Copyright Variety
The American Film Market returns to Los Angeles and sets up at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel from Nov. 11-16. Nestled in the heart of the entertainment biz after 2024’s edition in Las Vegas, the AFM hosts buyers, sellers and producers from more than 60 countries. In addition, China, France, Germany, Italy and Thailand are among the countries to set up national umbrella stands featuring sales and production companies. AMC Century City 15, in the Westfield Century City mall and just a short walk away from the hotel, will host screenings. Variety looks at a selection of AFM sales titles — featuring stars, animation, comedy and thrills and chills: Alone Together Director: Ben Sharrock Producers: Florian Zeller, Federica Sainte-Rose Key cast: Callum Turner, Adria Arjona, Amir El-Masry A British filmmaker faces a life crisis as he visits the Arabian desert for a job but he makes a powerful connection with two people during a freak rainstorm. Sales: HanWay The Arrival Director: Bijan Sheibani Producers: Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Theo Barrowclough (House Prods.), Michael Fassbender, Daniel Emmerson, Conor McCaughan (DMC Film), Nell Green Key cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Archie Madekwe Drama depicting identity, obsession and betrayal, charting the reunion of two long-lost brothers Raheem (Madekwe) and Tom (Ben-Adir) in adulthood. Sales: Cornerstone Babies Film title: Babies Director: Lauren Miller Rogen Producers: Lylas Pictures, Monarch Media, AGC Studios Producers: Lauren Miller Rogen, Jen W. Ray, Stuart Ford, Steve Barnett Key cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick An ensemble comedy drama about the journey to parenthood … or not. Sales: AGC, CAA Media Finance Bad Bridgets Director: Rich Peppiatt Producers: LuckyChap Key cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Emilia Jones Set in the 19th century, the story focuses on two Irish sisters who make a treacherous journey to America to escape an abusive father, poverty and hunger. Once in New York, they join the ranks of Irish so-called “Bridgets” creating mayhem in the city. Sales: FilmNation (international), WME Independent (U.S.) Barry & Me Director: Markus Welter Producer: Marcel Wolfisberg Key cast: Paco von Wyss, Mael Galatti, Alma Büchenbacher On a mountain pass, a boy raises a St. Bernard puppy, but when others threaten to take his beloved dog away, he risks everything to protect their bond. Sales: The Playmaker Munich Brave Cat Director: Gabriel Osorio Producer: Pato Escala Mixing stop-motion and CGI 3D, “Brave Cat” tells the story of Kona, a teenage forest cat, who decides to face her fears and search for her missing mother, who was kidnapped by dogs working for humans. Sales: Indie Sales Buzzkill Director: Joe Lynch Producers: Dane and Cole Eckerle, Jonathan Schwartz and Nick Shumaker (Anonymous Content), Billy Magnussen (HappyBad Bungalow) Recently widowed and recovering alcoholic Sheriff Red launches an investigation as locals turn up dismembered, discovering that the monster feeds on the blood alcohol content of its victims. Key cast: Billy Magnussen, Lulu Wilson Sales: The Veterans (international territories), AC Independent, UTA Independent Film Group (U.S.) Everybody Wants to F*ck Me Director: Jonathan Schey Producers: Studiocanal, Film4, Parkville Pictures, LuckyChap Key cast: Taron Egerton, Jessica Henwick A razor-sharp wild and original dark comedy thriller now shooting on locations across London. Sales: Studiocanal Father Joe Director: Barthélémy Grossmann Producers: LB Production, EuropaCorp Key cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Al Pacino, Ever Anderson Action thriller sees Sutherland as a man of faith who wages a violent war against the city’s criminal underworld. Pacino plays a powerful mob boss whose empire collides with Father Joe’s crusade. Sales: Kinology Fish Director: Carlo Hintermann Key cast: Tim Roth, Hunter Schafer Producers: Indiana Production, Citrullo Intl. In this genre-bending drama — now in pre-production — art history professor Fish Osborne discovers that he is turning into a fish, and his students begin to discover they too are mutating—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—as part of a greater evolution. Sales: Minerva Pictures, TVCO Halloween vs. Day of the Dead Director: Celso García Producers: Thorsten Wegener, Celso García, Gerry Cardoso Animated feature of a boy from Halloween Ville who visits Day of the Dead Town to see his late grandfather, uncovering a magical adventure that could unite rival towns and save their beloved holidays. Sales: Studio 100 Heartless Director: Camille Delamare Producers: Dean Altit, Richard Alan Reid Key cast: Jeanne Goursaud, Colin Morgan When her son’s transplanted heart is stolen