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Overall Attendance Tracking Up as the AFM® Expands Conference Series to Five Days and Introduces Industry Conversation Series with Visionaries, Trendsetters

The 2011 American Film Market (AFM) opens today with more than 90 new buying companies, buyer registration tracking up 10 percent and general attendance tracking higher versus 2010, AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf announced.

Buyers from China are up more than 50% and from Germany up more than 30%, and buyers from Mongolia and Cambodia will attend the market for the first time.

A total of 415 films will screen at the market for 8,000-plus industry leaders over the course of the eight-day event. Of those, 69 are world premieres, 310 are market premieres and 29 films will be presented in 3D. Every two hours, 29 films will be shown, as exhibitors from 35 countries hold a total of more than 700 screenings.

"With buyers up and screenings on par with last year, we expect a very healthy and active market," Wolf said. "And our expanded five-day Conference Series is nearly full with more than 700 attending each day."

AFM exhibitors continually present the most acclaimed films of the coming year; notably, 18 of the past 31 "Best Picture" Academy Award® winners were sold at the AFM. This year's market showcases, among others, Adrien Brody, Steve Buscemi, Jackie Chan, Glenn Close, Chace Crawford, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Facinelli, Michael Fassbender, Ice Cube, Catherine Keener, Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger, Melissa Leo, Blake Lively, Matthew McConaughey, Viggo Mortensen, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Olsen, Giovanni Ribisi, Seth Rogen, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh. A complete list of films and the screening schedule is available at https://mail.lippingroup.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.TheFilmCatalogue.com or its mobile site, https://mail.lippingroup.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.TFCgo.com.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Entertainment Partners will serve as the presenting sponsors of the expanded AFM Conference Series, which will showcase panels on film financing, production, marketing, distribution and pitching. The five-day Series will include prominent filmmakers, financiers and industry executives, covering all aspects of filmmaking, from treatment to screen.

Among the speakers are Tomas Jegeus, Co-President, International, 20th Century Fox; Robert Hayward, Chief Operating Officer, Summit Entertainment; Bahman Naraghi, Chief Operating Officer, GK Films; Ashok Amritraj, CEO, Hyde Park Entertainment; Leon Clarance, Chief Executive Officer, Motion Picture Capital - a Reliance Entertainment Company; Xavier Kochhar, Managing Partner, MediaLink; Karina Kogan, Chief Marketing Officer, BUZZMEDIA; Jack Pan, EVP, Marketing, Summit Entertainment; Jared Underwood, Senior Vice President, Group Manager Entertainment, Comerica Bank Entertainment Group; Jamie Patricof, Founder, Hunting Lane Films and producer of "Blue Valentine"; Hal Sadoff, Head of International and Independent Film, ICM; and Bill Johnson, Co-Founder & Partner, Inferno Entertainment. For more information, visit https://mail.lippingroup.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.AmericanFilmMarket.com/conferences.

In addition, the Market's new Industry Conversations program presents intimate, interactive and informative discussions with some of the visionaries, trendsetters and experts of the film industry. Speakers include Director/Writer Rob Reiner, Producer Lauren Shuler Donner, Kevin Pollak, Selma Blair and more.  For more information, visit www.AmericanFilmMarket.com/industry-conversations.

About the AFM

The business of independent motion picture production and distribution - a truly collaborative process - reaches its peak every year at the AFM, when more than 8,000 industry leaders converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, conferences, premieres, networking and parties.  Participants come from more than 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world's press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry.

Founded in 1981, the AFM quickly became the premier global marketplace where Hollywood's decision-makers and trendsetters all gather under one roof.  Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed.  In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed - on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production - making the AFM the must-attend industry event.

The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance® (IFTA®), the trade association representing the world's producers and distributors of independent motion pictures and television programs.  More information is online at https://mail.lippingroup.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.IFTA-online.org.

About AFI FEST presented by Audi

 Celebrating its 25th year as a program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi will take place November 3 through 10 in the heart of Hollywood. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of global cinema, right in the center of the film capital of the world.

The American Film Market (AFM), November 2 through 9, 2011, is the market partner of AFI FEST. Together, AFI FEST and AFM provide the only concurrent festival-market event in North America. AFI FEST is the only FIAPF-accredited film festival in the United States. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy Awards®.  Additional information about AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST. Connect with AFI FEST at facebook.com/AFIFEST, twitter.com/AFIFESTand youtube.com/AFIFEST.