Copyright The Hollywood Reporter
The American Film Market and Cannes Marché du Film are joining forces on a new Innovation Hub and series of AI-focused sessions set to debut at AFM 2025, giving a more tech focus to the international indie TV market that runs Nov. 11-16 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The collaboration builds on the Marché’s Cannes Next platform, an initiative that aims to link up cutting-edge tech with independent film production, distribution and audience engagement. The new Innovation Hub at AFM aims to serve a similar purpose, bringing together film professionals with creative digital tech companies. Among the AI-centered sessions announced for this year’s AFM are “Visualizing the Future of Commercial Content: What AI Means for the Industry,” featuring Adobe’s Darren Frankel, Paramount veteran Scott Martin and Revelations Entertainment CEO Lori McCreary; and “AI in Action: The Platforms Transforming Filmmaking – From Creation to Distribution,” which includes Asteria founder Bryn Mooser, Othelia Technologies’ Scott Greenberg and Fallbrook’s Will French. The AFM Sessions, presented by Wrapbook and IMDb Pro, will again serve as the AFM’s main conference program, with more than 100 speakers participating in over 30 panels from November 12–15. Other session highlights include “Finance I – From Packaging to Payback,” featuring executives from Wrapbook, Callisto Advisory, Pressman Film and Waypoint Entertainment; and “Finance II – How They Did It,” with participants from Nickel City Pictures, A Higher Standard, Caviar and Rebelle Media. There will also be AFM sessions this year addressing the crossover between film and gaming, shifts in the international sales business, and the creative and commercial strategies behind the latest crop of hit indie horror films.