during a hospital blackout, a former MMA fighter must use her skills and hacker husband to hunt a deadly organ-trafficking ring and save her son’s life. Sales: K5 Intl. Hello Betty Director: Pierre Monnard Producer: Peter Reichenbach Key cast: Sarah Spale The true story of Emmi Creola, the advertising pioneer who created the Swiss culinary icon Betty Bossi in 1956, much like Betty Crocker in the U.S., a fictional figure who became a household name. Sales: Picture Tree Intl. Ink Director: Danny Boyle Producers: Media Res, House Prods. Key cast: Guy Pearce, Jack O’Connell, Claire Foy An explosive cinematic rollercoaster about the rise of the Rupert Murdoch media empire. Sales: Studiocanal Life Is Life Director: Riccardo Milani Producers: Our Films, Wildside, PiperFilm, Medusa Film Key cast: Diego Abatantuono, Aldo Baglio, Virginia Raffaele This Italian box office hit follows the story of Efisio Mulas, a solitary shepherd and custodian of times seemingly long past, as he defends his land from Giacomo, a developer determined to turn it into a luxury resort. Sales: PiperFilm Love Language Director: Joey Power Producers: Bert Hamelinck and Allison Hironaka (Caviar), Ari Lubet (3 Arts Entertainment), Colin Jost and Jeff Grosvenor (No Notes Prods.) Key cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Anthony Ramos, Manny Jacinto, Isabel May, Lukas Gage, Billie Lourd Following a failed engagement, a women discovers she has a talent for writing other people’s wedding vows. But everything changes when she’s asked to write vows for Olivia, who’s marrying Lou’s old college flame. Sales: Protagonist The Mark Director: Justin Chadwick Producers: Jessica Alba (Lady Metalmark Entertainment), Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier, Henry Winterstern (Highland Film Group), Kia Jam (K. Jam Media), Kosaku Yada (Westbrook Studios), Tracey Vieira (Hoodlum), Peter Jákl Key cast: Jessica Alba, Tom Hopper, Angus Sampson Thriller sees spy Eden on a covert and dangerous mission, who pulls single father Ben into her world of high-stakes espionage. Sales: Highland Film Group Moses the Black Director: Yelena Popovic Producers: Alexandros Potter and Popovic for Simeon Faith. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and G-Unit Film and Television exec producing, alongside Wiz Khalifa for Taylor Gang Films, Omar Epps for BrooklynWorks Films. Key cast: Omar Epps, Wiz Khalifa, Quavo, Chukwudi Iwuji The story of gangster in modern day Chicago who is inspired by the repentance story of the fifth-century saint of the same name. Sales: Stoic Only What We Carry Director: Jamie Adams Producers: Charles Benoin, Liam Hellmann, Jouri Smit at Atlas Pictures and Easy of the Eye Key cast: Simon Pegg, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Liam Hellmann, Sofia Boutella, Quentin Tarantino A once-formidable instructor (Pegg) must face his former student (Boutella) who returns home to face the ghosts of her past. Sales: International Film Trust Reenactment Director: Grant Singer Producers: Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill (Black Label), Patrick Wachsberger (193) Stars: Benicio del Toro, Cameron Diaz Plot is being kept under wraps. Sales: 193 Queen of the Falls Directors: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia Producers: Mollye Asher, Shruti Ganguly Key cast: Pamela Anderson, Guy Pearce On the run and in love, a roadkill cleaner (Anderson) and a fugitive (Pearce) race toward Niagara Falls, chased by the law and haunted by the past. Sales: Global Constellation Ultra Director: Victoria Negri Producers: Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read (Savage Rose Films), Iris Torres Key cast: Shailene Woodley Following the tragic death of her twin sister, Eve (Shailene Woodley) enters into the most intense athletic endeavour on the planet: the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race through Death Valley. As Eve takes on the unforgiving elements and intense physical and psychological strain of the race, she finds herself pursued by an unknown runner in white, consistently closing the gap between them as they surge through the desert. Trying to outrun the ominous presence, Eve will face the darkest parts of herself and uncover what she is made of. Sales: Mister Smith Entertainment (international), WME Independent (North America) The Vile Producers: Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Rami Yasin (Spooky Pictures), Mohamed Hefzy Director: Majid Al Ansari Key cast: Bdoor Mohammed, Sarah Taibah, Eman Tarik A devoted wife and mother’s life starts to unravel when her husband returns home with a second wife. Sales: AGC Intl. Viva La Madness Director: Guy Ritchie Producer: Jason Statham, Thomas Benski, Toff Guy Films, Black Bear Key cast: Jason Statham Plot being kept under wraps. Sales: Black Bear
