Copyright The Hollywood Reporter
The reports of the death of the American Film Market have been greatly exaggerated. After years of turbulence — from the double blow of the pandemic and the Hollywood strikes to a pair of ill-advised venue shifts, including last year’s misfire in Las Vegas — the world’s leading indie movie bazaar looks set for a surprising comeback. Relocated to the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles this year’s AFM arrives amid rising confidence that the independent business still has plenty of fight left in it. “I thought no one would be coming to AFM but everyone’s coming,” says Jonathan Kier, co-CEO of production and international sales group Upgrade Production. “My schedule is packed — packed.” “We’ve been surprised by the fact that during the pandemic and the strikes and the contraction of a large part of the industry, that most of the big independent distributors around the world have been doing just fine,” adds his Upgrade partner Matt Brodlie. “It’s not as dramatic as the U.S. industry, where everyone’s just trying to get by by the skin of their teeth.” That resilience abroad has given sellers renewed confidence heading to the market’s new home in Century City, that AFM’s beating heart — the pre-sales business — still promises enough oxygen for the global indie ecosystem. THR‘s Hot List of the buzziest titles at AFM lacks the big-budget actioners of years past but makes up for it in variety, with high-concept genre plays, star-driven dramas, and prestige award-hopefuls offering up plenty for buyers big and small. But the hard lessons of the past few years have taught indie execs to curb their optimism.
