  This year’s Market will open with more than 285 Exhibitors from 35 countries that will introduce hundreds of new projects and screen AFM world premieres, market premieres and promo reels as well as host presentations. Exhibitor offices are located on floors 3-5 and 9-11 along with a dedicated Exhibitor Pavilion on P1 at the Fairmont. AFM will be a bustling market with thousands of participants from over 80 countries in attendance, including Buyers and Distributors. The full Exhibitor list can be viewed at https://exhibitors.americanfilmmarket.com/exhibitor-list/.

Building on that momentum, AFM today unveiled additional speakers and panels for The AFM Sessions, featuring executives and creators from companies and organizations including AGC Studios, Bleecker Street, Charades, HanWay Films, MCT, the NAACP, the Producers Guild of America (PGA), Republic Film, SAG-AFTRA, Samuel Goldwyn Films, TrustNordisk, Tribeca Enterprises, and Watrfall. 35 sessions will be presented across two stages on P2 at the Fairmont with new highlights to include:

The Innovators - From Fan to Financier: New Models in Film Financing and Distribution

Wednesday Nov 12th at 11:00AM – 12:00PM 

Speakers include Marc Iserlis, Head of Film, Republic Film; Willie Morris, Co-Founder, Watrfall; and Christopher Woodrow, Founder and Chairman, MCT

What Audiences Want: Producing Stories That Connect

Wednesday Nov 12th at 1:30PM – 2:30PM 

Speakers include Paula Paizes, COO & President of Production, Pressman Film; 

Joe Lewis, Founder & CEO, Amplify Pictures; and JJ Caruth, President, Domestic Marketing and Distribution, The Avenue, Highland Film Group’s domestic distribution label

Everything Producers Need to Know to Work with SAG-AFTRA Successfully

Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 3:30PM – 4:30PM 

Speakers include Olga Rodriguez-Aguirre, Executive Director/Co-Head, Entertainment Contracts, SAG-AFTRA; andSusan Sprung, CEO, Producers Guild of America

From Festivals to Audiences: The Enduring Power of Global Arthouse Films

Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 4:30PM – 5:30PM 

Speakers include Matt Mueller, Editor-in-chief, Screen International & ScreenDaily; Yohann Comte, Chairman & Co-Founder, Charades; Kent Sanderson, CEO, Bleecker Street; Gabrielle Stewart, CEO, HanWay Films; and Susan Wendt, Managing Director, TrustNordisk

Amazing Thailand Talk: Unlocking Thailand’s Cinematic Potential

Thursday Nov 13th at 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Speakers include Jay Roewe, Senior Vice President, Production Global Incentives & Production Planning, HBO/HBOMAX/Warner Brothers Discovery; Matt Magielnicki, Senior Vice President of Production at FX;Kevin Bernhardt, Writer/Producer/Actor; and Tor Saralamba, Consul-General of Thailand in Los Angeles, Royal Thai Consulate General, Los Angeles

Crafting the Narrative: From Inspiration to Compelling, Sought-After Stories

Thursday Nov 13th at 1:30PM – 2:30PM 

Speakers Include Kyle Bowser, Senior Vice President, NAACP Hollywood Bureau; Lourdes Diaz, Chief Content Officer, AGC Studios; Jarod Neece, Senior Film Programmer, Tribeca Enterprises; and Elliot Kotek, Founder & CEO, The Nation of Artists

Pride & Progress: The Unfolding Story of LGBTQ+ Content, from Financing to Distribution

Thursday Nov 13th at 4:00PM – 5:00PM 

Speakers include Sav Rodgers, Filmmaker & Founder & Executive Director, Transgender Film Center; Frank Jaffee, Founder, Altered Innocence; Ahbra Perry, Vice President, Chroma; and Kathy Susca, Director of Content and Operations, The Film Collaborative

The Streaming Equation: Inside Licensing, Revenue Share, and the Economics of Distribution

Friday, Nov 14th at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Speakers include Shaked Berenson, CEO, Studio Dome; Lauren Farbstein, Director, Sales & Acquisitions, Samuel Goldwyn Films; Mike Messina, Partner, Blue Harbor Entertainment; David Rimawi, Partner, The Asylum; Lise Romanoff, Managing Director & CEO, Vision Films, Inc.

The Producer's Journey: Courage, Clarity, and Craft Presented by Pepperdine

Friday Nov 14th at 5:00PM – 6:30PM 

Speakers to include Stephanie Allain, Producer (Hustle & Flow, Dear White People), Founder Homegrown Pictures; and Suzanne Farwell, Producer (The Holiday, It’s Complicated, The Intern)

The full schedule of The AFM Sessions and speakers, including AI and Finance programs previously announced, can be viewed at https://americanfilmmarket.com/the-afm-sessions/. Sessions run for four full days Wednesday, November 12 through Saturday, November 15.

Alongside the Market sales activity, screenings and sessions, AFM’s new Innovation Hub, presented in collaboration with Cannes’ Marché du Film, will be open throughout the run of AFM and will showcase many companies and technologies shaping the future of filmmaking, from artificial intelligence and virtual production to emerging creative and business tools. LocationEXPO, which will introduce 30 film commisions and location service organizations from around the world, will also be open all days of the Market. Both are located on P2 at the Fairmont. 

About the American Film Market^® (AFM^®)
The AFM is where the global film and television business comes to life every November. The only independently produced international sales market, hundreds of finance, production, sales and distribution companies and thousands of professionals from every segment of the industry, convene at AFM for six days of discovery, development, deal making, networking, marketplace discussions and world-class conferences. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance^® (IFTA^®) and serves as the annual fundraiser for the association.

About the Independent Film & Television Alliance^® (IFTA^®)
IFTA is the global trade association for independent film and television production, finance, distribution, and sales companies. The organization represents the independent sector before governments and international bodies and provides significant entertainment industry services to independent companies around the world.